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Pricing, plan names, free plan availability, and trial details are checked against official provider pages before being used in ProPicked scores. Vendor relationships do not change rankings, scores, or recommendations.
Provider Pricing Facts
Provider pricing facts: Squarespace starts at $16/mo; Big Cartel offers a free plan.
Source and Freshness Note
Source and freshness note: pricing, free-plan, and feature signals are compared from public provider data and updated comparison records. Last checked March 2026.
Squarespace vs Big Cartel: Honest Comparison (2026)
Squarespace
All-in-one website builder with beautiful design templates
Big Cartel
Simple ecommerce platform built specifically for artists and makers
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Quick Verdict:
Squarespace wins with 8.3/10 vs 7.5/10. Choose Squarespace for ease of use. Choose Big Cartel for better value for money.
Squarespace wins this comparison with a score of 8.3/10 vs 7.5/10. Big Cartel offers a free plan. Squarespace stands out for industry-leading design templates that produce professional, visually stunning websites out of the box, while Big Cartel excels at free plan with 5 products and zero transaction fees. This is confirmed by our feature analysis where Squarespace also scores higher (8.0/10).
| Feature | Squarespace | Big Cartel |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 8.3/10 | 7.5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8.8/10 | 7.7/10 |
| Features | 8.0/10 | 7.7/10 |
| Value for Money | 7.5/10 | 7.6/10 |
| Customer Support | 7.5/10 | 7.9/10 |
| Free Plan | No | Yes ✓ |
| Starting Price | $16/mo | $15/mo |
| Feature Score | 8.0/10 | 3.3/10 |
| Top Strength | Industry-leading design templates that produce professional, visually stunning websites out of the box | Free plan with 5 products and zero transaction fees |
| Biggest Weakness | Limited third-party integrations and app ecosystem compared to WordPress or Shopify | Very limited features compared to full ecommerce platforms |
| Best For | - | Independent artists and makers selling creative work |
| Winner | Squarespace (8.3/10) | |
What is Squarespace?
All-in-one website builder with beautiful design templatesSquarespace is a premium website builder known for its stunning, designer-quality templates and all-in-one approach. It offers website building, e-commerce, domains, email marketing, scheduling, and analytics in a single platform. Squarespace is the go-to choice for creatives, portfolios, and small businesses that prioritize visual design without needing to write code.
- +Industry-leading design templates that produce professional, visually stunning websites out of the box
- +True all-in-one platform including domains, email marketing, scheduling, and analytics
- +No coding required — intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes building beautiful pages accessible to everyone
What is Big Cartel?
Simple ecommerce platform built specifically for artists and makersBig Cartel is a lightweight ecommerce platform purpose-built for artists, makers, designers, and independent creators who want to sell their work online without the complexity of full-featured ecommerce solutions. Founded in 2005, the platform has remained intentionally simple and focused, serving over one million artists worldwide. Big Cartel offers a clean, minimalist store builder with customizable themes designed to showcase creative work rather than overwhelming visitors with ecommerce clutter. The platform supports physical products, digital downloads, and made-to-order items with simple inventory tracking. Each plan includes a free custom domain connection, SSL certificate, and real-time stats.
- +Free plan with 5 products and zero transaction fees
- +Purpose-built for artists with creator-focused design themes
- +Incredibly simple setup that takes minutes not hours
- •Independent artists and makers selling creative work
- •Creators wanting a free or very affordable online store
- •Small-catalog sellers prioritizing design over features
Squarespace vs Big Cartel: Key Differences
Squarespace vs Big Cartel: Quick Verdict
Squarespace has a slight edge at 8.3/10 versus Big Cartel's 7.5/10 — close enough that Big Cartel could still be the better fit depending on your priorities.
Choose Squarespace if:
- True all-in-one platform including domains, email marketing, scheduling, and analytics
- You want the higher-rated option overall (8.3/10 vs 7.5/10)
- Ease of use matters to you — Squarespace scores 8.8/10 here
Choose Big Cartel if:
- Free plan with 5 products and zero transaction fees
- Purpose-built for artists with creator-focused design themes
- Incredibly simple setup that takes minutes not hours
- You match the profile: independent artists and makers selling creative work
- You're watching your budget — Big Cartel gets a 7.6/10 for value
Decision Summary
Who wins in each scenario? A quick look at how Squarespace and Big Cartel compare across different buyer needs.
Scores 8.3/10 vs 7.5/10
Both score 7.5/10 on value
Ease of use: 8.8/10 vs 7.7/10
Both score 7.8/10 avg on features + support
Free plan available + 7.6/10 value
Free plan available vs $16/mo
Choose Squarespace if you need...
- ✓Industry-leading design templates that produce professional, visually stunning websites out of the box
- ✓True all-in-one platform including domains, email marketing, scheduling, and analytics
- ✓No coding required — intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes building beautiful pages accessible to everyone
- !Limited third-party integrations and app ecosystem compared to WordPress or Shopify
- !E-commerce features are less robust than dedicated platforms like Shopify for high-volume stores
Choose Big Cartel if you need...
- ✓Free plan with 5 products and zero transaction fees
- ✓Purpose-built for artists with creator-focused design themes
- ✓Incredibly simple setup that takes minutes not hours
- ✓A free plan to get started
- ✓Lower starting price ($15/mo vs $16/mo)
- !Very limited features compared to full ecommerce platforms
- !Maximum 500 products even on the highest plan
Our Take: Squarespace vs Big Cartel
Squarespace edges ahead with a 8.3/10 vs 7.5/10. The gap is noticeable but not dramatic — both are legitimate options depending on what you prioritize.
Where they differ: Squarespace's biggest strengths are industry-leading design templates that produce professional, visually stunning websites out of the box and true all-in-one platform including domains, email marketing, scheduling, and analytics. Big Cartel, on the other hand, shines with free plan with 5 products and zero transaction fees and purpose-built for artists with creator-focused design themes. These reflect fundamentally different product priorities.
Big Cartel has a free plan, giving it a lower barrier to entry. If you're not sure yet, start there.
Squarespace vs Big Cartel Score Comparison
| Category | Squarespace | Big Cartel |
|---|---|---|
🏆Overall Score | 8.3▲ | 7.5 |
💫Ease of Use | 8.8▲ | 7.7 |
⚙Features | 8.0▲ | 7.7 |
💰Value for Money | 7.5 | ▲7.6 |
💬Customer Support | 7.5 | ▲7.9 |
Why These Scores? Our Reasoning
Squarespace — 8.3/10- +Industry-leading design templates that produce professional, visually stunning websites out of the box
- +True all-in-one platform including domains, email marketing, scheduling, and analytics
- +No coding required — intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes building beautiful pages accessible to everyone
- -Limited third-party integrations and app ecosystem compared to WordPress or Shopify
- -E-commerce features are less robust than dedicated platforms like Shopify for high-volume stores
- +Free plan with 5 products and zero transaction fees
- +Purpose-built for artists with creator-focused design themes
- +Incredibly simple setup that takes minutes not hours
- -Very limited features compared to full ecommerce platforms
- -Maximum 500 products even on the highest plan
Squarespace vs Big Cartel Pros & Cons
Squarespace8.3/10+Strengths
- ✓Industry-leading design templates that produce professional, visually stunning websites out of the box
- ✓True all-in-one platform including domains, email marketing, scheduling, and analytics
- ✓No coding required — intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes building beautiful pages accessible to everyone
-Weaknesses
- ✗Limited third-party integrations and app ecosystem compared to WordPress or Shopify
- ✗E-commerce features are less robust than dedicated platforms like Shopify for high-volume stores
- ✗No free plan — even basic websites start at $16/month, higher than many competitors
+Strengths
- ✓Free plan with 5 products and zero transaction fees
- ✓Purpose-built for artists with creator-focused design themes
- ✓Incredibly simple setup that takes minutes not hours
- ✓No transaction fees on any plan beyond payment processor charges
- ✓Clean aesthetic puts focus on creative work not ecommerce clutter
- ✓Affordable paid plans starting at just $12 per month
-Weaknesses
- ✗Very limited features compared to full ecommerce platforms
- ✗Maximum 500 products even on the highest plan
- ✗No built-in email marketing or advanced SEO tools
- ✗Limited payment gateway options restricted to Stripe and PayPal
Who Should Use Squarespace vs Big Cartel?
Big Cartel is ideal for
- •Independent artists and makers selling creative work
- •Creators wanting a free or very affordable online store
- •Small-catalog sellers prioritizing design over features
When NOT to Choose Squarespace or Big Cartel
Knowing when a tool is the wrong fit is just as important as knowing its strengths
Skip Squarespace if...
- ✗Limited third-party integrations and app ecosystem compared to WordPress or Shopify
- ✗E-commerce features are less robust than dedicated platforms like Shopify for high-volume stores
- ✗No free plan — even basic websites start at $16/month, higher than many competitors
- ✗You need a free plan — Big Cartel has one, Squarespace doesn't
Skip Big Cartel if...
- ✗Very limited features compared to full ecommerce platforms
- ✗Maximum 500 products even on the highest plan
- ✗No built-in email marketing or advanced SEO tools
- ✗Limited payment gateway options restricted to Stripe and PayPal
Squarespace vs Big Cartel Decision Framework
Choose based on what matters most to you
SquarespaceSquarespaceSquarespace vs Big Cartel Pricing
| Pricing Feature | Squarespace | Big Cartel |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Starting Price | $16/mo | $15/mo |
| Free Trial | 14 days | Not available |
| Number of Plans | 4 | 3 |
| Value Rating | 7.5/10 | 7.6/10 |
Squarespace Plans
- ✓Free custom domain
- ✓SSL security
- ✓Unlimited bandwidth
- ✓SEO tools
- +1 more
- ✓Everything in Personal
- ✓E-commerce (3% transaction fee)
- ✓Advanced analytics
- ✓Promotional pop-ups
- +1 more
- ✓Everything in Business
- ✓0% transaction fees
- ✓Point of sale
- ✓Customer accounts
- +2 more
- ✓Everything in Basic Commerce
- ✓Abandoned cart recovery
- ✓Subscription products
- ✓Advanced discounts
- +2 more
Big Cartel Plans
- ✓5 products
- ✓1 image per product
- ✓Custom domain
- ✓Real-time stats
- +1 more
- ✓50 products
- ✓5 images per product
- ✓Custom domain
- ✓Google Analytics
- +1 more
- ✓500 products
- ✓5 images per product
- ✓Everything in Platinum
- ✓Inventory tracking
- +1 more
What You Get: Plan Feature Comparison
Comparing Squarespace's Basic Commerce ($36/mo) vs Big Cartel's Platinum ($15/mo)
| Feature | Squarespace | Big Cartel |
|---|---|---|
| Everything in Business | ✓ | ✗ |
| 0% transaction fees | ✓ | ✗ |
| Point of sale | ✓ | ✗ |
| Customer accounts | ✓ | ✗ |
| Checkout on your domain | ✓ | ✗ |
| Product reviews | ✓ | ✗ |
| 50 products | ✗ | ✓ |
| 5 images per product | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom domain | ✗ | ✓ |
| Google Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
| No Big Cartel branding | ✗ | ✓ |
Which Should You Choose?
Squarespace
Big Cartel
Quick Buyer's Guide
Based on our analysis, here's who each tool is best suited for
Squarespace is best for:- ✓Users who need industry-leading design templates that produce professional, visually stunning websites out of the box
- ✓Users who need true all-in-one platform including domains, email marketing, scheduling, and analytics
- ✓Independent artists and makers selling creative work
- ✓Creators wanting a free or very affordable online store
- ✓Users who need free plan with 5 products and zero transaction fees
- ✓Users who want a free plan to start with
Squarespace vs Big Cartel: The Bottom Line
For most teams, Squarespace is the safer bet — but Big Cartel has its own strengths.
## Our Verdict Squarespace has a slight edge at 8.3/10 versus Big Cartel's 7.5/10 — close enough that Big Cartel could still be the better fit depending on your priorities. ### Choose Squarespace if: - True all-in-one platform including domains, email marketing, scheduling, and analytics - You want the higher-rated option overall (8.3/10 vs 7.5/10) - Ease of use matters to you — Squarespace scores 8.8/10 here ### Choose Big Cartel if: - Free plan with 5 products and zero transaction fees - Purpose-built for artists with creator-focused design themes - Incredibly simple setup that takes minutes not hours - You match the profile: independent artists and makers selling creative work - You're watching your budget — Big Cartel gets a 7.6/10 for value Big Cartel at 7.5/10 is still competitive and may be the better fit depending on your specific requirements and budget.