Free online shop vs paid store — the honest difference
"Free" means different things on different platforms — a real shop, a 14-day trial, or commission on every sale. Here's exactly what free gets you on Shops in Kenya, what paid adds, and the math on when to upgrade.
Quick Answer
Start free, upgrade when payments get busy. The free plan is a complete manual-payment store. Paid plans (from KSh 299/mo) automate M-PESA + card checkout and unlock growth features — 0% commission on every plan, always.
What free actually includes
- ✓30 products — variants, categories, stock
- ✓WhatsApp ordering — orders in your chat
- ✓Manual payments — Till, PayBill, bank, send-money
- ✓Delivery zones with fees, or pickup
- ✓Order dashboard & customer records
- ✓Your link: shops.co.ke/yourname (hosting + SSL)
- ✓Free listing in our ~29,000-business directory
- ✓0% commission — keep every shilling you sell
What each paid tier adds
| Plan | Price | Products | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | KSh 299/mo | 100 | M-PESA STK push + card checkout, POS, bookings, digital products, coupons |
| Growth | KSh 699/mo | 500 | Custom domain, deposits, cart recovery, enquiry inbox, 3 staff |
| Professional | KSh 1,299/mo | 1,500 | WhatsApp broadcasts, payroll, 10 staff |
| Business | KSh 3,499/mo | Unlimited | Branches, API, SMS, white label, 100 staff |
Full feature matrix: pricing page →
The three real reasons to upgrade
1. Payment friction is costing you sales
Manual payment means every order waits for a screenshot and your confirmation. STK Push checkout converts while intent is hot — one PIN and the order is paid, at 2am without you. If you're losing orders between "I'll send" and "payment confirmed", that's the upgrade.
2. Your time is worth more than KSh 10/day
KSh 299/month is about KSh 10 a day. If matching payments to orders takes you 15 minutes daily, the plan pays for itself in recovered time alone — before counting the sales you didn't lose.
3. You've outgrown the shelf
Thirty products covers a focused boutique. A growing catalogue, your own domain, staff accounts, branches, broadcasts to past customers — those are Growth-and-above tools for when the shop becomes the business.
Free plan vs 'free' marketplace
A marketplace feels free because nothing leaves your pocket upfront — but 5–15% of every sale does, forever. Sell KSh 100,000 in a month and commission takes KSh 5,000–15,000 — more than every Shops plan combined. The honest comparison isn't free vs paid; it's flat fee vs percentage. Run the numbers →
Free to start. Paid when it earns.
30 products, WhatsApp ordering, manual payments — KSh 0, no card required.
Frequently asked questions
Is a free online shop in Kenya actually usable?
On Shops in Kenya, yes — the free plan is a working store, not a trial: 30 products, WhatsApp ordering, manual payment instructions, delivery zones and order records at KSh 0 forever. The catch: no automated online payments, no custom domain, no POS or digital products.
What do paid plans add?
Starter (KSh 299/mo): automated M-PESA STK push and card checkout, POS, bookings, digital products, 100 products. Growth (KSh 699/mo): custom domain, deposits, cart recovery, 500 products. Professional (KSh 1,299/mo): broadcasts, payroll, 10 staff, 1,500 products. Business (KSh 3,499/mo): branches, API, SMS, 100 staff, unlimited products.
When should I upgrade from free to paid?
When manual payment confirmation is costing you sales or time. The usual triggers: you want the M-PESA prompt instead of checking screenshots, you're past ~10 orders a week, you need more than 30 products, or you want your own domain. At KSh 299/month, one saved sale typically covers the month.
Is a paid shop better than selling free on a marketplace?
Different trade-offs: marketplaces are 'free' until you sell — Jumia takes ~5–15% commission per order and owns the customer relationship. A flat KSh 299–3,499/month plan costs the same whether you sell KSh 10k or KSh 1M, and your brand and customer list stay yours.