Compare
IndieMade vs Big Cartel
Big Cartel's platform stops where your catalog gets serious: 50 products at $15, 500 at $30, and no tier above that. IndieMade is the maker platform you don't outgrow.
| Big Cartel | IndieMade | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $15/mo Platinum · $30/mo Diamond | $15/mo Essential · $25/mo Plus |
| Product limit | 50 products at $15, 500 maximum, even on the top plan | Unlimited, on every plan |
| Images per product | 5 at $15, 25 at $30 | No per-plan image rationing |
| Variations | Basic size/color options, capped | Full engine: per-variation price, SKU, stock & photos, plus reusable templates |
| Blog | None, sold as a third-party app (DropInBlog) in their own app store | Native |
| Galleries / portfolio | None, it's a storefront, not an artist site | Native galleries for the work you're not selling |
| Etsy | One-way import. After that, two catalogs by hand. | True two-way sync, listings, inventory, variations, photos |
| Abandoned-cart & automatic discounts | Gated to the $30 Diamond plan | In the $15 Essential plan, like the rest of the store |
Big Cartel's published plan limits, August 2026 (their 'unlock premium features' help article). Neither platform charges a transaction fee. Payment processing is separate on both: you pay your own processor's standard rate, about 2.9% + 30¢ a sale with Stripe, Square or PayPal, and IndieMade adds nothing to it.
Where IndieMade wins for a handmade seller
Product 51 is where we begin
Their $15 plan caps at 50 products; their $30 plan at 500. A prolific maker outgrows Big Cartel entirely, there is no tier to grow into. IndieMade is unlimited at $15.
They pitch "sell both ways", we built it
Big Cartel's Etsy page says "sell both ways and get the best of both worlds," then ships a one-way import. Our two-way sync is the thing their own pitch promises.
An artist site, not a checkout with a skin
Blog, galleries, custom pages, real SEO, the entire "your site" layer Big Cartel outsources to third-party apps is native here.
Real variations
Glazes × sizes × cords with per-variation prices, photos and stock, and variation templates you set up once and reuse. Their options system caps out where handmade work actually starts.
The math, at maker scale
The same $15 buys 50 products and 5 images each there, and the entire store here: unlimited products, the Bulk Editor, Google and Pinterest feeds, cart recovery and back-in-stock included. Their $30 top plan still stops at 500 products. Our $25 Plus adds product filters, product videos and the MCP AI Server on top, not the basics.
See it with your own products.
Import your Etsy shop in minutes, your trial is your real store.
30 days free. No credit card.