E-commerce & Retail · head to head
Revel vs Big Cartel
Big Cartel
E-commerce & Retail
Straightforward pricing, no surprises
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Revel mandatory use of Revel Advantage payment processing for new customers with no viable alternatives; 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 Revel and Big Cartel actually diverge.
| Attribute | Revel | Big Cartel |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $99/month | On request |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Platforms | iPad, iOS, Web | Web |
| Founded | 2010 | Unknown |
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Revel
- iPad point of sale
- Inventory management
- Customer profiles
- Employee management
- Sales analytics
- Loyalty programs
- Multi-location support
- Payment processing
Only in Big Cartel
Nothing recorded that Revel does not also cover.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Revel
- Mandatory use of Revel Advantage payment processing for new customers with no viable alternatives
- Long-term 3-year contracts with high early termination fees
- Hidden fees for API access and mobile inventory management app not included in base pricing
- Frequent system crashes and connectivity issues that disrupt operations
- Limited ability to retrieve historical data after extended use of the system
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
Revel
$99/month- Standard$99/month
- POS
- Inventory management
- Employee management
- Premium$649/month
- All standard features
- Advanced integrations
- API access
Big Cartel
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Big Cartel review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Revel if
- You need ipad point of sale.
- You work on iPad, iOS, Web.
- You also want inventory management.
Choose Big Cartel if
Nothing in the data separates Big Cartel from Revel on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Revel or Big Cartel better?
- Neither clearly leads. Revel starts at $99/month and Big Cartel at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Revel or Big Cartel?
- Revel starts at $99/month and Big Cartel at On request.
- Does Revel or Big Cartel run on more platforms?
- Revel runs on iPad, iOS, Web. Big Cartel runs on Web.
- What can Revel do that Big Cartel cannot?
- Revel covers iPad point of sale, Inventory management, Customer profiles, Employee management.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Revel: Does Revel have a free trial?
Revel Systems does not offer a free trial for its standard POS plans. However, Revel+ premium subscriptions include a two-month free trial period.
SourceRevel: Can Revel work offline?
Yes. Revel uses hybrid architecture to run offline or on a local network, and Always On Mode enables credit card processing during internet outages. The only limitation is that you cannot verify if a credit card has declined until your connection is restored.
SourceRevel: Does Revel integrate with Shopify?
Yes. Revel integrates with Shopify to synchronize inventory levels, automatically transfer sales data, and manage both online and brick-and-mortar stores from a single dashboard.
SourceRevel: What are Revel's typical contract terms?
Revel typically requires 3-year contracts with high early termination fees (ETFs). Users report difficulty canceling and facing steep penalties if they exit before the contract period ends.
SourceRevel: Can I use my own payment processor with Revel?
New customers are almost always required to use Revel Advantage payment processing. Using an outside payment processor is typically not allowed or is heavily penalized.
Source