Once you've decided to run your own shop instead of selling inside a marketplace, the next question is which platform to build it on. Crochetify, Shopify, and Big Cartel all give you a storefront with no per-sale commission, but they aim at very different makers.
Here's how they compare for a crochet shop specifically, and how to pick. As always, confirm current pricing on each provider's site, plans change.
At a glance
| Crochetify | Shopify | Big Cartel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Crochet & fiber arts | All ecommerce | Artists & makers |
| Monthly cost | Low flat plan | Higher monthly plan | Free to start, then paid |
| Per-sale commission | 0% | 0% (extra fee if not using Shopify Payments) | 0% |
| Learning curve | Gentle | Steeper | Gentle |
| Digital pattern downloads | Built in | Needs an add-on | Limited |
| Import from Etsy | Built in | Needs an add-on | No |
| Best when | You sell crochet and want it made for that | You're scaling a large, complex store | You want the simplest possible shop |
Shopify: the most powerful, and the most to manage
Shopify is the industry heavyweight, and it earns that reputation. It can run anything from a one-person shop to a massive brand, with a huge ecosystem of themes and apps to extend it in almost any direction.
For a crochet maker, though, that power cuts both ways. Shopify's plans cost more per month than a maker-focused tool, and many of the capabilities crocheters want, like digital pattern delivery or importing an Etsy catalog, mean finding, installing, and often paying for third-party apps. It's a general ecommerce platform, so you spend time configuring away things a yarn shop will never need. If you're building a large, complex store and want maximum flexibility, Shopify is a strong choice. For a focused crochet shop, it's often more tool than you need.
A note on Shopify transaction fees
Shopify itself doesn't take a cut when you use Shopify Payments, but if you use a different payment provider it adds an extra per-transaction fee on top of the card processing. It's worth reading their pricing closely before you commit.
Big Cartel: the simplest place to start
Big Cartel has long been a favorite of artists who want a no-fuss shop. Its big draw is the free tier for a small number of products, and a genuinely gentle setup. If you want to list a handful of items with the least possible overhead, it does that well.
The flip side of that simplicity is that Big Cartel stays simple. Design options are limited, and the maker-specific tooling a crochet shop benefits from, automatic digital pattern delivery, built-in reviews, Etsy import, richer order emails, is thin or absent. It's a fine first shop for a tiny catalog; it's less suited to a maker who wants to grow into a real brand.
Crochetify: built for crochet, in between the two
Crochetify aims squarely at the middle: more purpose-built than a general tool like Shopify, more capable than a minimalist one like Big Cartel, and made specifically for fiber-arts makers. On a low flat monthly plan with 0% taken per sale, you get the things a crochet shop actually uses, without bolting on apps:
- Finished pieces with stock counts, or made-to-order with no limit.
- Digital patterns as instant downloads, delivered automatically, with no add-on.
- A built-in custom-order request form for bespoke pieces.
- Photos and videos on every product, plus reviews, discounts, shipping, and tax.
- Automatic order and tracking emails to your customers.
- Etsy import for your listings and reviews, built in.
- On Pro: your own custom domain, email newsletters, a blog, and analytics.
Because it's built for one kind of maker, there's far less to configure: the defaults already assume you're selling crochet.
Which should you choose?
- Choose Shopify if you're running a large or complex store, expect to need lots of third-party integrations, and don't mind a higher cost and a steeper learning curve.
- Choose Big Cartel if you want the absolute simplest shop for a handful of items and the free tier covers you, and you don't need maker-specific features.
- Choose Crochetify if you sell crochet and want a shop built for it: maker features included, a gentle setup, a low flat plan, and 0% taken per sale. See how it works.
Still weighing your own shop against a marketplace? Crochetify vs Etsy covers that side of the decision.
Frequently asked questions
Is Crochetify cheaper than Shopify?
Generally yes on the monthly plan: Crochetify's flat plan is priced below Shopify's standard plans, and features crocheters want (digital pattern delivery, Etsy import) are included rather than paid third-party apps. Both take 0% commission when using their built-in payments, though Shopify adds an extra transaction fee if you use an outside payment provider. Compare current pricing on each site for your situation.
Is Big Cartel or Crochetify better for selling crochet?
Big Cartel is great if you want the simplest possible shop for a few items and its free tier covers you. Crochetify is better suited to a maker who wants to grow: it adds crochet-specific features like automatic digital pattern delivery, built-in reviews, Etsy import, and order emails, on a low flat plan. Choose Big Cartel for bare simplicity, Crochetify for a maker-focused shop you can grow into.
Do any of these charge a commission on sales?
Crochetify and Big Cartel take 0% commission. Shopify also takes 0% when you use Shopify Payments, but charges an extra per-transaction fee if you use a different payment provider. All three still incur standard card payment processing, which goes to the payment processor, not the platform.
Can I import my Etsy products into these platforms?
Crochetify has built-in Etsy import for your listings and reviews. Shopify can import from Etsy using third-party apps. Big Cartel doesn't offer Etsy import, so you'd add products manually. If moving an existing Etsy catalog matters to you, built-in import saves a lot of retyping.