E-commerce platform
Nexio vs Shopify for e-commerce in Kenya
We build on Shopify when Shopify is genuinely right, and we say so. But for many Kenyan retailers the monthly subscription in dollars, the transaction fees, and three or four paid apps to make M-Pesa and local delivery behave add up to more than a custom storefront costs to build and run.
The short answer
Shopify is the right platform for high-SKU catalogues, multi-channel selling and teams that want commerce operations solved out of the box. A custom Nexio storefront is the right choice for focused catalogues where M-Pesa reconciliation, delivery-zone logic, margin control and total cost of ownership matter more than the app ecosystem.
Side by side
Nexio vs Shopify
| Criterion | Nexio | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Focused catalogues, local payments, custom logic | Large catalogues and multi-channel retail |
| Monthly cost | Hosting and care plan in KES | USD subscription plus apps plus transaction fees |
| M-Pesa | Direct Daraja integration, auto-reconciled | Third-party gateway app |
| Delivery zones | Custom rules for Nairobi estates, counties, pickup points | Approximated with apps |
| Checkout control | Complete | Restricted below Plus |
| Storefront speed | Tuned build, minimal third-party code | Degrades as apps accumulate |
| Time to launch | 25–35 days | Days for a themed store |
A Shopify store on a mid plan with an M-Pesa gateway, a delivery app and a reviews app typically costs more per year than the annual running cost of a custom Nexio storefront — and that gap widens as order volume grows.
Where Shopify is strong
- • Mature commerce engine: inventory, discounts, abandoned cart, POS
- • Huge app ecosystem and theme marketplace
- • Reliable global infrastructure
- • Strong multi-channel and marketplace integrations
Choose Shopify if
- • You have thousands of SKUs and complex inventory
- • You sell across marketplaces, social and physical POS
- • You want commerce operations handled by the platform
Where it limits Kenyan businesses
- • Subscription and transaction fees are USD and recur forever
- • M-Pesa requires a third-party gateway app with its own fees
- • App stacking slows the storefront and compounds monthly cost
- • Checkout customisation is restricted on lower plans
- • You do not own the platform your revenue depends on
Choose Nexio if
- • M-Pesa is your primary payment method
- • You need delivery pricing that reflects real Kenyan logistics
- • You want recurring costs in shillings and full margin control
- • Your catalogue is focused enough that platform overhead is not worth it
Switching
How we move you off Shopify without losing rankings
- Step 1
Audit and inventory
We crawl the existing site, list every page, form, integration and ranking URL, and flag what must be preserved.
- Step 2
Content and SEO mapping
Every existing URL is mapped to its new destination with 301 redirects prepared up front, so rankings and backlinks carry over.
- Step 3
Rebuild and improve
We rebuild on our stack, fixing the speed, structure and conversion problems the old platform imposed rather than copying them.
- Step 4
Cutover and monitoring
DNS switch outside business hours, redirects verified live, Search Console monitored daily for the first two weeks.
Questions
Nexio vs Shopify FAQs
Will Nexio build on Shopify if that is better for me?
Yes. If your catalogue and operations genuinely suit Shopify, we will build and optimise it there rather than sell you something you do not need.
How does M-Pesa work on a Nexio store?
We integrate Safaricom Daraja directly: the customer receives an STK push, payment confirmation is matched to the order automatically, and failed or duplicated payments are handled rather than left for your team to chase.
Next step
Weighing Nexio against Shopify?
Book a free 30-minute strategy call. We'll review your current site, identify the fastest wins and send a fixed-price proposal — no obligation.
- ✓Free strategy call
- ✓Fixed-price proposal
- ✓30 days free support