The best Big Cartel alternative in 2026 — without the five-product ceiling
Big Cartel has served artists and makers quietly for years, and there is nothing wrong with it. It has also barely grown, and the five-product free tier is the clearest sign of that.
SitesPlaced has no product limit on any plan, including the free one. Big Cartel's free plan caps you at five products. Ours does not cap you at all — publish as many as you like, free, with 0% commission. We also sell digital downloads properly, buy shipping labels straight from an order, and include a blog. Big Cartel wins on simplicity if you have a tiny catalogue and want nothing more.
TL;DR
- • Big Cartel free: 5 products. SitesPlaced free: unlimited products.
- • Neither takes a commission — this is not a fees argument.
- • We sell downloads properly: expiring per-buyer links, download limits, a kill switch for refunds.
- • Shipping labels bought from the order through Shippo, around 5c each with no monthly fee.
- • Big Cartel is simpler. If five products is genuinely enough, that simplicity is worth something.
Side by side
| Big Cartel | SitesPlaced | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 5 products | Unlimited products |
| Commission | 0% | 0% |
| Digital downloads | Limited | Yes, with limits and expiry |
| Shipping labels | Rates only | Buy from the order via Shippo |
| Blog | No real blog | Yes |
| Themes | A small set, some code editing | 17, fully editable |
| AI store builder | No | Yes |
| Custom domain | Supported | $14.99/month plan |
Competitor prices are from their own pricing pages, checked late August 2026. Plans change — confirm before you switch.
Why the product cap matters more than it looks
Five products is fine for a first sale and awkward the moment you have a range. Most makers hit it within a season — a print in three sizes and two colourways is already six.
Our free plan has no product cap at all. It shows a small badge and allows one live digital download; paying $14.99 a month removes the badge, adds your own domain and lifts the download limit. Products are never the thing we limit.
What else changes
- • Downloads become a real product type — patterns, prints, presets — with per-buyer expiring links and download limits you set.
- • Shipping stops being a separate errand: buy a USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL or Royal Mail label from the order, and the tracking reaches your customer automatically.
- • You get a blog, which for a maker is how people find you through what you make rather than what you sell.
- • AI writes and designs the first version of the store from a description of your work, then hands it to you.
Frequently asked questions
Is SitesPlaced's free plan really unlimited on products?
Yes — no product cap on any plan. The free plan shows a small SitesPlaced badge and allows one live digital download; paying removes the badge, adds a custom domain and lifts the download limit.
Can I sell downloads on Big Cartel?
Only in a limited way. Selling files with download limits, expiring links and the ability to revoke a link after a refund is a core feature for us.
Will my shop look different?
Yes — 17 editable themes plus AI that designs the store from a description of what you make. Big Cartel offers a smaller set with some code editing.
Is Big Cartel ever the better choice?
If you have a handful of products, love the simplicity and never want more, it is a perfectly good home and has been for years.
No product limit, ever
Publish as many products as you like on the free plan, with 0% commission. Pay $14.99 a month only when you want your own domain.
