Big Cartel vs ExpandCart
Big Cartel
bigcartel.com
ExpandCart
expandcart.comSide by side
| Figure | Big Cartel | ExpandCart |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $15/mo | $19/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 5 |
| Spec score · No-Code E-Commerce Platforms | 9.2 (#1) | 9.1 (#5) |
| Spec score · Ecommerce platforms | 9.1 (#14) | 9.0 (#28) |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Yes | Yes |
| App marketplace | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Hosting model | hosted | hosted |
| Integrations | Big Cartel lists more than 60 apps, including Printify, Printful, ShipStation, Zapier, Google Analytics, Instagram Shopping, Facebook Shopping, Google Shopping, Omnisend, and Fera. | The homepage names PayPal, PayTabs, Aramex, Microsoft Dynamics, and Google Shopping as integration partners. |
| Payments | Payments can include cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link, Cash App, Amazon Pay, Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm, PayPal, Venmo, and PayPal Pay Later through Stripe and PayPal. | Official pages list PayPal, Visa, Mastercard and more than 30 regional payment gateways, with additional gateway integrations available by quote. |
| Sales channels | omnichannel | The platform supports selling through an online store, mobile app, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, and local retail stores. |
| Security | Big Cartel says its addresses and connected custom domains are fully SSL encrypted, with checkout always covered by SSL. | ExpandCart states that stores receive free SSL certificates, daily backups and encryption it compares with bank-grade security. |
| Support | Big Cartel support is available 24/7 through in-app messaging for account holders or email for people without an account. | The company advertises 24/7 support through phone, email and live chat, plus tickets, a help center and a knowledge base. |
| Transaction fee | none | none |
| What it does | Big Cartel provides online shops for independent creators, artists, and brands to sell physical, digital, and membership products. | ExpandCart is a cloud ecommerce platform for creating and operating online stores without prior technical experience. |
Plans
Big Cartel
- GoldFree
- Platinum$15 a month
- Diamond$30 a month
- GoldFree
- Platinum$15 a month
- Diamond$30 a month
ExpandCart
- Standard$19 a month
- Professional$39 a month
- Ultimate$149 a month
- FreeFree
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Big Cartel
Big Cartel is a hosted shop platform for independent creators, artists, and brands selling physical, digital, or membership products. Sellers select a template, add products, connect Stripe or PayPal, and can launch at a custom web address without coding or plugins. Big Cartel states that it charges no transaction fees. Payments through Stripe and PayPal can include cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link, Cash App, Amazon Pay, Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm, PayPal, Venmo, and PayPal Pay Later. Its free mobile app supports in-person tap-to-pay or cash sales, with orders and inventory syncing to the online shop. The platform lists more than 60 apps, including print, shipping, analytics, and shopping services. All listed plans support product imports from Etsy, Squarespace, and Shopify. The API is version 1, supports OAuth 2.0, and offers APIs and webhooks for integrations. Gold is free for up to five products and one customizable store template. Platinum costs $15 a month for up to 50 products; Diamond costs $30 a month for up to 500 products.
ExpandCart
ExpandCart is a hosted platform for creating and managing an online store without technical experience. It supports web, Android and iOS, and lists omnichannel sales, abandoned cart recovery and an app marketplace. Store owners can customize a design using an editor and 50 templates. The platform names PayPal, PayTabs, Aramex, Microsoft Dynamics and Google Shopping among its integration partners. Merchants can source products from Middle East suppliers and use dropshipping platforms such as AliExpress. Plans set different product limits: Standard allows 100, Professional allows 1,000 and Ultimate has no product limit. Standard costs $19 a month, Professional $39 a month and Ultimate $149 a month, each billed monthly. Enterprise has no listed price and includes a multi-merchant store and advanced ecommerce apps, with several optional services. ExpandCart lists a free plan and a 14-day trial, no transaction fee, and free SSL using HTTPS. Ultimate and Enterprise subscribers can access free migration for specific shopping cart scripts.