Whatsell vs Big Cartel
The Big Cartel alternative for makers who sell through chat
Big Cartel has spent years being the friendly, uncomplicated shop for artists, bands and makers, and it is still one of the easiest ways to put a small range of products online. Whatsell shares the love of simple. The difference is where the sale happens: in a WhatsApp chat, with the customer paying at the door.
Free to start. No credit card.
What Big Cartel does well
Simplicity. A small shop online quickly, without a pile of settings.
A long-standing community of artists, bands and makers.
Clean themes that suit handmade and creative products.
Where Whatsell works differently
Orders in your WhatsApp
Each order arrives in your chat with the items, address and total, so you can confirm, answer questions and arrange delivery in one place.
Cash on delivery
Customers pay when the parcel arrives, with your delivery zones and fees applied at checkout.
Free, with unlimited products
Add as many products as you like and open the store for nothing, and pay a small fee only once orders come in.
Whatsell and Big Cartel, side by side
| What you are comparing | Big Cartel | Whatsell |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Artists, bands and makers selling to fans | Social sellers who close the sale in WhatsApp |
| Payment | Card and online payments | Cash on delivery by default |
| Order handover | Dashboard and email | A ready to confirm WhatsApp message |
| Ads and tracking | Basic | Meta, TikTok and Google connected in a click |
| Cost model | A free plan with limited features, or monthly plans after a short trial | Free to build, a small fee once an order comes in |
Compared in October 2026
Who should choose Whatsell instead
If you are an artist selling prints and records by card to fans around the world, Big Cartel remains a lovely, simple option. If your customers message you before they buy and prefer to pay at the door, Whatsell is the simple shop built for that.
Switching from Big Cartel
Yes. Variants, made-to-order notes in the chat and clear product pages suit handmade work well, and customers can ask you anything in WhatsApp.
Yes. Stock is tracked per product and per variant, and goes down on its own as orders come in.
No. With cash on delivery you can sell from day one without one.
Try Whatsell before you decide
Free to start, no credit card. Add a few products, share the link, and see an order land in your WhatsApp.
- Free to start
- No credit card
- Cash on delivery
Compare Whatsell with other platforms
This comparison is written by Whatsell from publicly available information about Big Cartel. Every product name and trademark belongs to its owner, and features and pricing on both sides change often, so check Big Cartel's own site before you decide. Tell us if something here is out of date and we will fix it.