Big Cartel is a solid start for artists — but it caps you at 5 free products and leaves out reviews, email marketing, and analytics unless you pay. E2C gives you unlimited products and every tool you need, free from day one.
Big Cartel is well-loved by indie artists, but it was designed to stay simple — sometimes too simple for sellers who want to grow.
Big Cartel limits you to 5 products on the free plan — and just 50 or 500 on paid tiers. E2C places no cap on listings. Add as many products as your store needs, with no upgrade required.
Big Cartel is intentionally minimal — no built-in customer reviews, no email marketing, and analytics only on paid plans. E2C includes all of it: reviews, marketing tools, a customer inbox, and full analytics, all at no extra charge.
Big Cartel's paid plans start at $9.99/month once you need more than 5 products. E2C costs nothing monthly regardless of how many products you carry. You only pay 1.99% when you make a sale.
A side-by-side look at what each platform includes out of the box.
| Feature |
E2C Store
$0/month
|
Big Cartel
Free – $19.99/month
|
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 / $9.99 / $19.99/mo |
| Platform transaction fee | 1.99% | None |
| Product listings | Unlimited | 5 / 50 / 500 products |
| Product variants (size, color, etc.) | ||
| Store customization (no code) | Limited | |
| Built-in analytics | Paid plans only | |
| Customer reviews (built-in, free) | — | |
| Email marketing tools (built-in) | — | |
| Customer message inbox (built-in) | — | |
| QR code for store sharing | — | |
| Multi-currency support | 15+ currencies | Via Stripe/PayPal |
| Credit card required to start | Not required | Not required |
| Payment methods | Stripe, PayPal, Cash | Stripe, PayPal |
| Start Free | bigcartel.com |
Big Cartel charges no platform transaction fee on any plan. E2C charges 1.99% per sale with no monthly fee. Both use Stripe and PayPal for payment processing at their standard rates. Pricing as of 2025.
Unlimited. E2C has no product caps on the free plan. You can list as many products as your store needs, with as many variants as you want, without upgrading to a paid tier.
Big Cartel charges no platform transaction fee on any plan, which is a genuine advantage. E2C charges 1.99% per sale. In exchange, E2C includes built-in analytics, customer reviews, email marketing tools, and a customer inbox — features that would require third-party tools or workarounds on Big Cartel. The right choice depends on your monthly volume and how many of those tools you need.
Yes. E2C was built for individuals and small businesses — artists, makers, side hustlers, and anyone selling online for the first time. The store builder lets you customize your storefront without any code, and setup takes minutes.
Yes. You can export your product catalog from Big Cartel and re-add your listings on E2C. Our support team is available to help you through the setup. Most stores are ready to launch within a day.
Yes. E2C includes verified buyer reviews on all product pages, built in and free. Big Cartel does not have a native review system — sellers typically link to external platforms or rely on social proof elsewhere.
If you have fewer than 5 products and want zero fees of any kind, Big Cartel's free plan is straightforward. But if you want unlimited products, built-in marketing tools, reviews, and analytics without paying a monthly fee, E2C is the stronger option. The 1.99% E2C fee only applies when you make a sale — so there's nothing to lose by starting.