Big Cartel vs Payhip: Which Is Better in 2026?

Big Cartel is an ecommerce platform built specifically for artists, makers and independent creators who want to sell online without the cost or complexity of a big commerce suite. Home to roughly 3 million shops that together list around 6 million products and have sold more than $2.5 billion, it has spent years focused on one audience: people who make things and want a simple, affordable way to sell them.

What is Big Cartel?

Big Cartel lets you launch a clean, customizable online store in four straightforward steps: choose a template, add your products, configure your store settings and start promoting. There's no coding required, and the templates are designed to put the work — the art, the product, the craft — front and center rather than burying it in clutter.

Who it's for

The platform is made for jewelry makers, printmakers, painters, designers, ceramicists, illustrators, photographers, publishers and every other kind of independent creator. If you're a solo maker or a small creative business that finds mainstream ecommerce platforms overwhelming or overpriced, Big Cartel is built with you in mind.

Key features

• Customizable store templates that need no coding
• Selling of physical goods, digital products and print-on-demand merchandise
• Product import from Shopify, Etsy and Squarespace
• Social selling across Instagram, Facebook and Google Shopping
• In-person sales through the mobile app
• Dashboard analytics and order management
• An app marketplace to extend your store

Sell everywhere

Big Cartel doesn't confine you to a single storefront. You can sell physical and digital products, offer print-on-demand items, push products to Instagram, Facebook and Google Shopping, and even take payments in person at markets or pop-ups through the mobile app. For makers who sell both online and at events, that flexibility keeps everything in one place.

Pricing

Pricing is deliberately simple and creator-friendly. There's a free tier to get started (with a 7-day premium trial), then Platinum at around $15/month and Diamond at around $30/month for shops that are scaling up. Crucially, Big Cartel is known for straightforward pricing with no hidden fees, so makers keep more of what they earn.

Support and philosophy

Big Cartel prides itself on "real humans, not chatbots" for support, reflecting a long-standing, creator-first philosophy. Rather than chasing enterprise clients, the company has stayed focused on independent artists, which shows in both the product's simplicity and the way it treats its customers.

Getting started and growing

Opening a Big Cartel shop is quick even if you've never built a website. You pick one of the customizable themes, add your products with photos and descriptions, set up shipping and payments, and share your store — no developer, no monthly minimum to begin. If you're moving from another platform, product import from Shopify, Etsy and Squarespace saves you from re-entering your catalog by hand.

As your shop grows, the dashboard gives you the numbers that matter — orders, views and sales trends — while the app marketplace lets you bolt on extra capabilities only when you need them. That "start simple, add later" approach keeps the platform approachable for first-timers while still supporting makers who are turning a hobby into a real business.

Why choose Big Cartel

If you're a maker who wants to sell without wrestling a complicated platform or paying steep fees, Big Cartel is one of the best-fitting options available. Its simple setup, transparent pricing, multi-channel selling and genuinely human support make it a home for creative businesses rather than a one-size-fits-all store builder.

Payhip is an easy-to-use e-commerce platform for selling digital products, courses, memberships and even physical goods, with simple setup and low fees that make it especially attractive to creators and small businesses. It lets anyone create an online store or simply add buy buttons to an existing site, handling payments, delivery and the commerce essentials so creators can focus on making and selling their products rather than wrestling with complex store software.

The platform supports a range of products — ebooks, downloads, software, courses, memberships and physical items — and gives sellers the tools they need: a storefront, secure checkout, automatic delivery of digital goods, coupon and discount features, affiliate program support, and email collection for marketing. Its emphasis on simplicity means you can start selling quickly without technical skills, while its low, transparent fee structure (with the option of plans that reduce or remove transaction fees) makes it cost-effective, particularly for creators just getting started or selling at modest volume.

Payhip is popular with creators, educators, authors and small businesses who want a straightforward, affordable way to sell digital products, courses and memberships directly to their audience. By combining ease of use, broad product support and low fees, it lowers the barrier to building a digital product business and keeps more of the revenue in the creator's pocket. Its flexibility — working as a full store or as embeddable buttons — fits different needs, from a dedicated shop to selling from a blog or social profile. As the creator economy grows and more people sell digital products and courses, accessible, low-fee selling platforms are in high demand. For creators and small businesses that want a simple, affordable way to sell digital products, courses and memberships, Payhip offers a capable, easy and genuinely creator-friendly solution.