Shopware to Big Cartel
A Shopware to BigCartel migration moves your store from self-hosted open-source to BigCartel. Whether you're reducing DevOps overhead, scaling infrastructure, or tapping into its ecosystem—this guide covers the data mapping, migration steps, and SEO preservation you need.
This technical blueprint helps store owners and developers execute a Shopware to BigCartel store migration without losing products, customers, orders, or rankings. We cover API structures, field mappings, migration costs, and step-by-step execution.
Why Migrate from Shopware to BigCartel?
Shopware is a powerful open-source eCommerce platform, but it often becomes limiting for businesses that need hosted infrastructure and minimal technical maintenance. Moving to Big Cartel opens specific opportunities:
💰 Hosted Infrastructure
The Shopware Pain: Shopware requires self-hosting, server management, and technical maintenance. You're responsible for updates, security, and performance optimization.
The Big Cartel Gain: Fully hosted. No server management. Big Cartel handles updates, security, and scaling.
🚀 App Ecosystem
The Shopware Pain: Shopware has a smaller plugin marketplace compared to major hosted platforms. Limited third-party integrations.
The Big Cartel Gain: Access to thousands of Big Cartel apps. One-click integrations. Extensive app store.
🛠 Ease of Use
The Shopware Pain: Shopware requires technical knowledge for advanced customization. Symfony-based development can be complex.
The Big Cartel Gain: User-friendly admin. Liquid templating. Non-technical users can manage stores easily.
⚡ Quick Launch
The Shopware Pain: Shopware requires you to manage hosting, updates, and technical aspects yourself.
The Big Cartel Gain: Launch quickly. No DevOps. Focus on selling, not infrastructure.
Pre-Migration Audit: Shopware vs BigCartel
Before migrating from Shopware to BigCartel, map how your data translates. Shopware (Symfony/Store API) and BigCartel use different structures.
What to Check Before Migration
Shopware uses Symfony entity structure with Store API. Big Cartel uses REST Admin API for data import.
- Shopware Version: Are you on Shopware 5 or 6? Database structure differs. Migration tools handle both versions.
- API Access: Shopware 6 provides Store API. Shopware 5 may require bridge extension. Migration tools use bridge for data extraction.
- Big Cartel Setup: Ensure Big Cartel store is set up and ready. Configure API access if required.
- Product Structure: Shopware products with option groups map to Big Cartel products with variants. Big Cartel has 100 variant limit per product.
- Images: Shopware images are in media system. Need to be transferred to Big Cartel CDN.
Shopware to BigCartel Data Mapping
Exact field mappings for a Shopware to BigCartel migration. Use SKU for product linking—BigCartel generates new IDs.
🛍 Products
| Shopware (Source) | Big Cartel Field (Target) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
product.id |
Product ID |
Big Cartel generates new IDs. Use SKU for mapping. |
product_translation.name |
Product Name |
Direct string transfer. |
product.number |
SKU |
Shopware SKU at product level. Big Cartel SKU at variant level. |
product_price.price |
Price |
Direct mapping with currency conversion if needed. |
product_translation.description |
Description |
HTML content. Images need re-uploading to Big Cartel CDN. |
product_category |
Category |
Shopware categories become Big Cartel collections. |
property_group_option, product_configurator_setting |
Variants/Options |
Shopware variants map to Big Cartel variants. Big Cartel limits 100 variants per product. |
👥 Customers
| Shopware Field | Big Cartel Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
customer.email |
Email |
Unique identifier. |
customer.password (hashed) |
Password (on create) |
Password migration depends on Big Cartel support. Shopware uses bcrypt. Migration tool handles conversion if supported, otherwise customers must reset passwords. |
customer_address |
Address |
Shopware addresses map to Big Cartel customer addresses. |
📦 Orders
| Shopware Field | Big Cartel Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
order.order_number |
Order Number |
Preserve Shopware order number in Big Cartel order field. |
order_state_machine_state |
Order Status |
Map Shopware order states to Big Cartel's dual status system. |
order.price.totalPrice |
Total |
Direct mapping with currency conversion if needed. |
How to Migrate Shopware to BigCartel: 3 Options
Choose based on budget and technical skill:
Automated Migration (Recommended)
Tools: Shopware Migration Hub, LitExtension, Cart2Cart
Specialized tools that connect via Shopware bridge extension and Big Cartel Admin API.
- ✅ Pros: Handles API complexity, preserves relationships, formats data for Big Cartel automatically.
- ❌ Cons: Cost scales with data ($200 - $400). Requires bridge extension on Shopware.
CSV Import
Tools: Shopware Admin Export + Big Cartel CSV Import
Export from Shopware, format for Big Cartel, and import manually.
- ✅ Pros: Lower cost, direct control.
- ❌ Cons: Manual work required, may lose some data relationships. Limited to products and categories.
Custom Script
Tools: Shopware Store API + Big Cartel Admin API
Build a custom script using Shopware Store API and Big Cartel Admin API.
- ✅ Pros: Complete control, reusable.
- ❌ Cons: Expensive ($2,500+), time-consuming. Must handle both platform structures.
Shopware to BigCartel Migration Steps
Using automated migration (recommended for most stores):
Phase 1: Environment Preparation
1.1. Prepare Target (Big Cartel):
Set up your Big Cartel store. Complete Big Cartel setup wizard. Configure API access if required. Do not point your domain there yet. Use subdomain for testing.
Tip: Use password protection to prevent public access during setup.
1.2. Prepare Source (Shopware):
Install migration bridge extension on Shopware. Ensure Store API or database access is available. Keep your Shopware store live during migration.
Phase 2: The Connection Setup
2.1. Big Cartel Access:
Generate API credentials in Big Cartel admin. Create private app with write permissions for products, customers, and orders.
2.2. Shopware Access:
Bridge extension connects to Shopware. Migration tool authenticates via bridge extension API.
Phase 3: Migration Execution
Select what to move. Be careful with these specific settings:
- Create 301 Redirects: Check this box if using custom domain. It creates redirects from Shopware URLs to Big Cartel URLs. Without this, your SEO dies.
- Migrate Product Variants: Big Cartel limits 100 variants per product. May need to consolidate if Shopware has more.
- Migrate Images: Images are downloaded from Shopware media system and uploaded to Big Cartel CDN automatically.
- Password Migration: Depends on Big Cartel support. Customer passwords may be migrated if supported, otherwise customers must reset passwords.
Phase 4: The Full Migration
Launch the process. The migration tool handles Shopware data extraction and Big Cartel API import automatically.
Time Estimation: 5,000 products + 10,000 orders usually takes 2-4 hours. Large catalogs migrate efficiently via automated tools.
Phase 5: Post-Migration Cleanup
5.1. Customer Communication:
Notify customers about the migration. They may need to reset passwords depending on Big Cartel password migration support.
5.2. Verify Products:
Check all products migrated correctly. Verify images, prices, and product variants. Note Big Cartel's 100 variant limit.
5.3. Design & Customization:
Choose or customize Big Cartel theme. Shopware themes cannot be migrated, but Big Cartel offers extensive theme store.
Shopware to BigCartel Migration Cost (2025)
Typical costs for ~2,000 products, 10,000 orders, 5,000 customers:
Custom Script
Developer Time
Automated
Average
Agency
Starting
Shopware to BigCartel: SEO & Common Issues
SEO Preservation
301 redirects are critical. Shopware and BigCartel URLs differ. Automated tools create redirects—verify in BigCartel admin. Without redirects, you lose rankings.
Common Migration Issues
- Variant limit: BigCartel allows 100 variants per product. Shopware has no limit—consolidate or split products.
- Images: Re-upload from Shopware media to BigCartel CDN.
- Passwords: May require customer password reset if tool doesn't support conversion.
- Multi-store: Each Shopware sales channel can migrate to a separate BigCartel store.
Ready for Big Cartel?
A Shopware to BigCartel migration gives you hosted infrastructure and ecosystem access. Use automated tools to preserve products, customers, orders, and SEO rankings.