WordPress vs Big Cartel (2024 Comparison)
WordPress offers unmatched flexibility with its customizable themes and extensive plugin library. It's perfect for those seeking a powerful and versatile website builder.
- Highly customizable themes
- Extensive plugin library
- Strong SEO capabilities
- Steep learning curve
- Can be resource-intensive
Free plan?
YesStarting price
US$4 per month
Big Cartel is a user-friendly e-commerce platform ideal for small businesses and artists. Its affordable pricing and straightforward interface make it a great choice for selling online.
- User-friendly interface
- Ideal for small businesses
- Affordable pricing
- Limited customization options
- Basic SEO features
Free plan?
YesStarting price
$12 per monthWhat is WordPress?
WordPress is a versatile website builder that empowers users to create stunning websites with ease. It offers a wide range of customizable themes and plugins, making it ideal for bloggers, small businesses, and even large enterprises. With its user-friendly interface, you can effortlessly manage content, optimize for SEO, and integrate with various third-party tools. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, WordPress provides the flexibility and scalability needed to bring your online vision to life.
What is Big Cartel?
Big Cartel is a specialized e-commerce platform designed for artists and small business owners. It allows you to set up an online store quickly and easily, without the need for extensive technical knowledge. With its straightforward interface, you can manage products, track orders, and customize your store's appearance. Big Cartel is perfect for those who want a simple, no-fuss solution to sell their unique creations online, offering a range of features tailored to the needs of creative entrepreneurs.
Pros and Cons of WordPress vs Big Cartel
Pros & Cons of WordPress
- WordPress offers a vast array of themes that can be easily customized to match your brand's identity. This flexibility allows you to create a unique and professional-looking website without needing extensive design skills.
- With thousands of plugins available, WordPress allows you to add a wide range of functionalities to your website. From SEO tools to e-commerce solutions, the plugin library enhances your site's capabilities.
- WordPress is renowned for its SEO-friendly features, making it easier for your website to rank higher in search engine results. Its plugins and tools help optimize your content for better visibility.
- While WordPress offers extensive features, it can be overwhelming for beginners. The platform requires some time and effort to master, especially for those new to website building.
- WordPress websites can become resource-intensive, especially with numerous plugins and customizations. This may lead to slower loading times and require more server resources.
Pros & Cons of Big Cartel
- Big Cartel's straightforward interface makes it easy for anyone to set up and manage an online store. Its simplicity is ideal for those without technical expertise.
- Big Cartel is designed specifically for small businesses and artists, offering features tailored to their needs. It's a great choice for those looking to sell unique products online.
- Big Cartel offers competitive pricing plans, making it an affordable option for small business owners and artists. Its cost-effective solutions help you get started without breaking the bank.
- While Big Cartel offers some customization, it lacks the extensive options available with other platforms. This may limit your ability to create a truly unique online store.
- Big Cartel's SEO capabilities are more basic compared to other platforms. This may impact your store's visibility in search engine results, requiring additional efforts for optimization.
WordPress vs Big Cartel: At A Glance
Value to Price
WordPress offers a robust set of features at a competitive price, making it a great value for those looking to build a comprehensive website. Its extensive library of plugins and themes allows for customization without breaking the bank. Big Cartel, while more affordable, offers fewer features, making it ideal for small businesses with simpler needs. If you're looking for a cost-effective solution with extensive features, WordPress is the better choice.
Ease of Use
Big Cartel shines in ease of use with its straightforward interface, perfect for beginners and small business owners. WordPress, while slightly more complex, offers a wealth of resources and community support to help users navigate its features. If you prioritize simplicity and ease of use, Big Cartel is the way to go.
Functionality
WordPress excels in functionality, offering a wide range of plugins and themes to enhance your website's capabilities. Big Cartel, while functional for e-commerce, lacks the extensive customization options available with WordPress. If you need a highly functional and customizable platform, WordPress is the superior choice.
Scalability
WordPress is highly scalable, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes. Its flexibility allows for growth and expansion as your business evolves. Big Cartel, while scalable to an extent, is better suited for smaller operations. If scalability is a priority, WordPress is the better option.
Integrations
WordPress offers a vast array of integrations, allowing you to connect with numerous third-party tools and services. Big Cartel, while offering some integrations, is more limited in this regard. If you require extensive integrations, WordPress is the clear winner.
Customer Support
Both WordPress and Big Cartel offer reliable customer support, with WordPress providing a larger community and more resources for troubleshooting. Big Cartel's support is more personalized, catering to the needs of small business owners. If personalized support is important, Big Cartel is a strong contender.
Security
WordPress offers robust security features, with regular updates and a large community to address vulnerabilities. Big Cartel also provides solid security, but with fewer customization options. If security is a top concern, WordPress offers more comprehensive protection.
WordPress vs Big Cartel: A Detailed Breakdown of Key Features
Customizable Themes
WordPress offers an extensive library of customizable themes, allowing you to create a unique and visually appealing website. With its drag-and-drop functionality, you can easily modify layouts and design elements to suit your brand. Big Cartel, while offering some customization options, is more limited in its theme selection. If you value creative freedom and design flexibility, WordPress is the better choice.
SEO Optimization
WordPress excels in SEO optimization, providing a range of plugins and tools to enhance your website's visibility on search engines. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to implement SEO best practices. Big Cartel, while offering basic SEO features, lacks the advanced capabilities of WordPress. If SEO is a priority, WordPress is the superior option.
E-commerce Capabilities
Both WordPress and Big Cartel offer strong e-commerce capabilities, with WordPress providing a wider range of plugins and integrations for online stores. Big Cartel is designed specifically for small businesses and artists, offering a straightforward and user-friendly e-commerce experience. If you're looking for a simple and effective e-commerce solution, Big Cartel is a great choice.
Mobile Responsiveness
WordPress ensures mobile responsiveness with its wide selection of responsive themes, allowing your website to look great on any device. Big Cartel also offers mobile-friendly designs, but with fewer customization options. If mobile responsiveness is crucial, WordPress provides more flexibility and options.
Content Management
WordPress is renowned for its powerful content management system, making it easy to organize and publish content. Its intuitive interface and extensive plugin library enhance content creation and management. Big Cartel, while offering basic content management features, is more limited in scope. If content management is a priority, WordPress is the clear winner.
Analytics and Reporting
WordPress offers comprehensive analytics and reporting tools, allowing you to track website performance and user behavior. Its integration with Google Analytics provides detailed insights. Big Cartel offers basic reporting features, suitable for small businesses. If in-depth analytics are important, WordPress is the better choice.
Pricing Comparison of WordPress and Big Cartel
To assist you in making an informed choice, we’ve outlined the pricing plans and essential features of WordPress and Big Cartel. This comparison will highlight the best option for creating your website.
WordPress Pricing Plans
- Access to dozens of premium themes for design flexibility.
- Ad-free browsing experience for visitors.
- Extremely fast DNS with secure SSL for domain management.
- 6 GB of storage space for your content.
- Unlimited premium themes for enhanced design options.
- Earn with WordAds by displaying ads.
- Customize fonts and colors for site design control.
- 13 GB of storage space for your content.
- Install plugins and themes with access to 50,000+ options.
- Unrestricted bandwidth for unlimited site traffic.
- Global edge caching for fast content delivery.
- 50 GB of storage space for your content.
- Premium store themes for professional design.
- Unlimited products for store growth.
- Dynamic product upsells for increased revenue.
- 50 GB of storage space for your content.
- Integrated content analytics for data-driven insights.
- 24/7 support and professional services.
- Global infrastructure with dynamic autoscaling.
- Integrated CDN for fast content delivery.
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.
WordPress or Big Cartel: Which One Matches Your Business Needs?
Choose WordPress If You Need ...
- Advanced customization options
If you are a business owner looking for advanced customization options and a wide range of plugins, WordPress is the ideal choice. Its flexibility allows you to create a unique and feature-rich website tailored to your needs.
- Comprehensive content management
If you need a powerful content management system with extensive features, WordPress is the superior option. Its intuitive interface and robust capabilities make it easy to organize and publish content effectively.
Choose Big Cartel If You Need ...
- Simple e-commerce solution
If you are a small business owner or artist looking for a simple and user-friendly e-commerce platform, Big Cartel is the perfect choice. Its straightforward interface and affordable pricing make it easy to set up and manage your online store.
- Affordable and straightforward
If you want an affordable and straightforward solution for selling products online, Big Cartel is the way to go. Its cost-effective plans and easy-to-use features cater to the needs of small businesses and creative entrepreneurs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which platform is better for beginners, WordPress or Big Cartel?
Can I use WordPress for e-commerce?
Is Big Cartel suitable for large businesses?
How does WordPress handle SEO?
What are the customization options in Big Cartel?
Which platform offers better customer support?
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.
