3dcart vs Big Cartel: Comprehensive Ecommerce or Streamlined Artist Marketplace?

When selecting an ecommerce platform, the choice often comes down to the unique needs and aspirations of your business. As technology leaders, you're tasked with making decisions that will not only impact the current operations but also shape the future growth of your business. Today, we'll compare two prominent ecommerce platforms: 3dcart and Big Cartel, helping you discern which might be the best fit for your business.

Both platforms offer powerful solutions but cater to different types of users and business models. Let's dive into the key features, usability, flexibility, and pricing of each to help you make an informed decision.

Target Audience and Business Scale

3dcart stands out for its comprehensive feature set and scalability, making it an ideal choice for businesses looking to grow. Whether you’re a small retailer just starting or a mid-sized company aiming for expansion, 3dcart can adapt to your needs. Its features are designed to handle a large array of products, extensive customization, and robust integration, making it particularly appealing to more tech-savvy users or businesses with in-house IT expertise.

Big Cartel: Focused and Streamlined

Big Cartel, on the other hand, is tailored for artists, makers, and small shop owners who appreciate simplicity and ease of use. It offers a straightforward, no-fuss approach to online selling that’s perfect for creative individuals like artists, musicians, and writers who might not have extensive technical knowledge. The platform's streamlined capabilities make it a great choice for businesses that focus on a smaller, curated inventory.

Feature Comparison

3dcart offers a broad spectrum of features, providing everything from basic ecommerce tools to advanced SEO and marketing options:

• Product Management: Supports unlimited products, categories, and multiple product variants.
• SEO Tools: Advanced SEO optimization options including customizable URLs, meta tags, and Google AMP.
• Payment and Shipping: Integrates with over 100 payment providers and extensive shipping options.
• Marketing Tools: Comprehensive email marketing, abandoned cart recovery, and customer reward programs.
• Sales Channels: Seamless integration with leading marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
• Customization: Highly customizable with access to HTML and CSS for complete control over the look and feel of your store.

Big Cartel: Simple and Purpose-Built

Big Cartel’s features are designed to keep things simple and focused, catering to smaller inventories and straightforward operations:

• Product Management: Limited to a smaller number of products which suits its target audience—creative individuals.
• SEO Tools: Basic SEO settings allowing for keyword optimization in product descriptions and titles.
• Payment and Shipping: Integration with major payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal, with straightforward shipping settings.
• Marketing Tools: Basic marketing features, including discount codes and minimal analytics.
• Sales Channels: Direct sales with fewer multi-channel options, focused on simplicity.
• Customization: Customization is available but limited compared to 3dcart; suitable for users who prefer simplicity over complex design elements.

Usability and User Experience

3dcart packs in a vast array of features, which, while powerful, can be overwhelming for users who are not familiar with ecommerce platforms or without dedicated technical support. Its user interface is functional but may require a learning curve to maximize its potential. 3dcart is ideal for businesses with dedicated teams who can invest time into mastering the platform’s robust capabilities.

Big Cartel: Intuitive and Accessible

Big Cartel is praised for its ease of use and simplicity. The user interface is clean and designed to get users up and running quickly. It offers guided steps for setting up products, payment methods, and shipping, making it accessible even for users without technical expertise. This straightforward approach ensures that artists and small business owners can focus on their craft and the business side of their operations without getting bogged down by technical details.

Customization and Flexibility

3dcart allows for deep customization, giving users extensive control over their store's design and functionality through HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This level of flexibility is valuable for businesses with unique branding strategies or specialized operational needs. The availability of numerous themes, both free and premium, adds to the customization options, allowing for a tailored user experience.

Big Cartel: Simplicity Matters

Big Cartel offers fewer customization options, which aligns with its philosophy of keeping things simple. Users can choose from a set of pre-designed themes and make basic changes to align the look with their brand. While less flexible than 3dcart, this streamlined approach ensures that users spend less time on design and more on selling their products. It’s the perfect balance for its target audience who value simplicity.

Pricing Structure

3dcart’s pricing structure offers various plans, starting affordable for small businesses and scaling up as the business grows:

• Startup: $19/month - Ideal for small businesses with basic needs.
• Basic Store: $29/month - Adds more features like built-in blog and email marketing.
• Plus: $79/month - Suited for growing businesses with more advanced needs.
• Power Store: $129/month - Provides comprehensive tools for larger businesses.
• Pro: $229/month - For enterprises requiring the full suite of 3dcart capabilities.

Big Cartel: Affordable and Transparent

Big Cartel’s pricing is straightforward and designed to fit the budget of small businesses and individual creators:

• Free Plan: $0/month - Limited to 5 products, suitable for starters.
• Platinum: $9.99/month - Up to 50 products, adding more flexibility.
• Diamond: $19.99/month - Up to 250 products, suitable for more established artists.
• Titanium: $29.99/month - Up to 500 products, catering to growing operations.

Customer Support

3dcart offers extensive customer support options, including 24/7 phone support, live chat, and email. Additionally, they provide a wealth of online resources such as user guides, tutorials, and community forums. This ensures that help is always available, whether you’re troubleshooting a problem or learning how to leverage new features.

Big Cartel: Focused and Friendly

Big Cartel provides email support and a rich library of online resources, including FAQs, video tutorials, and a knowledge base. While it doesn’t offer phone support, the email response times are generally quick, and the support team is known for being friendly and helpful, aligning with the platform’s community-focused ethos.

Final Thoughts

Choosing between 3dcart and Big Cartel depends largely on your business’s scale, goals, and technical capabilities. If you are seeking a comprehensive, scalable solution with deep customization and robust features to support growth, 3dcart is the ideal choice. However, if simplicity, ease of use, and a focus on creativity define your business, Big Cartel offers an accessible and affordable platform that will meet your needs without overwhelming you with complexity.

At Deploi, we recognize the critical importance of selecting the right technology to align with your business strategy. We’re here to support you every step of the way, from initial consultation to full-scale implementation, ensuring your ecommerce journey is as seamless and successful as possible.