E-commerce & Retail · head to head
OpenCart vs Big Cartel
OpenCart
E-commerce & Retail
Open-source ecommerce platform for business
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Big Cartel
E-commerce & Retail
Straightforward pricing, no surprises
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only OpenCart has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: OpenCart openCart is GPLv3 licensed and free to self-host, but there is no official vendor-hosted SaaS; most payment gateway and shipping integrations beyond the basics require paid extensions from OpenCart's own third-party marketplace.; Big Cartel custom domain support is not included on the free Gold plan; it is listed as a Platinum-tier feature
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which OpenCart and Big Cartel actually diverge.
| Attribute | OpenCart | Big Cartel |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | open-source | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2009 | Unknown |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-commerce & Retail).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in OpenCart
- Product management
- Multi-store support
- Payment gateways
- Shipping integration
- Customer management
- Coupon system
- SEO optimization
- Reporting tools
Only in Big Cartel
Nothing recorded that OpenCart does not also cover.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
OpenCart
- OpenCart is GPLv3 licensed and free to self-host, but there is no official vendor-hosted SaaS; most payment gateway and shipping integrations beyond the basics require paid extensions from OpenCart's own third-party marketplace.
Big Cartel
- Custom domain support is not included on the free Gold plan; it is listed as a Platinum-tier feature
- Abandoned cart recovery, product drop scheduling and Zapier integration are restricted to the top Diamond tier at $30/month
- Platinum's paid billing starts automatically after a 7-day free trial rather than requiring an active opt-in to convert
Pricing, plan by plan
OpenCart
Free- Open SourceFree
- Core ecommerce features
- Free support
- Extensions available
Big Cartel
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Big Cartel review.
Which should you pick?
Choose OpenCart if
- You need product management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want multi-store support.
Choose Big Cartel if
Nothing in the data separates Big Cartel from OpenCart on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is OpenCart or Big Cartel better?
- Neither clearly leads. OpenCart starts at Free and Big Cartel at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, OpenCart or Big Cartel?
- OpenCart has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OpenCart and On request for Big Cartel.
- Does OpenCart or Big Cartel run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use OpenCart for free?
- Yes. OpenCart has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Big Cartel starts at On request.
- What can OpenCart do that Big Cartel cannot?
- OpenCart covers Product management, Multi-store support, Payment gateways, Shipping integration.