Compare · Home food and taking orders
SME AI Office vs Big Cartel
Big Cartel is a US online store builder for artists and makers, with a free plan for five products; SME AI Office is a free order page built for food pre-orders and PayNow.
Prices checked 20 October 2026
The short answer
Choose Big Cartel if you make things to ship, like prints, merch or crafts, and want a simple shop with digital products and in-person sales. Its free Gold plan lists 5 products with one photo each; Platinum is $15 a month for 50 products, and it takes 0% in selling fees.
Choose SME AI Office if you sell food from home: pickup points and times or delivery days, a daily limit per item, tomorrow’s prep list and a PayNow QR with the amount filled in, free with no limit on orders. Cards and automatic PayNow go through your own HitPay account, at HitPay’s own fee, no platform fee from us.
Side by side
| SME AI Office | Big Cartel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. No monthly fee and no platform feeYour own PayNow QR and cash: no fee. Cards and automatic PayNow through your own HitPay account, at HitPay’s own fee | $15 a month (Platinum), $30 a month (Diamond)Shown with no currency. 20% off yearly: $144 or $288 a year |
| Free plan | Yes, for good. No monthly fee, no card, no limit on orders | Yes, Gold plan: 5 products, 1 photo each, no cardPlatinum up to 50 products, Diamond up to 500 |
| Commission on orders | None. Your own PayNow QR is free; no platform fee on cards through your own HitPay account either | 0% selling fees from Big CartelStripe or PayPal charge their own fees |
| How buyers pay | PayNow QR with the amount and order number filled in, free; or card and PayNow through your own HitPay account | Cards and wallets through Stripe, or PayPal; SGD works with bothBuy now, pay later such as Afterpay needs a paid plan |
| Built for | Food pre-orders: menu with choices, pickup and delivery days, tomorrow’s prep list | Artists, makers and musicians selling physical and digital products |
| Pickup and delivery | Pickup points and times, delivery days, delivery priced by distance | Shipping; label printing is for sellers shipping from the US or Canada |
| Selling in person | Counter POS on the Free plan; needs internet | Sell in person from its phone app, on paid plans |
| Own domain | Your own domain on every plan; Free pages carry a small "Powered by SME AI Office" line | Custom domain on paid plans |
Which one fits
SME AI Office fits when
- You sell food from home and have more than five items on your menu.
- You want pickup times, a daily limit per item and tomorrow’s prep list.
- You want customers to pay a PayNow QR with the amount filled in, and every sale in your accounts.
Big Cartel fits when
- You make art, prints, merch or crafts to ship, and five products are enough to start.
- You sell digital downloads as well as things you post.
- Your customers abroad want to pay by PayPal.
Free, with no platform fee. Your PayNow QR is free; cards and automatic PayNow go through your own HitPay account.
Questions
Can a Singapore seller use Big Cartel?
Big Cartel lists the Singapore dollar among its supported currencies and says SGD works with both Stripe and PayPal, its two payment processors. Its shipping label printing is only for sellers shipping from the US or Canada, and it does not list PayNow.
Is SME AI Office cheaper than Big Cartel in Singapore?
Both have a free plan. Big Cartel’s free Gold plan lists 5 products with one photo each; Platinum is $15 a month for 50 products and Diamond $30 a month for 500, prices shown with no currency. SME AI Office’s Free plan has no monthly fee and no limit on orders, with your own PayNow QR free and cards and automatic PayNow through your own HitPay account, at HitPay’s own fee.
Does Big Cartel take a commission?
Big Cartel shows 0% in selling fees; Stripe or PayPal charge their own processing fees. SME AI Office also adds nothing: your own PayNow QR, cash and bank transfer cost nothing, and cards and automatic PayNow go through your own HitPay account, with no platform fee from us.
Can customers pay by PayNow on Big Cartel?
Big Cartel’s list of payment methods covers cards, wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, PayPal and buy now, pay later, but not PayNow. SME AI Office shows a PayNow QR with the amount and order number filled in, and you see who has paid.
What is a free alternative to Big Cartel for home bakers in Singapore?
SME AI Office’s Free plan gives a home food business one order link for Instagram, WhatsApp or Telegram, pickup points and times or delivery days, a daily limit per item, seasonal pre-orders and tomorrow’s prep list. No monthly fee and no limit on orders.
Can I move from Big Cartel to SME AI Office?
Yes. We move your menu over for you, free: ask for free setup in the app after you sign up. Send your Big Cartel shop link and we copy your products, prices and photos across. Your Big Cartel shop can stay open until you are happy.
Big Cartel facts are from bigcartel.com/product/pricing, bigcartel.com/plans/gold, Big Cartel help: plans and features, Big Cartel help: supported currencies, Big Cartel help: payment methods, Big Cartel pricing calculator, checked on 20 October 2026. Prices are as shown there, including any shown only as “$” with no currency. Big Cartel is a trademark of Big Cartel, LLC. SME AI Office is not connected with Big Cartel.