What Big Cartel is
Big Cartel is made for independent artists selling a limited range: prints, zines, merch and, on paid plans, digital downloads.
Lanternbee vs Big Cartel
Lanternbee as a Big Cartel alternative
A small, low-cost store for artists and makers. Its prices and features sit next to Lanternbee’s below, including where Big Cartel does better.
Who it suits
Authors with a short list of books and art or merch, who want a small store for a low monthly price.
What Big Cartel costs
US prices, checked against the sources at the bottom of this page.
| Plan | Price | Fee on sales |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Free. Up to 5 products | None; card fees apply |
| Platinum | $15 a month, or $12 a month paid yearly. Up to 50 products | None; card fees apply |
| Diamond | $30 a month, or $24 a month paid yearly. Up to 500 products | None; card fees apply |
Big Cartel and Lanternbee side by side
| What you need | Big Cartel | Lanternbee |
|---|---|---|
| One book with several editions | Not listed | Yes. Ebook, audiobook, paperback and hardcover live on one book page. |
| Series with a reading order | Not listed | Yes, with the reading order you set. |
| Bundles and box sets | Not listed | Yes. Readers who own book one pay less for the rest. |
| Ebook and audiobook delivery | PartlyPaid plans; one file per product on Platinum. | Yes. Download links by email, and a reader library. |
| Send to Kindle | Not listed | Yes, from the reader library. |
| Print on demand for books | Not listed | Partly. Print editions are set up for BookVault or Lulu; sending orders to the printer is being built. |
| Your reader list | Not listed | Yes. Every buyer lands on your list, with tags. |
| Your own domain | Yes | Yes. yourname.lanternbee.shop or shop.yourname.com. |
| Monthly cost | Gold: Free. Up to 5 productsPlatinum: $15 a month, or $12 a month paid yearly. Up to 50 productsDiamond: $30 a month, or $24 a month paid yearly. Up to 500 products | Free: nothing a month. Author: $45 a month, or $35 paid yearly. |
| Fee on sales | Gold: None; card fees applyPlatinum: None; card fees applyDiamond: None; card fees apply | Free: 5%, only when you sell. Author: none. |
US prices. “Not listed” means we could not find it on Big Cartel’s own pages or in the sources below, so check with them. Card fees apply everywhere; on Lanternbee they are Stripe’s, with nothing added.
What Big Cartel does better
Fair reasons to stay where you are.
- A low monthly price and no fee on sales.
- Made for artists, so prints, zines and handmade work feel at home.
Moving from Big Cartel
There’s no importer for Big Cartel. Moving by hand takes these steps.
- Add your books on Lanternbee. Each format counts as an edition of one book, not a separate product.
- Keep Big Cartel for art and merch if you sell it, and link the stores to each other.
- Download your Big Cartel customers if you need them and keep them in your email tool. Lanternbee cannot import that list yet.
Questions about Big Cartel and Lanternbee
Does Big Cartel limit how many books I can list?
Yes. Gold allows 5 products, Platinum 50 and Diamond 500. If each format is its own product, a series uses those up quickly. On Lanternbee, Free holds up to 5 titles with all their formats, and Author has no limit.
Can Big Cartel deliver ebooks?
On paid plans, yes. Platinum allows one file or link per product, and Diamond five. Lanternbee delivers ebooks and audiobooks by email, keeps a reader library and sends ebooks to Kindle.
What does Big Cartel cost?
Gold is free, Platinum $15 a month and Diamond $30 a month, with no fee on sales. Card fees apply.
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