SpreadFront vs Big Cartel: 1,000 products with your own domain for €108, not 50 for $180
Both are real online stores. This page compares what each charges for the first paid tier that gives you your own domain, using Big Cartel's own published pricing and the reviews its users wrote.
| SpreadFront | Big Cartel | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan, per year | €108 (Starter, €9/mo billed yearly) | $144/yr billed yearly (Platinum, $15/mo monthly) |
| Products on that tier | 1,000 | 50 |
| Custom domain on that tier | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Own Stripe / PayPal, platform fee | ✓ Yes · 0% | ✓ Yes · 0% |
| Catalogue managed from a Google Sheet | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Google PageSpeed score (mobile, run it yourself) | 99 · PageSpeed: demo.spreadfront.com | 69 · PageSpeed: a shop listed on Big Cartel's own examples page |
Prices verified 15 September 2026 on Big Cartel's pricing page and ours. PageSpeed scores are mobile performance scores we measured on 16 September 2026; scores vary between runs, so run the links yourself. Changed since? Tell us and we correct it. Big Cartel is a trademark of its owner.
Why people switch
- Platinum is $15 a month ($144 a year billed yearly) and allows 50 products. [source]
- The free Gold plan is limited to 5 products and has no custom domain. [source]
- Diamond, the top tier, stops at 500 products; there is no plan above it. [source]
What Big Cartel users say
“The monthly cost can put you into a negative balance until you start selling more.”
“We have reverted to the limited product free option.”
“Starting from just 5 items on the free version to having more than 250 items listed on our website.”
What you give up
Honesty cuts both ways. Big Cartel has these, SpreadFront does not:
- Card checkout on the free plan. Big Cartel's free Gold plan takes card and PayPal payments. SpreadFront's free plan takes cash on delivery, payment links and crypto; card checkout starts on Starter.
- Apple Pay and Afterpay. Big Cartel checkouts offer Apple Pay and Afterpay. SpreadFront offers whatever your own Stripe account enables, and no buy-now-pay-later.
- A native merchant app. Big Cartel has iOS and Android apps for running the shop. SpreadFront's dashboard is an installable web app, not a store listing.
Move your catalogue
Big Cartel exports products as CSV from the admin. Our importer maps that file onto the SpreadFront sheet template.
Import your Big Cartel CSV → Importer coming - leave your email and we migrate the first stores by hand.
FAQ
How many products do I get for the money?
Big Cartel Platinum is $15 a month for 50 products; Diamond is $30 a month for 500 and is the ceiling. SpreadFront Starter is €9 a month billed yearly for 1,000 products per store, three stores included.
Can I keep my own domain?
Yes. Point the domain you already own at SpreadFront and it runs with free SSL on the Starter plan. On Big Cartel a custom domain needs Platinum or above.
Is there a free plan?
Yes, and it is a working store: 100 products and 100 orders a month, with cash on delivery, payment links and crypto. Card checkout on your own Stripe or PayPal starts on Starter. Big Cartel's free plan takes cards but stops at 5 products.
What will I miss from Big Cartel?
Card payments on a free plan, Apple Pay and Afterpay at checkout, and the native mobile app. Artists who rely on Big Cartel's themes may also prefer to stay.
Try SpreadFront Starter
Every paid plan starts with a 14-day free trial (card required, nothing charged during the trial, and a 14-day refund after billing starts). €9 a month billed yearly, own domain, 0% platform fee.
Start the 14-day trial See a live store
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