Big Cartel vs Nexcess
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Big Cartel and Nexcess.
Big Cartel Simple online store for artists and makers | Nexcess Managed WordPress hosting built for performance and scale | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.9 (165 reviews) | 5.0 (233 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | freemium | paid |
| Best for | Independent artists, crafters, and makers selling a small number of handmade products online | Agencies managing multiple WordPress sites and developers who need automation, scalability, and staging tools without managing server infrastructure. |
| Pricing transparency | ||
| Intro price | $0.00/mo✓ | $15.00/mo |
| Renewal price | $15.00/mo | $15.00/mo |
| Renewal hike | — | +0% |
| Renewal transparency | good | good |
| Money-back days | 0 days | 30 days✓ |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| Hosting amenities | ||
| cPanel included | ||
| WordPress 1-click | ✓ | |
| Staging environment | ✓ | |
| Daily backups | ✓ | |
| Free SSL | ||
| Free domain | ||
| Free migration | ✓ | |
| Phone support | ✓ | |
| Live chat | ||
| LiteSpeed server | ||
| Green hosting | ||
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | United States | United States |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tierfree ssl | free sslfree migrationdaily backupsstaging environmentphone support24 7 supportwoocommerce optimised |
| Visit Big Cartel → | Visit Nexcess → | |
Big Cartel
Pros
- + Free plan for up to 5 products
- + Designed for artists and makers
- + Simple to set up and manage
Cons
- - No affiliate program
- - Very limited features vs Shopify
- - Artist-niche only
Nexcess
Pros
- + Automate WordPress updates and security patches
- + Scale resources on-demand without site downtime
- + Access staging environments for safe testing
- + Use Git integration and SSH for custom development
- + Leverage built-in caching and CDN optimization
Cons
- - Higher entry price than generic shared hosting providers
- - Limited control over server configuration compared to VPS/dedicated options
- - Overkill for simple single-site WordPress projects
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