Choose Truehost Online Shop for a straightforward store billed in shillings, WooCommerce for a store you can customise with a developer, or Shopify for a hosted platform with a broad app ecosystem. Choose Jumia when you want to sell through a marketplace; use Jiji for listings and buyer enquiries.
The right choice depends on how you will collect payment, deliver orders and bring in customers. A platform that suits a Nairobi boutique may be a poor fit for a used-equipment seller or an established WordPress business.
Start with your selling model
Want your own shop? Compare Truehost, WooCommerce, Shopify and Wix below. You manage the brand and bring customers to your site.
Want marketplace customers? Compare Jumia and Jiji. Check seller fees, product eligibility and fulfilment before listing.
Tell us what you sell, your launch budget and whether you already have a website.
Some links may earn us a commission. Read our affiliate disclosure. Recommendations reflect the seller's needs; buying a subscription does not bring customers by itself.
Best platforms at a glance
Platform | Best fit | Main cost to budget | Kenya payment consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
Truehost Online Shop | A first branded store with bundled services | KSh 6,566 annually for the reviewed shop plan | M-Pesa through Flutterwave; merchant setup required |
WooCommerce | An existing WordPress site or a custom store with technical help | Free core software; hosting, maintenance and extensions cost extra | Choose a gateway that supports your Kenyan business |
Shopify | A growing brand that wants hosted store management | Basic: US$29/month equivalent annually, or US$39 monthly, on the reviewed USD page | Shopify Payments is not listed for Kenya; budget for third-party payments |
Wix | A business website with an integrated shop and visual editing | A payment-enabled plan such as Core; confirm local checkout price | Kenyan provider options include Paystack; check methods and account currency |
Jumia | Eligible retail products sold through a marketplace | Category commission plus applicable fulfilment and other charges | Customer collection and seller payout follow marketplace rules |
Jiji | Listings, used items and buyer enquiries | Free listing limits by category; paid packages for additional features | Ordinary arrangements differ from eligible Safe Deal orders |
Prices and payment documentation were checked on 6 October 2026. Subscription figures exclude costs that are not expressly included, such as processing fees, optional apps, delivery and applicable taxes. Dollar prices are not converted into shillings because your actual payment rate can differ.
This shortlist is for people selling online. For places to shop, see our shopping directory.
1. Truehost Online Shop: our pick for a simple first store
Choose this if you want a visual shop builder and a predictable annual subscription in Kenyan shillings. It is a practical starting point for a small catalogue when you would rather prepare products and fulfil orders than maintain WordPress.
The current Online Shop page lists KSh 6,566 per year, equivalent to KSh 547.17 a month. The reviewed package includes hosting, SSL, a .co.ke domain, three business email accounts and 10 GB storage. It advertises product variants and stock management, with M-Pesa through Flutterwave.
The monthly figure is an annual-payment equivalent. Payment-provider fees and merchant onboarding are separate. Confirm the domain's later renewal terms and any integration you need before ordering.
Our recommendation: shortlist Truehost for a boutique, beauty shop or other modest retail store that needs its own address and checkout. For unusual subscriptions, a specialised inventory system or complex integrations, ask for a demonstration of that exact workflow first.
2. WooCommerce: our pick for WordPress and custom requirements
Choose WooCommerce if your business already uses WordPress, or you have a developer who can build and maintain the store around your requirements.
WooCommerce pricing confirms that the core software is free and does not take a platform revenue share. You choose the hosting and payment processor, then pay for any services or extensions you need. An official Flutterwave integration is one documented route for connecting payments.
The useful comparison is the complete operating budget, not the plugin download price. Ask for a quote that separates hosting, setup, paid extensions, maintenance and payment processing. Agree who handles backups, updates and failed orders.
WooPayments and WooCommerce are different products. Kenya is absent from the reviewed WooPayments country list. That does not prevent a Kenyan WooCommerce store from using another suitable gateway.
Our recommendation: choose WooCommerce for an existing WordPress business or requirements that justify ongoing technical help. Avoid choosing it solely because the core software is free if no one will own maintenance.
3. Shopify: our pick for a growing hosted store
Choose Shopify when you want hosted store management and an app ecosystem, and can support a recurring platform budget. It is worth considering when your team wants to run the catalogue and orders without managing a separate hosting installation.
On the reviewed USD Shopify pricing page, Basic is US$29 a month when billed yearly, or US$39 with monthly billing. The annual equivalent is US$348 for the subscription. Budget separately for your domain, mailbox, paid apps and processing.
Kenya is not on the reviewed supported country list for Shopify Payments. You therefore need a suitable third-party provider for automated online payment. Paystack publishes a current Shopify setup guide; available methods still depend on the merchant account and market.
Basic's reviewed third-party transaction fee is 2%, in addition to the payment provider's processing fee. This matters as sales increase. See the fee example below before treating the subscription as your total cost.
Our recommendation: shortlist Shopify for a brand willing to pay for hosted operations and its app ecosystem. Verify the Kenyan checkout and payout path before investing in a theme or annual term. Read our Shopify review for wider platform context.
4. Wix: consider it for a website with a shop
Wix is worth comparing if your business needs a visual website editor alongside retail products. An existing Wix site can make this a simpler decision than moving all your content to another platform.
Choose a plan that supports payments. The reviewed Wix plans page includes ecommerce on Core, while final prices vary by location and subscription term. We have not treated a geographically displayed reference price as a Kenyan checkout quote.
Wix's Kenya provider list includes PayPal, DPO Group, SeerBit, Peach Payments and Paystack. Its Paystack connection guide lists mobile money for Kenya and requires the Wix and Paystack currencies to match. Confirm the exact method your customers need.
Our recommendation: consider Wix for a business website whose shop is one part of the operation. Check the payment integration and any booking or recurring-payment requirement separately; one supported provider does not mean every Wix app supports it.
5. Jumia: our pick for a retail marketplace channel
Jumia is a selling channel for eligible products, rather than a builder for your own independent website. Consider it when you want to list where marketplace shoppers already browse and can meet the platform's fulfilment requirements.
The Kenyan seller portal says opening a store is free. The 2026 commission guide makes clear that commissions vary by product category, with shipping contribution and order-processing costs relevant to the selling-price calculation. Check the complete category path for each product.
Work backwards from the money left after the sale. Subtract stock cost, commission, packaging, applicable delivery contribution and other charges before deciding whether a listing is profitable. Free registration does not make selling cost-free.
Jumia distinguishes seller-held stock from Jumia Express, where stock is stored and fulfilled through its service. Select the model you can operate consistently.
Our recommendation: use Jumia as a channel for suitable retail stock after checking margins and seller terms. A marketplace listing can complement your own store, provided you keep stock quantities and fulfilment commitments accurate.
6. Jiji: our pick for listings and direct enquiries
Consider Jiji for used equipment, individual items or products where buyers want to ask questions before committing. It is a useful discovery channel, but it is not the same operating model as a shop on your own domain.
The official selling instructions explain how to publish an advert for review. Free advert allowances depend on category; the listing limits guide explains paid packages for additional listings.
Jiji also documents Safe Deal for eligible orders. Its seller workflow requires an active Boost Package, verification and payout setup. The buyer pays through Jiji, funds are held during delivery, and release follows the order's confirmation and dispute process. Check eligibility before promising this option to buyers.
Our recommendation: use Jiji to generate enquiries or sell suitable individual items. Follow the workflow shown for the specific order; an ordinary listing and a Safe Deal order have different payment and delivery arrangements.
What will M-Pesa cost your store?
Compare platform charges and processor charges separately. Paystack's reviewed Kenya pricing lists 1.5% for M-Pesa, 2.9% for local cards and 3.8% for international cards. These are Paystack's advertised rates, not a quote for every gateway or merchant.
For an illustration, suppose KSh 100,000 of sales is processed through M-Pesa at 1.5%. The processor charge is KSh 1,500. If those same transactions attract Shopify Basic's 2% third-party fee, the additional platform charge is KSh 2,000. The combined percentage charges would be KSh 3,500, before subscriptions and other costs.
Shopify calculates its third-party fees on a defined amount that includes shipping and taxes after discounts. The illustration assumes KSh 100,000 is the applicable base for both charges. Manual payment methods such as cash on delivery are treated differently and do not attract that Shopify fee.
Before buying a platform, confirm merchant eligibility, available payment methods, settlement currency and refund handling. Test that a successful payment updates the correct order, and that a cancelled or failed attempt does not look paid.
Choose around the work you can run
Your situation | Start here | Confirm before committing |
|---|---|---|
First small branded store, limited technical capacity | Truehost Online Shop | Flutterwave setup, annual total and required features |
Existing WordPress site or custom requirements | WooCommerce | Maintenance owner and complete annual cost |
Growing brand that wants hosted operations | Shopify | Provider eligibility, transaction fees and required apps |
Existing Wix business website | Wix ecommerce | Payment-enabled plan and exact integration |
Retail stock suited to marketplace selling | Jumia | Category margin, product eligibility and fulfilment |
Used items or enquiry-led sales | Jiji | Listing allowance and the applicable payment workflow |
A sensible first launch can be small: a clear catalogue, working payment, accurate stock and a delivery promise you can keep. Add automation when repeated manual work becomes a measurable problem.
Before launching, place a test order on a phone. Check the product variant, delivery charge, payment result, confirmation message and stock update. Then practise a cancellation or refund through the route you will actually use. This reveals more than a polished homepage.
Your platform also needs customers. Prepare useful product pages, share the store with an audience you already have and track completed orders. Our product SEO guide covers the content needed to make product pages useful in search.
Get help choosing your store platform
Choose the platform your team can operate at a cost your margins can support. For a straightforward first shop, compare the Truehost package. For WordPress control, plan a WooCommerce setup. For hosted growth, check Shopify's payment and app costs. Use Jumia or Jiji when their selling model fits your products.
If you want help narrowing the choice, send DoWebsites your product type, approximate catalogue size, budget and existing website. That gives us a useful brief for discussing platform, payment and launch requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Which ecommerce platform is best in Kenya?
Truehost is our starting shortlist for a simple store billed in shillings, WooCommerce for WordPress and custom work, and Shopify for hosted store management with an app ecosystem. Jumia and Jiji serve different marketplace needs. Choose using payment setup, total cost and the work your team can manage.
Can I use Shopify in Kenya with M-Pesa?
Shopify Payments is not listed for Kenya in the reviewed documentation. A suitable third-party provider can supply payment methods for Kenyan merchants; Paystack publishes a Shopify integration and Kenyan M-Pesa rates. Confirm availability for your account and test the full checkout before launch.
Is WooCommerce completely free?
The core software is free. A working store still needs hosting, a domain, payment processing and someone to maintain it. Paid extensions or development can add to the budget.
Is selling on Jumia free?
Opening the seller store is advertised as free. Commissions and applicable fulfilment or other charges affect what you retain from a sale. Check the current category schedule before pricing products.
Do I need a website if I already sell on WhatsApp?
Not every seller needs one immediately. A store becomes useful when customers need a reliable catalogue, visible stock, checkout and delivery information without waiting for a reply. WhatsApp can remain a support and promotion channel.
Can I use a marketplace and my own shop together?
Yes, if you can manage the stock and orders across both. Budget for any integration you need and avoid selling the same last item twice. Follow each channel's seller rules.
How we made these recommendations
We reviewed official platform, payment-provider and seller documentation on 6 October 2026. The recommendations are editorial judgements about cost, operating model and fit. We did not open merchant accounts, process payments or compare sales conversion rates in a controlled test.