How Much Does an Online Store Cost in Kenya? (2026 Guide)
A professionally built online store in Kenya starts at KSh 60,000 for up to 50 products with M-Pesa checkout. Larger stores with more products, card payments and delivery rules cost from KSh 100,000 to KSh 150,000. On top of the build, plan for hosting, payment fees and, if you want help running the shop, a monthly management plan.
The price of an online store depends on four things: how many products you launch with, which payments you accept, how deliveries work, and what you want automated. This guide shows what each Kissor Digital package includes, what costs extra, what a store costs to run after launch, and example budgets you can compare with your own plan.
What Do the Online Store Packages Include?
Kissor Digital builds online stores in three packages. These are one-time build costs, and they were current when this guide was published.
- Starter Store: KSh 60,000. Up to 50 initial products, a cart with M-Pesa checkout and a mobile-first shopping experience. About 21 working days.
- Business Store: KSh 100,000. Up to 200 initial products, M-Pesa and card payments, and inventory and shipping rules. About 28 working days.
- Advanced Store: KSh 150,000. Up to 500 initial products, advanced filters and variations, and recovery and fulfilment integrations. About 35 working days.
Card gateways, courier providers and other third-party fees are separate from the setup fee. The e-commerce pricing page has the full list.
What Costs Extra? Common Add-Ons
Most stores add a few features beyond the base package. These are common add-ons. Availability depends on the package you choose, and your quote confirms the final price.
| Add-on | Price |
|---|---|
| Additional 25 / 50 / 100 products | KSh 5,000 / 8,000 / 15,000 |
| Product search | KSh 5,000 |
| Product filtering | KSh 7,500 |
| Card payment gateway | From KSh 10,000 |
| Coupon and promotion system | From KSh 10,000 |
| Product listing and optimisation | From KSh 10,000 |
| Courier integration | From KSh 15,000 |
| Customer accounts | From KSh 15,000 |
| Abandoned-cart recovery | From KSh 15,000 |
| SMS notifications | From KSh 25,000 |
| WhatsApp automation | From KSh 30,000 |
"From" prices are starting points. The final price depends on how much work the feature needs in your store.
What Does It Cost to Run an Online Store After Launch?
The build is a one-time cost, but a store also has running costs. Plan for these:
- Hosting and domain. Hosting starts from about KSh 5,000 a year with Kissor Digital. Domain renewals are paid to the registrar.
- Payment fees. M-Pesa payments carry Safaricom's standard charges. Card gateways set their own rates and bill you directly.
- Platform subscription, if you choose one. A custom-built store has none. Shopify charges a monthly subscription (the Basic plan was about US$39 a month at the time of writing), and because Shopify Payments is not available in Kenya, M-Pesa runs through a gateway such as IntaSend, which charges 1% per M-Pesa transaction.
- Store management. If you want someone to add products, keep the store secure and improve it, website management plans run from KSh 7,500 a month (Starter Care) to KSh 40,000 a month (E-Commerce Growth), depending on how much the store does.
- Marketing. A store needs visitors. Paid ads management starts from KSh 15,000 a month, and the advertising budget is paid directly to Google, Meta or the platform you choose.
Example Budgets for Different Kinds of Store
- A small shop with up to 50 products: the Starter Store at KSh 60,000, with M-Pesa checkout.
- A shop with 75 products: the Starter Store at KSh 60,000 plus Additional 25 products at KSh 5,000, which comes to KSh 65,000.
- A growing store with up to 200 products, card payments and delivery rules: the Business Store at KSh 100,000.
- A large catalogue of up to 500 products with variations and filters: the Advanced Store at KSh 150,000.
These examples cover the build only. Add hosting, payment fees, delivery costs and marketing from the section above.
Custom-Built Store or Shopify?
The packages above are custom-built stores that you own outright. Shopify is the alternative: it is quicker to launch, but it adds a monthly subscription and a separate gateway for M-Pesa. Our guide to dropshipping in Kenya: custom store or Shopify compares the two routes on cost, M-Pesa and supplier automation, and the comparison applies to any store, not only dropshipping.
How Do You Set a Realistic Budget?
- Count the products you will launch with. Package limits are based on initial products, and you can add more later.
- List the payments you need. M-Pesa checkout is part of the Starter package, and card payments are included in the Business Store and available as a separate add-on.
- Decide how deliveries will work. Courier integration and shipping rules affect the cost.
- Add the running costs. Hosting, payment fees, management and marketing continue after launch.
- Keep room for product photos and descriptions. Clear photos and good descriptions sell products, and product listing and copywriting help is available if you need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to what Kenyan business owners ask us most about the cost of an online store.
How much does an online store cost in Kenya?
At Kissor Digital, an online store costs KSh 60,000 for the Starter package with up to 50 products and M-Pesa checkout, KSh 100,000 for the Business package with up to 200 products and card payments, and KSh 150,000 for the Advanced package with up to 500 products. Add-ons, hosting, payment fees and marketing are extra.
Does the price include M-Pesa checkout?
Yes. M-Pesa checkout is part of the Starter package, and the Business package adds card payments. Safaricom charges its normal fees on each M-Pesa payment.
What costs are not included in the setup fee?
Card gateways, courier providers and other third-party fees are separate from the setup fee. Hosting and domain renewals, advertising budgets and any platform subscription are also billed separately.
How long does it take to build an online store?
About 21 working days for the Starter package, about 28 working days for the Business package and about 35 working days for the Advanced package.
Can I start small and add products later?
Yes. Packages are based on the number of initial products, and extra products can be added in blocks of 25, 50 or 100 for KSh 5,000, KSh 8,000 and KSh 15,000.
Is Shopify cheaper than a custom-built store?
Not necessarily. Shopify adds a monthly subscription, and because Shopify Payments is not available in Kenya, M-Pesa runs through a third-party gateway such as IntaSend at 1% per transaction. A custom-built store has no subscription. Our dropshipping guide compares the two routes in detail.
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