Big Cartel vs ShipStation Pricing (2026)

How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.

Big Cartel pricing ShipStation pricing
Starts at $15/mo $14/mo
Number of plans 2 3
Free plan —
Free trial
Pricing model flat-rate hybrid

Price is one row. To weigh the features too, use our feature comparison template →

Platinum

Popular
$15/mo
  • Support for custom domains
  • Sell physical and digital products
  • Print shipping labels and track orders
  • Customize your shop design
  • Easy-install apps for print-on-demand & more

Diamond

$30/mo
  • Recover abandoned carts
  • Schedule product drops
  • Password-protect products
  • Connect to 7,000+ apps with Zapier
  • Priority support from humans

Starter

$14/mo
  • 3 users
  • Unlimited store connections
  • Automated rate shopping
  • LTL rate comparison
  • Quote & book LTL shipments
  • Return labels
  • Basic automations
  • Bring your own LTL Worldwide Express or Unishippers account
  • Reporting
  • Email support

Standard

Popular
$29/mo

Premium

$349/mo

Big Cartel vs ShipStation FAQ

Which one is cheaper?
ShipStation is the cheaper option, starting at $14/mo vs $15/mo for Big Cartel.
Can I use either one for free?
Big Cartel has a free plan. ShipStation doesn't — though they do offer a free trial.
How do they charge?
Different approach here. Big Cartel uses flat-rate pricing, while ShipStation goes with hybrid. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
Which one is a better deal?
Depends on what you need. Big Cartel: This is budget territory compared to Shopify or BigCommerce — Big Cartel is explicitly courting indie artists and small-batch makers who'd bounce off a $39+/mo Shopify plan. They're not trying to win enterprise or even serious mid-size retail; they're the low-commitment option for someone testing if their craft can be a business. ShipStation: ShipStation sits in the accessible-to-mid-market zone — cheap enough to grab solo Shopify sellers at $14.99, but that Premium price signals they're also chasing higher-volume merchants who'd otherwise look at enterprise shipping platforms. They're not competing on rock-bottom price alone; the volume-tiered structure lets them capture value as customers scale rather than leaving money on the table like flat-rate competitors might.

Still deciding? See the best Big Cartel alternatives or the best ShipStation alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.

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