An online store costs more than a brochure website because it has to do more: take money, track stock, and move orders out the door. The good news is that in Kenya you can start lean and grow. Here's what an e-commerce build really costs in 2026, and where a hosted platform beats a custom one — or doesn't.
The realistic ranges
- Starter store (a focused catalogue, M-Pesa checkout, simple order management): KES 80,000 – 150,000.
- Growth store (larger catalogue, delivery tracking, analytics, customer accounts): KES 150,000 – 350,000.
- Custom or multi-vendor platform (bespoke features, integrations, scale): KES 350,000+.
On top of the build, factor in payment fees (M-Pesa and card providers take a small cut per transaction), hosting, and — if you use a hosted platform like Shopify — a monthly subscription.
Custom build vs Shopify vs WooCommerce
A hosted platform like Shopify gets you live fast and handles the plumbing, but the monthly fee adds up and proper M-Pesa support often needs a paid app or workaround. WooCommerce (on WordPress) is flexible and cheaper monthly, but you own the maintenance and security. A custom build costs more upfront and fits your exact workflow with native M-Pesa — worth it once volume justifies it.
Our rule of thumb: if you're testing whether you can sell online at all, start hosted. If selling online is core to the business and the platform fees or limitations are getting in your way, a custom store pays for itself.
The M-Pesa question
For Kenyan buyers, M-Pesa isn't optional. The cleanest experience uses STK Push through the Daraja API: the customer approves a prompt on their phone and the order is confirmed automatically — no copying a till number, no screenshots. Make sure whatever you build supports it natively rather than bolting it on.
Don't forget delivery
A store isn't finished at checkout. Decide early how orders reach customers — your own riders, a partner like Sendy — and build order tracking so buyers aren't messaging you to ask where their parcel is. Delivery friction is where a lot of Kenyan online sales quietly die.
This is what we do at Bitcrowd. If you're weighing it up for your own business, read more about e-commerce solutions — or just tell us what you're building.
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