Big Cartel

Big Cartel is an online store platform built specifically for artists, makers, designers and independent creators who want to sell their work online without the complexity or cost of larger ecommerce systems. It has a long-standing, loyal following among the creative community precisely because it keeps things simple, affordable and focused on the needs of small, independent sellers.

Simple, creator-focused stores

Big Cartel lets you set up a clean, attractive online store quickly, with customisable themes designed to showcase products like art, prints, apparel, jewellery and handmade goods. The whole experience is deliberately streamlined — you can get a shop live without wrestling with a sprawling feature set, which is exactly what many artists and makers want. You can also use your own custom domain for a professional presence.

Affordable pricing, including free

A defining feature of Big Cartel is its pricing. It offers a genuinely free plan for selling a small number of products, with affordable paid tiers as your catalogue grows. Crucially, Big Cartel does not take a cut of your sales as commission — you keep your revenue (minus standard payment processing fees) — which is a big draw for independent creators watching their margins.

Managing products and orders

The platform handles the essentials of selling: product listings with options and variations, inventory tracking, order management, discount codes and shipping. It connects with payment processors so customers can pay securely by card, and it provides basic sales stats so you can see how your shop is performing. For made-to-order and limited-run creative work, this focused toolkit covers what most makers need.

Who it's for

Big Cartel is ideal for artists, makers, musicians, designers and small independent brands who want a simple, affordable way to sell online and keep full control of their revenue and branding. It's especially suited to sellers with a curated range of products rather than huge catalogues, and to those who prefer simplicity over a feature-heavy platform.

For a creator who wants an easy, low-cost online store that's built for their world — and doesn't take a slice of every sale — Big Cartel is a beloved, purpose-built choice.

Why creators love Big Cartel

Big Cartel's enduring popularity among artists and makers comes from respecting how independent creators actually work: it's simple to set up, affordable (with a real free plan), and it never takes a commission on your sales, so you keep what you earn. Rather than burying you in enterprise features you'll never use, it gives you a clean, attractive shop focused on showcasing your work, a custom domain for a professional look, and the essentials of selling — variations, inventory, discounts and shipping. For an artist, musician, designer or small maker who wants to sell online on their own terms without a sprawling platform or per-sale fees eating their margins, Big Cartel is a refreshingly honest, creator-first choice that has earned deep loyalty in the community.