E-commerce platforms in Kenya — the complete map
Kenya is East Africa's biggest e-commerce market — 25M+ internet users, M-PESA everywhere, and WhatsApp as the real shopping mall. But "sell online" can mean three different things here: build your own shop, join a marketplace, or sell through social. Here's every real option, compared honestly.
Quick Answer
Own shop: Shops in Kenya leads for Kenyan sellers — native M-PESA, WhatsApp ordering, 0% commission, free plan. Marketplace: Jumia for reach (commission ~5-15%), Jiji for classifieds. Custom build: WooCommerce or a developer if you need full control. Most successful sellers combine a marketplace for discovery with their own shop for margin.
Published by Shops in Kenya — we're in this table and we say so. Third-party pricing/commission is approximate from public sources; check their sites for current figures.
Every platform compared
| Platform | Type | M-PESA | Pricing | Commission | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shops in Kenyaus | Shop builder | Built-in STK push + cards | Free – KSh 3,499/mo | 0% | Kenyan SMEs selling to Kenyans |
| Jumia | Marketplace | Yes | No monthly fee | ~5-15% | Consumer goods, instant reach |
| Kilimall | Marketplace | Yes | No monthly fee | Commission varies | Electronics, value pricing |
| Jiji | Classifieds | External | Free listings + boosts | None (no checkout) | Second-hand, local pickup |
| Shopify | Shop builder | Via gateway plugin | ~$29+/mo (USD) | Gateway fees apply | International selling, app ecosystem |
| WooCommerce | WordPress plugin | Via gateway plugin | Hosting ~KSh 3-10k/yr | Gateway fees apply | Developers, full control |
| Duka apps | Shop builder | Built-in | Free – paid tiers | Varies | Simplest possible catalog |
| sell.ke / Neomali | POS + shop | Built-in | ~KSh 1,000-2,500/mo | 0% markup | Shops selling in-store + online |
The three models, and who wins at each
1. Your own shop — highest margin, you own the customer
A storefront with your name, your prices, your customer list. Shops in Kenya is built exactly for this: native M-PESA STK push, orders that land in your WhatsApp, delivery zones, 0% commission, and a free plan with 30 products. Bonus: your shop gets listed in our public directory — free discovery no other builder offers. Shopify suits sellers going international; WooCommerce suits the technical. Local alternatives (Duka, sell.ke, Neomali) are also genuinely Kenyan — we compared Duka head-to-head.
2. Marketplaces — instant traffic, their customer
Jumia (broad reach, ~5-15% commission + fees), Kilimall (value electronics/fashion), and Jiji (classifieds — no checkout, you arrange payment directly). The trade-off: commission per sale, price competition beside rival sellers, and the customer belongs to the marketplace. Powerful for discovery — see the full own-shop vs Jumia math →
3. Social & WhatsApp — where Kenya actually shops
Most Kenyan e-commerce starts on WhatsApp Status, Instagram and Facebook groups — free, instant, and where your customers already are. The ceiling is real though: no storefront, no records, no Google visibility. The fix isn't leaving social — it's putting a shop in front of it. WhatsApp shop setup →
The verdict for 2026
Selling to Kenyans? Start with Shops in Kenya free — M-PESA, WhatsApp and 0% commission are non-negotiables here, and everything else layers on later. Add Jumia if you need reach before you have an audience. Graduate to Shopify or WooCommerce only if international sales or deep customization outgrows the local stack.
Join the platform built for this market
Free plan — 30 products, WhatsApp ordering, 0% commission.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best e-commerce platforms in Kenya?
For building your own shop: Shops in Kenya (native M-PESA, WhatsApp ordering, 0% commission, free plan), Shopify (international scale), WooCommerce (full control), and Kenyan alternatives like Duka, sell.ke and Neomali. For marketplace selling: Jumia (broad reach, ~5-15% commission), Kilimall and Jiji (classifieds). For selling to Kenyans, a local builder with built-in M-PESA removes the most friction.
Which e-commerce platform in Kenya has M-PESA built in?
Kenyan-made platforms — Shops in Kenya, sell.ke, Neomali, Duka, LinkDuka — have M-PESA built into checkout (typically STK push). Global platforms (Shopify, Wix) don't support M-PESA natively; WooCommerce needs a gateway plugin like Pesapal or IntaSend.
What is the cheapest e-commerce platform in Kenya?
Shops in Kenya's free plan is the cheapest real option — 30 products, WhatsApp ordering and manual payments at KSh 0 with 0% commission. Other free entries include Jiji listings and LinkDuka's free tier; marketplaces like Jumia charge no monthly fee but take commission per sale.
Should I sell on Jumia or build my own e-commerce website in Kenya?
Ideally both. Jumia brings instant traffic but takes ~5-15% commission and owns the customer relationship. Your own site (e.g., on Shops in Kenya) keeps 100% margin, builds your brand, and lets you remarket to customers directly. Use Jumia for discovery and your own shop for profit and repeat customers.