Squarespace vs Big Cartel (2024 Comparison)
Squarespace offers a versatile platform with highly customizable templates and comprehensive e-commerce tools. It's perfect for creatives and small businesses looking to create a professional online presence.
- Highly customizable templates
- Comprehensive e-commerce tools
- Robust SEO features
- Slight learning curve
- Higher cost for advanced features
Free plan?
YesStarting price
$16 per month
Big Cartel provides an affordable and user-friendly e-commerce solution, ideal for artists and small businesses. Its simplicity and essential features make it easy to set up and manage an online store.
- User-friendly interface
- Affordable pricing
- Ideal for small businesses
- Limited customization options
- Basic e-commerce features
Free plan?
YesStarting price
$12 per monthWhat is Squarespace?
Squarespace is a versatile website builder that empowers users to create stunning, professional websites with ease. It offers a wide range of customizable templates, making it ideal for creatives and small businesses. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, you can effortlessly design your site without any coding knowledge. Squarespace also provides robust e-commerce features, allowing you to sell products online seamlessly. Whether you're a photographer, artist, or entrepreneur, Squarespace helps you showcase your work and connect with your audience effectively.
What is Big Cartel?
Big Cartel is a user-friendly e-commerce platform designed specifically for artists and small business owners. It allows you to set up an online store quickly and easily, without the need for technical expertise. With Big Cartel, you can customize your store's appearance, manage inventory, and process payments effortlessly. It's perfect for those who want a simple, straightforward solution to sell their products online. Whether you're selling handmade crafts, artwork, or merchandise, Big Cartel provides the tools you need to succeed in the digital marketplace.
Pros and Cons of Squarespace vs Big Cartel
Pros & Cons of Squarespace
- Squarespace offers a wide range of customizable templates, allowing you to create a unique and professional-looking website. The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to personalize your site without any coding knowledge.
- Squarespace provides a comprehensive suite of e-commerce tools, including inventory management, product variants, and abandoned cart recovery. These features make it an excellent choice for businesses looking to sell products online.
- Squarespace offers a range of SEO features, including customizable meta tags, clean URLs, and automatic sitemaps, helping you improve your site's visibility in search engines.
- While Squarespace is user-friendly, its advanced features may require a slight learning curve for those new to website building. However, the platform offers plenty of resources to help you get started.
- Squarespace's advanced features come at a higher cost, which may not be suitable for those on a tight budget. However, the value provided by these features often justifies the price.
Pros & Cons of Big Cartel
- Big Cartel offers a straightforward and user-friendly interface, making it easy for artists and small business owners to set up their online store quickly and efficiently.
- Big Cartel provides affordable pricing plans, making it an attractive option for small businesses and artists looking to sell their products online without breaking the bank.
- Big Cartel is designed specifically for small businesses and artists, offering essential e-commerce tools that cater to their unique needs and requirements.
- Big Cartel offers basic customization options, which may be limiting for those seeking a highly personalized design. However, its simplicity makes it easy to use for beginners.
- While Big Cartel provides essential e-commerce tools, it lacks some of the advanced features found in other platforms, making it less suitable for businesses with complex needs.
Squarespace vs Big Cartel: At A Glance
Squarespace vs Big Cartel: A Detailed Breakdown of Key Features
Template Customization
Squarespace offers a vast array of customizable templates, allowing you to create a unique and professional-looking website. The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to personalize your site without any coding knowledge. Big Cartel, on the other hand, provides more basic customization options, which may be limiting for those seeking a highly personalized design. If you value extensive customization, Squarespace is the better choice.
E-commerce Tools
Squarespace provides a comprehensive suite of e-commerce tools, including inventory management, product variants, and abandoned cart recovery. These features make it an excellent choice for businesses looking to sell products online. Big Cartel offers essential e-commerce tools but lacks some of the advanced features found in Squarespace. If you're looking for a robust e-commerce platform, Squarespace is the superior option.
SEO Features
Squarespace offers a range of SEO features, including customizable meta tags, clean URLs, and automatic sitemaps, helping you improve your site's visibility in search engines. Big Cartel provides basic SEO tools, which may not be sufficient for those looking to optimize their site fully. If SEO is a priority, Squarespace is the better choice.
Mobile Responsiveness
Squarespace ensures that your website looks great on any device, with mobile-responsive templates that automatically adjust to different screen sizes. Big Cartel also offers mobile-responsive designs, but they may not be as polished as those provided by Squarespace. If mobile responsiveness is crucial, Squarespace is the better option.
Analytics and Reporting
Squarespace provides detailed analytics and reporting tools, allowing you to track your site's performance and make data-driven decisions. Big Cartel offers basic analytics, which may not be sufficient for those seeking in-depth insights. If you need comprehensive analytics, Squarespace is the superior choice.
Payment Processing
Squarespace supports multiple payment processors, including Stripe and PayPal, making it easy to accept payments from customers worldwide. Big Cartel also offers payment processing options, but they may be more limited in comparison. If you require flexible payment processing, Squarespace is the better choice.
Pricing Comparison of Squarespace and Big Cartel
To assist you in making an informed choice, we’ve outlined the pricing plans and essential features of Squarespace and Big Cartel. This comparison will highlight the best option for creating your website.
Squarespace Pricing Plans
- Access to beautiful templates and powerful tools for any website.
- Free custom domain for the first year with annual purchase.
- Accept payments with credit card rates starting at 2.9% + 30¢.
- Sell products and services with a 2% transaction fee.
- Unlimited contributors for collaborative website management.
- Advanced website analytics to track performance.
- Complete customization with CSS and Javascript.
- Professional email from Google Workspace.
- API integrations for advanced sales functionality.
- Professional shipping and tax services.
- Sales funnel analytics to optimize conversions.
- Digital Content and Memberships transaction fee of 1%.
- Most advanced commerce tools for online sales.
- API integrations for advanced sales functionality.
- Digital Content and Memberships transaction fee of 0%.
- Advanced website analytics and sales funnel analytics.
Big Cartel Pricing Plans
- Manage your business and sell online with card and PayPal acceptance.
- Mobile apps available for iOS and Android for easy management.
- Import products from Etsy, Squarespace, and Shopify seamlessly.
- Customize your store with free, SEO-optimized templates.
- Offer discounts and run promotions to boost sales.
- Unlimited label printing with up to 90% off shipping.
- Advanced template customization for a unique store look.
- Track performance with Google Analytics integration.
- Prioritized support and abandoned cart recovery for better service.
- Ads with audience targeting for Google, Facebook, and more.
- Advanced Google Analytics reporting for detailed insights.
- Manage inventory with bulk editing and tracking features.
Our Rating Methodology
We thoroughly test each website builder, evaluating key features like ease of use, functionality, and scalability. We also analyze user reviews to ensure our recommendations fit your needs. Each of the seven evaluation factors is weighted by importance to provide an accurate final rating, helping you avoid poor-quality tools and make informed decisions.
Squarespace or Big Cartel: Which One Matches Your Business Needs?
Choose Squarespace If You Need ...
- Advanced e-commerce features
If you are a business owner looking for a platform with advanced e-commerce features, Squarespace is the ideal choice. Its comprehensive suite of tools, including inventory management and abandoned cart recovery, makes it perfect for businesses looking to sell products online.
- Highly customizable templates
If you are a creative professional seeking a platform with highly customizable templates, Squarespace is the better option. Its wide range of templates and drag-and-drop interface allow you to create a unique and professional-looking website without any coding knowledge.
Choose Big Cartel If You Need ...
- User-friendly e-commerce solution
If you are an artist or small business owner looking for a user-friendly e-commerce solution, Big Cartel is the perfect choice. Its straightforward interface and essential features make it easy to set up and manage an online store without any technical expertise.
- Affordable pricing for small businesses
If you are a small business owner on a tight budget, Big Cartel offers affordable pricing plans that make it an attractive option. Its simplicity and essential e-commerce tools cater to the unique needs of small businesses and artists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which platform is better for e-commerce, Squarespace or Big Cartel?
Is Squarespace more expensive than Big Cartel?
Which platform is easier to use, Squarespace or Big Cartel?
Can I customize my website with Squarespace and Big Cartel?
Which platform offers better customer support, Squarespace or Big Cartel?
Are both platforms mobile-responsive?
Martin Lunendonk
Martin Lunendonk is a senior tech writer specializing in website builders, web hosting, and ecommerce platforms. With a background in finance, accounting, and philosophy, he has founded multiple tech startups and worked in medium to large tech companies and investment banking, bringing deep expertise and reliable insights to his software reviews.
