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Big Cartel review: a free plan for 5 products, with limits to know
Updated Oct 1, 2026 · scored under rubric v1
Big Cartel suits a maker with a handful of products who wants to start free and pay only Stripe's or PayPal's fees. The catch is the product caps on every plan and that Gold has no own domain, discounts or inventory tracking.
Big Cartel's Gold plan is free and sells up to 5 products; Platinum is $15 a month or $144 a year for 50 products, and Diamond $30 a month or $288 a year for 500. Big Cartel takes 0% transaction fees; you pay Stripe (from 2.9% + 30¢) or PayPal (2.99% plus $0.49). Gold can't use your own domain.
What it does well
- Free Gold plan that can sell online, with no credit card required
- 0% transaction fee from Big Cartel on every plan
- SSL on every shop
- Low paid plans: $15 or $30 a month
Where it falls short
- No plan has unlimited products: 5, 50 or 500
- Gold can't connect your own domain
- Discounts and inventory tracking need a paid plan
- Abandoned-cart emails are Diamond-only
Big Cartel is a store builder for artists and makers. It has a free plan and two paid plans, and it doesn't process payments itself: shops use their own Stripe or PayPal account.
What Big Cartel costs
| Plan | Price | Billing | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | $0 | Free | Up to 5 |
| Platinum | $15 a month or $144 a year | Monthly or yearly | Up to 50 |
| Diamond | $30 a month or $288 a year | Monthly or yearly | Up to 500 |
Prices from its pricing page, read Sep 27, 2026, and its plans help article, read Sep 27, 2026.
Paid yearly, Platinum works out to $12 a month and Diamond to $24.
Over time
Total = monthly price × 12 × years, or yearly price × years, or a one-time price once. Only current plan prices; fees are listed separately. Taxes, add-ons and promotional prices are not included.
Current prices
| Plan | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Free plan: up to 5 products, sell online, accept cards and PayPal; no custom domain, discounts or inventory tracking. | $0 per month | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Platinum (billed monthly) Up to 50 products; 7-day free trial (credit card required). | $15 per month | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Diamond (billed monthly) Up to 500 products; abandoned cart emails, automatic discounts. | $30 per month | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Platinum (billed annually) $12/mo shown on the pricing page after choosing 'Annually' ('$144 billed annually (Save 20%)'). | $144 per year | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Diamond (billed annually) $24/mo shown on the pricing page after choosing 'Annually' ('$288 billed annually (Save 20%)'). | $288 per year | Sep 27, 2026 |
What you get on Gold
The Gold plan page lists 5 free product listings, selling online and accepting cards and PayPal, with "Start for $0 — No credit card required". Every shop is SSL encrypted.
Big Cartel takes no cut: its comparison page promises "0% transaction fees". The processor still charges. Big Cartel's payments help article quotes Stripe at "Starting at 2.9% + 30¢" per card charge and PayPal at 2.99% plus $0.49 for most transactions. On a $50 sale that is about $1.75 with Stripe or about $1.99 with PayPal.
Catches and fine print
- Product caps. No plan has unlimited products. Gold stops at 5, Platinum at 50, Diamond at 500.
- No own domain on Gold. Its FAQ says "all Big Cartel shops on paid plans can use a custom domain"; the custom-domain feature is listed for US-based Platinum and Diamond sellers.
- Paid-plan features. Discounts, label printing and inventory tracking are premium features from Platinum up. The FAQ confirms inventory tracking needs a paid plan.
- Abandoned-cart emails are "an exclusive feature available to our Diamond plan".
- Platinum's trial needs a card. The pricing page offers 7 days free, then $15 a month; the trial requires a credit card.
- Only two processors. Stripe and PayPal are the only options. Big Cartel's pages don't say it has a wholesale or B2B feature.
Support
The plan, pricing and help pages we read don't set out support channels or hours.
Who it suits
Big Cartel fits a maker selling a few items who wants to test demand without a monthly bill, and who is happy with a Big Cartel web address at first. Moving to Platinum at $15 a month adds your own domain, discounts and inventory tracking for up to 50 products.
Look elsewhere if you have more than 500 products, want abandoned-cart emails without paying for Diamond, or need a processor other than Stripe or PayPal.
See how it compares in our ecommerce platform ranking and in platform fees compared.
Alternatives in Ecommerce platforms
| Alternative | Score | Best for | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | 8.3/10Very goodOur score | Stores that already pay for web hosting and want no platform fee No affiliate relationship | Visit WooCommerceOn woocommerce.com |
| Sellfy | 8.2/10Very goodOur score | Creators selling downloads, subscriptions and print-on-demand with under $10k a year in sales No affiliate relationship | Visit SellfyOn sellfy.com |
| Shopify | 7.1/10GoodOur score | Stores that want B2B price lists and net payment terms on the entry plan No affiliate relationship | Visit ShopifyOn shopify.com |