WooCommerce vs Big Cartel

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Our analysts compared WooCommerce vs Big Cartel based on data from our 400+ point analysis of eCommerce Platforms, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

WooCommerce Software Tool
Big Cartel Software Tool

Product Basics

WooCommerce, a free and open-source eCommerce platform, empowers you to sell products online by leveraging the popular content management system, WordPress. Ideally suited for small businesses and entrepreneurs venturing into the online marketplace, WooCommerce offers a user-friendly setup and a diverse range of features to facilitate online sales. The platform's open-source nature allows for customization to meet specific needs, while its large community of users and developers provides support and resources.

Key benefits of WooCommerce include its cost-effectiveness, flexibility, ease of use, and comprehensive feature set, encompassing product catalog management, order processing, and secure payment gateways. The platform's extensibility through plugins and themes further enhances its capabilities, enabling businesses to tailor their online stores to their unique requirements. When compared to similar eCommerce solutions, WooCommerce often stands out due to its affordability and adaptability, making it a compelling choice for budget-conscious businesses seeking a customizable online store solution.

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Big Cartel is an eCommerce website builder that helps artists quickly design and launch an online storefront. They can set up professional websites on a custom domain for free, and move onto paid plans during scaling for features like inventory management, theme code editing, Google Analytics and more. The free plan supports five products and paid plans can support up to 500 products.
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Product Insights

  • Easily Setup a Digital Storefront: Use the plugin to add essential online store functionalities to an existing WordPress website without coding. 
  • Control Costs: Design business-specific eCommerce websites and pay only for features and functionalities used. 
  • Easy Scalability: Supports businesses of every size through extensions from Wix Marketplace. Add advanced features like omnichannel marketing, data analysis, dropshipping and more while scaling business operations. 
  • Boost Brand Presence: Maintain ownership of the online store, sell products without the hassle of going through a third party and direct traffic to the website instead of external marketplaces. Leverage SEO tools and email marketing solutions for targeted campaigns. 
  • Global Audience: Cater to customers from across the globe with multilingual content and easy currency exchange. Supports 24 languages and all major currencies. 
  • Design Personalized Integrations: Create business-specific integrations with external software, extensions and add-ons by leveraging an open API. 
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  • Design Unique Storefronts: Create branded storefronts with automated tax calculators, site searching, shipment connections and real-time statistics using templates and coding. 
  • Improve Engagement: Track KPIs, cart recovery, engagement rates and bounce rates to identify weaknesses and drill down on opportunities. Attract customers and boost engagement through unique promos and discounts. 
  • Work From Anywhere: Stay on top of every business process with real-time updates and notifications on the mobile app for Android and iOS. 
  • Add Custom Features: Leverage partnership with Zapier to facilitate connections with over 1,000 third-party solutions like Google Analytics, Facebook Store, Instagram, Pulley, MailChimp and more. 
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  • Online Store: Setup an online store and personalize its design and layout through “Storefront.” Or integrate into a WordPress website for a nestable grid system, enhanced SEO performance and innovative design templates. 
  • Content Creation: Display products and content in a modular way, adding different categories like bestsellers, top-rated, on-sale and more, and post them anywhere on the site. Leverage the Wooslider integration to create interactive slideshows and transitions to boost engagement. 
  • Payment Processing: Streamline the checkout process, monitor charges, accept multiple currencies, handle disputes and track deposits from a unified dashboard. Customers can save their credit card details and set up recurring payments for subscriptions or memberships. 
  • Order Management System: Update products, fulfill orders and track shipment from the dashboard. Track orders throughout the fulfillment process using status bars. 
  • Shipping: Execute fulfillment from the dashboard with a built-in shipping module. Print labels and drop off packages without waiting in a queue at the post office. Leverage DHL and USPS integrations to display prices and charge customers directly during checkout. 
  • Product Information Management: Sell physical products, catalog appointments or offer members-only digital content. Let customers choose from product variations, subscription options, single items or bundle variations. 
  • Integrations: Enhance the online store with plugins and extensions from the WooCommerce Marketplace to add design, marketing, point of sale, accounting, tax management capabilities and more. 
  • Marketing: Increase brand visibility and boost engagement: 
    • Listings: Manage product listings on all major marketplaces, including Facebook Ads, Google Listings, Amazon and more. 
    • Email Marketing: Generate customized emails to recover abandoned carts and automate campaigns. 
    • Discounts: Drive repeat sales and increase customer loyalty with customizable coupons, redeemable points and rewards, and gifts upon direct purchase. 
  • Global Audience: Cater to customers from across the globe with multilingual content and easy currency exchange. Supports 24 major languages and all major currencies. 
  • REST API: Gain complete control of the online store with a flexible and scalable API solution conforming to the constraints of the REST architecture. 
  • Mobile App: Use the app for Android and IOS to create, edit and publish products, receive real-time notifications and alerts, manage orders from purchase to fulfillment, track statistics and switch between sites in case of multiple stores. 
  • Jetpack: Secure the site with automated malware screening, authenticated customer logins and brute force attack prevention. Maintain a backup of sales data and monitor insights on orders, trends and traffic. 
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  • Professional Website: Build and design a niche standalone website to create product USPs. Personalize web pages and add business branding through design templates or editing source code with the HTML and CSS editor. Websites are compatible with both mobile and PC. Host sites on the vendor’s domain or use a custom domain, available with paid plans. 
  • Inventory Management: Keep track of sold units, add new products, supply products with descriptions and photos, and receive notifications when a product is about to go out of stock. Available with paid plans. 
  • Order Management: Send confirmation emails after purchases. Arrange shipping, print shipping labels, track orders and bulk export order history to a CSV file from a unified dashboard. 
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Provide targeted product descriptions, collect inbound links and receive expert advice on optimizing search engine results. 
  • Discounts: Provide discounts on the checkout page to boost customer retention and improve loyalty. 
  • Analytics: Track monthly sales, visitor statistics, conversion rates and more from the analytics dashboard. Leverage integrations with third-party applications for in-depth analysis, available with paid plans.  
  • Mobile App: Access free mobile apps to streamline workflows and increase efficiency. Available apps assist in custom printing, social media marketing, site analytics, customer support, shipping management and more.  
  • Payment Processing: Choose between PayPal and Stripe to provide customers with a one-touch checkout and payment point on the website. Additionally, utilize the mobile application and a card swiper to accept in-person payments, without incurring additional processing fees. 
  • Integrations: Leverage partnership with Zapier to facilitate connections with over 1,000 third-party solutions like Google Analytics, Facebook Store, Instagram, Pulley, Mailchimp and more, available at a cost. 
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Product Ranking

#7

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eCommerce Platforms

#11

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eCommerce Platforms

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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 1659 reviews
Great User Sentiment 32 reviews
88%
of users recommend this product

WooCommerce has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 88% when considering 1659 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

84%
of users recommend this product

Big Cartel has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 84% when considering 32 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

5.0 (29)
n/a
4.3 (785)
4.2 (21)
4.54 (504)
4.18 (11)
4.5 (277)
n/a
4.4 (64)
n/a

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Flexibility and Customization: It’s a flexible platform that offers various customizations through plugins and add-ons, according to 94% of users mentioning this element.
Ideal for WordPress: Users can add essential eCommerce features to any website on WordPress, as noted by 97% of reviews on this aspect.
Implementation: According to 96% of reviews on implementation, it’s easy to implement the software without in-depth technical expertise.
Training: A vast amount of tutorials are available from vendors and external user bases, according to 100% of reviews on training.
Costs: It’s a cheaper option than its competitors, as noted by 85% of users mentioning pricing.
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Simple Store Setup: Big Cartel is known for its straightforward and user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to set up their online stores quickly, even with limited technical expertise.
Free Plan Availability: The platform offers a free plan that allows users to sell up to five products, making it an attractive option for individuals or small businesses starting with a limited budget or inventory.
Affordable Paid Plans: Big Cartel's paid plans are generally considered affordable compared to other eCommerce platforms, providing scalability for growing businesses without breaking the bank.
Focus on Artists and Makers: Big Cartel caters specifically to artists, crafters, and independent creators, offering features and tools tailored to their needs, such as customizable themes and the ability to sell digital products.
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Advanced Features: Most of the advanced eCommerce features are only available as paid plugins, according to all the reviews on this aspect.
Website Performance: More plugins can affect the website’s speed and performance, as mentioned by 90% of reviews on website functioning.
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Limited Design Flexibility: The platform's design options can feel restrictive for users seeking extensive customization, especially when compared to other platforms that offer a wider range of themes and more advanced design tools.
Feature Limitations: Big Cartel may not be the best fit for businesses with complex needs, as it lacks certain features commonly found in other eCommerce platforms, such as abandoned cart recovery, detailed analytics, and extensive marketing tools.
Scalability Challenges: While suitable for smaller stores or those just starting out, Big Cartel may not be the best choice for rapidly growing businesses due to limitations in product variations, inventory management, and order processing capabilities.
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WooCommerce facilitates eCommerce on any WordPress website. It’s a popular solution among users for its flexibility and ease of implementation. The plugin is easy to install and use without complicated coding. The basic plugin is free but only provides essential eCommerce features. Advanced modules like data analytics, email marketing, CRM and more are available as paid extensions. Reviews noted that heavier websites with many extensions tend to work slow. So for users without WordPress and coding experience, it’s tough to maintain the website. In conclusion, WooCommerce is a robust solution that businesses of any type can mold based on their needs and scale with adequate technical expertise.

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Big Cartel has been making waves in the eCommerce world, but like any platform, it has its fans and its critics. Users who dig Big Cartel often point to its user-friendliness and affordability as major pluses. It's a great starting point for small businesses and artists who want to get their online stores up and running without breaking the bank or getting bogged down in technical complexities. However, some users find Big Cartel's features a bit too basic, especially compared to more robust platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. If you're looking for advanced marketing tools, extensive customization options, or top-tier customer support, Big Cartel might leave you wanting more. Ultimately, Big Cartel is a solid choice for those who prioritize simplicity and affordability, but if you need a platform that can scale with your business, you might want to explore other options. "Big Cartel: the perfect platform for your big dreams." Whether you're an artist selling handmade crafts or a musician hawking merch, Big Cartel provides a straightforward way to turn your passion into profit. Just remember, as your business grows, you might need to upgrade to a platform with more bells and whistles.

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Top Alternatives in eCommerce Platforms


Adobe Commerce

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commercetools

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Kibo

Optimizely

Oracle Commerce

Salesforce Commerce Cloud

SAP Commerce Cloud

Shopify

Sitecore

SquareSpace

TrueCommerce

Unilog

Wix

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