1

2

Website Platforms

WEBSITE OPTIONS COMPARISON AND SUMMARY

Presented by batsouppe

In a time where businesses can operate successfully solely online, they benefit from a strong online presence withWe acknowledge that setting up a shop typically costs more than what it will cost to maintain it in the future, suchas one-time purchases like themes, plug-ins, and hired assistance.

a robust front and back end. Taking into consideration some sellers already have a shop online or are unable to sell
Features

WordPress

Shopify

SquareBig Cartel

Automate Taxes

No*

No*

No

Yes

Inventory System that tracks products AND raw materials

No*

No*

No

No

Integrates with Pirate Ship

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Custom (and/or Third-Party) Theme options

Yes

Yes

No

No

Sub-categories option for categories side-bar AND navigation

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Transaction Fees

2.9% + $0.3

2.9% + $0.3 (Basic)
2.6% + $0.3 (Tier 2)
2.4% + $0.3 (Tier 3)

3.3% + $0.3 (Free)
2.9% + $0.3 (Paid)

2.9% + $0.3

Built-in POS system

No

Yes

Yes

No

Subscription/Hosting Fee (Monthly)

$4+

$29

$29

$9.99-$15

in person as often due to personal reasons, these business should focus on strengthening their online shop. As the
hub for their online presence, online businesses should highlight their brand’s greatest strengths and overall message. It should also provide an easy-to-navigate back-end system to expedite more tedious tasks.

*Feature is availible as a plugin for an additional cost

/WORDPRESS

An open source Content Management System (CMS)/SHOPIFY

A user-friendly- e commerce platform built for larger

that is free to use but requires users to host andbusinesses. Not many built-in features and relies on

manage the site themselves.

apps.

T

Taxjar Automated Taxes$19 a monthThis

plug-inC
Crafty Base
$24 a monthautomatically

For Inventory, there are a lot

well thought out and has acalculates, collects, and paysof options at varying com-steeper learning curve.

sales tax on your behalf for aplexities and price points.

monthly fee. You can also uti-

The best overall option islize TaxJar for its integration

crafty base. This plug-in can

option with up to 3 different

increase your product stock

sales channels.

while also decreasing yourraw materials stock. It inte-

It is incredibly rare for websites and E-commerce platforms to provide this feature,
which gives Big Cartel aunique edge against its competitors.

grates with most platforms
and offers the cheapest pricecompared to other inventory management systems
that offer similar features. If
you want something a little
cheaper, you can choose Katana, which can accomplish/SQUARE/BIG CARTEL

their robust POS system used in person. Little to nobusinesses or individuals just starting to sell theircustomization for the price.

products.

A simple online store solution meant to complement

CraftyBase does not integrate with Big Cartel though.
You could use CraftyBase
independently

tomanageyour inventory alternatively.
But without the integration
you would still need to update the inventory for every
product listing yourself. This
would add an extra layer ofcomplexity to the management of your business. 2

similar tasks as CraftyBase.
However, its interface isn’t as

A simple yet robust online store platform for new small
1
TaxJar. (2022, August 9). How much does TaxJar cost? - TaxJar Support. Taxjar.com. https://support.taxjar.com/article/139-how-much-does-taxjar-cost
2
Pascoe, N. (n.d.). Craftybase Pricing Plans. Craftybase. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://craftybase.com/pricing/3

4

Analysis

WORDPRESSWHAT YOU SAVE IN MONEY, YOU LOSE IN SANITY

WordPress is a Content Management System, or CMS, thatC

offers users nearly complete control over their site (refer tothe appendix section about CMS). Unlike the other options,

Conclusion

With all of its available options, WordPress has the most

WP itself is completely free, what you pay for is the hostvariable cost. Users can customize their back-end to be theservice, which keeps the website online and viewable, andcheapest or most efficient according to their needs. Tech-savvy users and users comfortable experimenting with third-par-

SUMMARY: THE CHEAPEST & MOST COMPLICATED
your domain. This gives users flexibility when it comes to their budget since there are hundreds of website hosts available
at various different price points. What you save in money, you give up your own time in exchange. It is up to the owner toty plug-ins can accomplish a lot with even the platform’s freefeatures.

out and has a steeper learning curve.

FeatureDoes this site offer
this?

Automate Taxes

No; requires a plug-in andmonthly subscription$19 a month (optional)

option. But it can be accomplished with a plug-in. It
does not have a complex inventory management system, but there exist multiple plug-ins that can meet
Inventory System that tracks products
AND raw materials

No; requires a plug-in andmonthly subscription$24 a month (optional)$60 range. A good site to find a customizable theme isIntegrates with Pirate ShipYes

through themeforest.net.1 Recommended site types

Custom (and/or Third-Party) Theme
options

Yes

Sub-categories option for categories
side-bar AND nav

YesTransaction Fees

2.9% + $0.3

Built-in POS system

No

Service Subscription

Hosting; $4+ a monthtem. Most WordPress themes are one-time purchases ranging from $3 to $200+ . A good value lies in theto search for are Multi-Purpose and e-commerce.
WordPress offers subcategory options but these can
expand with the help of a plug-in. WordPress does
not have its own POS system but there are third-party
solutions that sync with WordPress.

/PROS

/CONS

+ Best value- Have to manage and maintain domain and hosting sub-+ Integrates with nearly any third-party app

scriptions+ Active community of developers and experts- Some plug-ins don’t update automatically and require- Most likely to break occasionally
Press

EASE OF USE

this feature, you can better track your inventory andcomes from its open-source system. Individuals and companies can create and provide plug-ins, themes, and support
documentation for virtually any task imaginable on the platform. This gives users the flexibility to customize everything
on their site if they wish. However, this brings an extra layer ofRecommended Plug-ins for WordPress

R Slider Revolution - Create site banners that canrotate images. It can also create more complex
site elements. Requires a subscription, but somethemes come with the plug-in pre-installed

complexity for the owner. 3
In addition, you should expect an increase in hosting prices

2FA - Adds two-factor authentication in order toafter the first few years with WordPress. You will have thelog into the site

freedom to select a host provider that offers you the best
long-term deal. However, for some hosting providers like Siteto $204 a year. Cheaper hosts exists but you should take this
into account for your decision. 2

Woo Store vacation - Leave your shop viewablefor customers without closing it completely. This
plug-in disables the cart feature so customers
cannot buy anything during a certain period oftime.

WPS hide Login - All basic WP sites use the samelogin URL, which can be a security risk. This plugin lets you change the URL to anything you want.

manual updates- Recommended prior knowledge and proficiency in Word-

8/10

can still place orders for out-of-stock products. With

- Hosting prices can get expensive after the first 3 years+ Strong blog platform

PRICE

WordPress’s edge over all other consumer-friendly platforms

Ground, annual hosting prices can rise from around $36 a year

FINAL COST: $4+ per month+ Greatest variety of customization

can set inventory limits on your site, but customers

Criteria and Other Monthly Costs

By itself, WordPress does not have an automated tax

the needs of users who want a more complex sys-

everyone can benefit from. With backorders, youment, you can choose Katana, which can accomplish similartasks as CraftyBase. However, its interface isn’t as well thought

C

Backorders

B Woocomerce has an overlooked basic feature that

communicate to customers about fulfillment times.

migrating to WordPress.

C

Recommended WordPress Feature for
Future Reference

If you want something a little cheaper for inventory manage-investigate problems in their site and fix them when they arise. In this section, we will break down the costs and benefits of

Criteria Breakdown

R

4/10

CUSTOMIZATION

9/10

1
ThemeForest. (2022b). ThemeForest. https://themeforest.net/category/wordpress/ecommerce/woocommerce
2
Hosting, S. W. (n.d.). Web Hosting Crafted For Top Website Performance & Speed. Www.siteground.com. https://www.
siteground.com/web-hosting.htm
3
https://www.facebook.com/ecommguide. (2019b). WooCommerce. Ecommerce Guide; Ecommerce Guide. https://
ecommerceguide.com/ecommerce-platforms/woocommerce-review/
4
While I (batsouppe) do not present myself as an expert, I do have 7 years of experience working with WordPress bothfor personal use, with my own website, and professional use, managing a non-profit website with a team. Some of my personalobservations with the platform are used in this analysis to provide additional insight into features that an article or review may
overlook. I aim to approach this option with an unbiased and informed opinion.

5

6

Analysis

SQUARE ONLINEIT’S GIVING NO SAUCE TBH

Square is primarily a payment processor system geared
toward brick-and-mortar stores, which gives it a unique edge
over other platforms. As a site and online store platform, itCbrings its inventory and in-person selling integration features
to the table that other platforms can’t.

Conclusion

Square Online’s greatest and only advantage comes from its

SUMMARY: THE SAME PRICE WITH LESS

primary service; POS service. Most in-person sellers prefer to
use Square, which makes it a reasonable conclusion for sellers

If you decide to sell not only online but also pursue selling in person, whether at a permanent location or at seasonal shows,
you would benefit from Square’s integrated platform. However, unlike its card processor platform, its site-specific features arecomplicated to navigate and require additional one-time and subscription purchases to access. In this section, we will break
down the costs and benefits of migrating to Square.

C

By itself, Square Online does not have an automated

Criteria and Other Monthly Costs

complex system. Square does not let users add or de-

which makes it easy to set up and use.

1

“It’s virtually impossible to “mess up” when creating youronline store with Square, and the setup process is really

Automate Taxes

No; requires a plug-in andmonthly subscription$19 a month (optional)

Inventory System that tracks products
AND raw materials

No; requires a plug-in andmonthly subscription$24 a month (optional)

Integrates with Pirate ShipNo

Custom (and/or Third-Party) Theme
optionsNo

Sub-categories option for categories
side-bar AND nav

YesTransaction Fees

3.3% + $0.3 (Free)
2.9% + $0.3 (Paid)“If you’re shipping across states, Square Online will au-

Built-in POS system

Yesshipping within your own state, it recognizes this too, andService Subscription

Basic Plan; $29 a monthsign their own custom theme and it offers subcategory options. Square has few customization options

ally no customization options for their users and some of theDoes this site offer
this?

management system, but there exist multiple plugins that can meet the needs of users who want a more

Square provides a strong platform. However, they offer virtu-

Featuretax option. But it can be accomplished with a plugin. Square by itself does not have a complex inventory

to integrate their online and in-person inventory seamlessly,

fewest add-ons.

C

Criteria Breakdown

also looking for an online platform as well. For sellers looking

quick. You’ll be given a general layout to work with, which
you can edit to include your company’s logo and your desired colors and fonts. You don’t need any prior technicalknowledge to start selling on Square Online, but that being said, the trade off is that customization options can be

if users need to use another method, Square will charge atransaction fee on every sale.

Square Online does have a free version which makes it very
appealing to new businesses that don’t require much complexity. But you will be charged a higher transaction fee foreach sale. And for the same price as Shopify’s basic plan with
far fewer features and options, it makes Square Online a far
less reasonable option

You should only choose square if you plan to scale up yourin-person selling and scale down your online platform. However, even then we can’t really recommend Square Online.
Your colors and brand are incredibly important to your business and Square Online’s lack of customization would limit
you in this area.

limited.” 2

However, Square offers the closest feature available to automatic sales tax.

tomatically account for the taxes in both states. If you’re
you’ll only get the one rate.” 2FINAL COST: $ 29 a month
Square Online can automatically calculate and collect a store’s

/PROS

/CONS

sales tax, but it will not pay that tax on your behalf. It is up to+ Built in marketing- Limited customization

ers to use alternative payment services like Stripe or Paypal.

+ Short learning curve- Punishes users who don’t use their payment gateway

Thankfully, Square’s card processing fees match Stripe’s, but+ Strong POS system for in person sales- Expensive and has fewer features

the seller to manage and pay their sales tax.

In addition, Square tries to make it as hard as possible for sell-- Does not integrate with Pirate Ship

PRICE

4/10

EASE OF USE

7/10

CUSTOMIZATION

3/10

1
Square Online Plans, free eCommerce for real businesses. (n.d.). Square. https://squareup.com/us/en/online-store/plans2
Whitfield, H. (2019, December 20). Square Online Review 2020. Website Builder Expert. https://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/ecommerce-website-builders/square-online-store-review/4

78

Analysis

SHOPIFYC

Shopify is one of the most widely used platforms for moreestablished online businesses. Most creative and nontechnical users chose Shopify because of its short learning

Conclusion

EXPENSIVE BUT GOOD IF YOU ARE HEADEMPTY, NO THOUGHTS

Shopify is the best option for business owners who either

curve and provides automated features that make runningsive. For email marketing, you can choose between built-in

don’t have a lot of site experience or don’t have the time, but

tools or third party apps. If you want to improve your site SEO,

a site easier. However, Shopify is recognized as one of the

are OK paying a higher price. Unlike WordPress, Shopify of-but don’t know where to begin and how to navigate it. Shopify

fers some of the best customer support for its users. And for awould likely help you find success in this area.

web-hosted platform, they have one of the widest ranges for

SUMMARY: THE MOST EXPENSIVE BUT HAS THE
MOST SUPPORTapp and theme customization, right below WordPress.

While Shopify gives users more customization over their online store than other platforms, they place a premium on theirmost expensive platforms on the market, with some of its coveted features blocked by a subscription paywall. In this section,
we will break down the costs and benefits of migrating to Shopify.

“Shopify’s themes are professionally designed and look

services. However, while it is not the most cost-effective op-clean, stylish, and appealing. Each one also comes in a va-

tion, they built a platform aimed toward a user base that de-riety of different styles and color schemes, so you can al-pends on ease of use and simplicity.

ways find the right tone for your brand.” 2

CC

Criteria Breakdown

Criteria and Other Monthly Costs
While it has a more user-friendly back end, Shopify’s editor

By itself, Shopify does not have an automated tax

FeatureDoes this site offer
this?

Automate Taxes

No; requires a plug-in andmonthly subscription$19 a month (optional)

option. But it can be accomplished with a plug-in.
Shopify itself does not have a complex inventory
management system, but there exist multiple plugins that can meet the needs of users who want a more

Inventory System that tracks products
AND raw materials

No; requires a plug-in andmonthly subscription$24 a month (optional)

Integrates with Pirate Ship

Yes

Custom (and/or Third-Party) Theme
options

Yes
Yes

to search for are Multi-Purpose and e-commerce.

Sub-categories option for categories
side-bar AND nav

Shopify does have its own POS system. Shopify has

Transaction Fees

2.9% + $0.3 (Basic)
2.6% + $0.3 (Tier 2)
2.4% + $0.3 (Tier 3)

complex system. Most Shopify themes are one-time
purchases ranging from $3 to $200 USD. It offers customizable premium themes through its app store,
but these can reach over $200+. A good value lies in
the $60-$80 range. A good site to find a customizable
theme is themeforest.net.1 (Recommended site types

Built-in POS system

No

Service Subscription

Basic Plan; $29 a month

FINAL COST: $29 a month

/PROS

/CONS

+ Huge variety of apps and plug-ins- Some features blocked by pay walls+ Better security & support- Punishes users who don’t use their payment gateway+ Easy to set up, shorter learning curve- Expensive+ Supports 100 + payment options“You won’t get a site live in five minutes, but Shopify manages to combine powerful e Commerce tools with an easyto-use editor. Shopify still packs a serious amount of power
into its back-end. However, it manages to make its editor
smooth and simple to use.” 2

While Shopify presents a lot of built-in features, it still lacks
some basic features found in other platforms. As a result, you
would likely need to find and install apps to meet your needs.

a short learning curve and users can utilize Shopify’s
customer support service.

still takes some time to understand.

This leads to the main issue with Shopify: their costs. With oneof the highest plan prices, it’s hard to believe they can charge
for more, but in reality, there are a lot more hidden costs withthis platform. Since Shopify will require a lot of apps, their costadds to the monthly fee. In addition, Shopify tries to make it as
hard as possible for sellers to use alternative payment services
like Stripe or Paypal. Thankfully, Shopify’s card processing
fees match Stripe’s, but if users need to use another method,
Shopify will charge a 2% transaction fee on every sale.

However, Shopify has an extensive range of SEO tools that will
be more than satisfactory for most stores. It also has blog specific SEO, although its blogging tools aren’t quite so impres-+ Has built-in POS integration+ Multi-platform selling

PRICE

4/10

EASE OF USE

9/10

CUSTOMIZATION

8/10

1
ThemeForest. (2022a). ThemeForest. https://themeforest.net/category/ecommerce/shopify?sort=sales
2
Carney, L. (2016a, October 31). Shopify Review 2021: All the Pros and Cons You Need to Know. Website Builder Expert.
https://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/ecommerce-website-builders/shopify-review/

BIG CARTELBig Cartel is perfect for a new business that is still learning
the ropes. They help to streamline tasks that new entrants
wouldn’t know how to accomplish on their own and offer
additional subscription options that can expand with thebusiness’s growth. But for larger businesses looking to

SUMMARY: THE CONTROL GROUP
expand their operations, Big Cartel’s simplified platform can become more of an obstacle rather than an asset. In this section,
we will break down the costs and benefits of using Big Cartel.

/PROS

C

Criteria and Other Monthly Costs+ Cheapest overall option
FeatureDoes this site offer
this?

Automate Taxes

Yes

Inventory System that tracks products
AND raw materials

No; does not integratewith craft baseIntegrates with Pirate Ship

Yes

Custom (and/or Third-Party) Theme
options

No; only edit provided
themesSub-categories option for categories
side-bar AND nav

No+ Automated taxes+ Easy to use/CONS- Product and image limits- Few integrations- Limited customization- Doesn’t integrate with crafty base or other similar apps

C

Conclusion

Big Cartel offers excellenttion potential of your busi-

services for brand new and

ness.

small

Starting April 30th, 2024 Big

er,businesses.

largerHowev-

businesses

canno longer operate comfortably with this platform. You
should only continue to use
Big Cartel if you need a very
cheap and simple option
with automated taxes.

Transaction Fees

2.9% + $0.3

Built-in POS system

No

Service Subscription

Basic Plan; $9.99 a monthor $15 a month if you
don’t pay annually

FINAL COST: $9.99-$15 a month

Cartel is increaseing theirprices from $9.99 to $15 amonth. Users who alreadyhave an account may keep

PRICE

7/10

EASE OF USE

8/10

the original price for 1 year ifthey switch to annual billing.
Any new users and old users

All three of our alternatives

who do not change their bill-

integrate with Tax Jar, which

ing will be charged the newprovides the same service,$15 rate. These price increas-

for a monthly fee. Giving up

es also affect the 3rd tier op-

this free feature expands thetion as well. 3

CUSTOMIZATION

4/10

customization and organiza1
Big Cartel. (n.d.). Big Cartel Pricing. Big Cartel. https://www.bigcartel.com/pricing
2
Carney, L. (2018, October 15). Big Cartel Ecommerce Review 2022. Website Builder Expert. https://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/ecommerce-website-builders/big-cartel-review/
3@jadesnap, Twitter Post, Apr 9, 2024, 9:49 AM, https://twitter.com/jadesnap/status/1777740579788775729