The need for E-Commerce stores is increasing because of their accessibility and easy connection with customers. This growth has led to increased demand for such platforms. Shopify vs Big Cartel is one of the biggest names on this list.
An online platform is necessary for the growth of the online business. But if you are new in this field, then selecting the best can be difficult. Selecting between them is not that easy as both caters to different needs and target different audiences.
If you’re stuck, then this article will help you select the best eCommerce platform among them.
Shopify: Pros & Cons
Shopify is one of the biggest online store builders with SEO Optimization and top hosted-cart solutions. The audience range of Shopify varies from small to giant businesses.
Pros
Support & service system
The support it provides cannot be outnumbered by any other eCommerce platform. The support system is boosted through social media, email, blog, live chat, forum, phone, support center.
A customer can reach them anytime because their support team stays active 24/7. Customers can also connect through Shopify plus, a special Shopify plan with dedicated support agents.
Theme, design & Ease of use
The theme is a very important part of an eCommerce store because the customer judges the store by it. In the competition, Shopify is ahead in the race with 73 unique and professional templates.
Customization of these templates can be done through HTML, CSS, and Liquid only. Hiring a freelance web developer for customization can be a time saver.
Extensive features make it a little difficult to use. The help of a freelance Shopify developer to customize the website can make your work easy.
E-Commerce features
The E-Commerce features of this paid platform are extensive. It has powerful features as an online service store. You can add and customize as many products as you want. It also has a cart recovery feature, reminding customers of their cart items.
Payment system
It has more than 100 options to choose from, for payment getaways. In-house Shopify Payments are also available, but all the payment gateways have transaction fees that are not included in the monthly subscription fee.
Shopify app store
Shopify’s apps are what make it extremely popular. It offers more than 3000 app integrations. It can drastically improve your online business presence using SEO, productivity, security, and its other features.
Every feature on these apps will add on as an extra monthly fee. The monthly bill of this source provider can be hefty.
Cons
Shopify pricing and plans
Pricing and plans are attractive, but they lack free features. In the battle between Shopify vs Big Cartel, the former lags behind from one point due to its heavy prices and plans. The plans are hard to afford for beginners.
Big cartel: Pros & Cons
It is also an online store builder, but it is more focused on niche markets and caters to small businesses and artists with individual items to sell. It’s a free and easy solution for online store building.
Pros
Big cartel pricing and plans
It is a budget-friendly option and even free plans are available on it. The plans are simple and clear. It can be a perfect choice for a new online store. But even the costliest plan cannot accommodate uploading more than 500 products.
Ease of use
This open-source platform is incredibly easy to use. Unlike its competitor, the help of a freelance web developer is not mandatory. Uploading a product detail is very simple, you don’t need technical knowledge for that.
Payment system
It uses popular payment gateways like Stripe, Square, PayPal, Venmo, and Apple Pay. It also has a zero transaction fee policy. But it doesn’t come with PCI compliance.
Apps & Plugins
The applications are also effective with 500 third-party apps’ integration. These integrations are possible through a paid plugin, Zapier. The app is strong enough to boost your online shop. But the websites are not user-friendly and lack depth and quality.
Cons
Support & service system
The support system of this platform is not that strong because of the availability of only 3 main channels – Social media, Email, and Help Center. But these support systems are strong enough to handle a small online store.
Theme & Design
Including themes is very easy here. But it lags when it comes to the quantity. It offers only 18 aesthetic and free themes. For customizing some of these themes, purchased plans are necessary. Unlike hiring a developer, external help is not much required here.
E-Commerce features
E-Commerce features of this open-source platform are simple, and they focus on niche markets and single products. This focus limits the services and features of this platform.
Which one should you choose- Shopify vs big cartel?
If you want to sell multiple products, then Shopify is a better option. A grand budget is needed for it. But if you run a Small business with a tight budget, then Big cartel is a good option for you. If you are an artist or have a targeted niche, then also Big cartel can take your online business to new heights.