Comparison

Big Cartel vs SpreadApp

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Big Cartel

Build and manage your online store from your phone. This platform provides all the tools needed to start selling your creations, from adding products and managing inventory to processing orders and running promotions. It's designed for creators to easily turn their passion into profit.

Highlights
  • Add and edit products
  • Manage inventory and photos
  • Real-time order notifications
  • Shipment management
  • Offer discounts
  • In-person payments
Features
Read full description

Big Cartel is an easy-to-use ecommerce platform where do-it-yourselfers turn their passion into profit with all the tools you need to start and scale your online store, right in one place. Don’t have a Big Cartel shop yet? Download the app and start your online store for free, no credit card required. The Big Cartel app gives you full control of your ecommerce shop, wherever you are. Your online store doesn’t stop, and now you don’t have to either. Add products. Manage orders. Track inventory. Run promos. Sell on the go. All from your phone. Whether you’re packing orders in your studio, selling at a market, or updating your shop from the couch, this app makes it easy to stay on top of it all. What you can do: Add and edit products on the fly Upload photos, set prices, update inventory Get real-time order notifications Manage shipments and mark orders as sent Offer discounts to boost sales Collect payments in person—no extra gear needed Why sellers love it: Everything in one place—online and IRL Built for speed and simplicity No tech skills needed Works seamlessly with your Big Cartel store You create. You sell. This app keeps up.

About

SpreadApp

Design, launch, and manage your print-on-demand products and sales channels directly from your smartphone. Track sales and revenue across multiple platforms in real-time, simplifying your business operations on the go.

Highlights
  • Design and sell products easily
  • Track sales and revenue from one dashboard
  • Access real-time sales statistics
  • Manage global sales channels
  • Create and launch new designs
Features
Read full description

Your Merch Success in Your Pocket Ready to turn your creativity into income - whenever and wherever inspiration strikes? With SpreadApp, you can design, launch, and manage your products for all your sales channels right from your smartphone. It’s never been easier to grow your business on the go! Why you’ll love SpreadApp: • Create and sell effortlessly: upload new designs and offer your products in your Spreadshop(s) and on the Spreadshirt marketplaces with just a few clicks. • All Your Sales, One Dashboard: Instantly track your sales and revenue from Spreadshops, the Spreadshirt Marketplace, and external platforms • Stay Up to Date, Anywhere: Access real-time sales statistics and insights, just like in the Partner Area, so you’re always in control, whether you’re at home or on the move. • Seamless Global Management: Selling in Europe and North America? Effortlessly switch between platforms to keep tabs on all your sales channels and never miss a beat. Join a thriving community of creators who trust SpreadApp to simplify their workflow and boost their sales. Ready to turn your creativity into sales? Download SpreadApp and take your business to the next level!

Screenshots

Big Cartel4 screens
SpreadApp4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Big Cartel at 4.7 against SpreadApp's 3.7. Big Cartel also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (6.8K vs 34). SpreadApp's advantage is review sentiment (54% vs 28%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Big Cartel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Big Cartel has 6.8K ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 28% of Big Cartel's written reviews are positive against 54% of SpreadApp's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Big Cartel ships an update fortnightly, SpreadApp every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Big Cartel versus SpreadApp: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBig CartelSpreadApp
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (6.8K ratings) — better3.7 (34 ratings)
Positive reviews28.4% of reviews53.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.8K — better34
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size170 MB47 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperBig CartelSpreadshirt

Customer experience

Big Cartel

All ratings6,834 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews320 reviews
Positive28.4%
Neutral12.5%
Negative59.1%

SpreadApp

All ratings34 ratings
Positive64.7%
Neutral5.9%
Negative29.4%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive53.6%
Neutral7.1%
Negative39.3%

Bugs and requests

Big Cartel

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes on startup
  • Products/orders not loading
  • Inability to save changes
  • Constant 'error' messages
  • Black screen issues after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to add more product images
  • Integrated shipping tracking
  • Discount code management
  • Abandoned cart emails
  • More payment options (e.g. Afterpay)

SpreadApp

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Big Cartel

No in-app purchases

None

SpreadApp

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Big Cartel free?
Big Cartel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SpreadApp free?
SpreadApp is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Big Cartel or SpreadApp?
Big Cartel is rated higher. Big Cartel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.8K ratings, while SpreadApp averages 3.7 from 34 ratings.
Do Big Cartel or SpreadApp have ads?
Neither Big Cartel nor SpreadApp shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Big Cartel or SpreadApp?
Big Cartel ships an update fortnightly, and SpreadApp every 4 months. Most recently, Big Cartel was updated on September 20, 2026 and SpreadApp on September 6, 2026.

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