Cost Guide

How Much Does Software Development Cost in Kenya? (Full 2025 Breakdown)

Real prices from real projects. No vague "it depends" — actual numbers you can use for budgeting.

SA
Steve Austine Opiyo
CEO, NeuraCreations
| January 20, 2025 | 15 min read

Quick Price Guide

  • Simple Website: KSh 30,000 - 80,000
  • Business Website with CMS: KSh 80,000 - 200,000
  • E-commerce Website: KSh 150,000 - 500,000
  • Mobile App (Basic): KSh 200,000 - 500,000
  • Mobile App (Complex): KSh 500,000 - 3,000,000+
  • Enterprise Software: KSh 1,000,000 - 10,000,000+

I'm going to be brutally honest with you.

Most articles about software costs give you vague ranges and then say "contact us for a quote." That's frustrating when you're trying to budget for a project.

So here's the deal: I'm sharing actual prices we charge and what I know competitors charge. These are 2025 prices based on the Kenyan market.

Website Development Costs

Let's start with the most common request we get.

Simple Landing Page / Portfolio Website

KSh 30,000 - 80,000

What you get:

  • 1-5 pages (Home, About, Services, Contact)
  • Mobile responsive design
  • Contact form
  • Basic SEO setup
  • Social media links

Timeline: 1-2 weeks

Business Website with CMS

KSh 80,000 - 200,000

What you get:

  • 5-15 pages
  • Content Management System (WordPress, custom)
  • Blog functionality
  • Advanced SEO optimization
  • Google Analytics integration
  • Email capture / newsletter
  • Live chat integration (optional)

Timeline: 2-4 weeks

E-commerce Website

KSh 150,000 - 500,000

What you get:

  • Full online store functionality
  • Product catalog (unlimited products)
  • Shopping cart & checkout
  • M-Pesa integration
  • Card payment integration
  • Order management system
  • Inventory tracking
  • Customer accounts
  • Email notifications

Timeline: 4-8 weeks

Watch Out For:
  • Quotes under KSh 20,000 for a business website — usually means templates with no customization
  • "Free" websites that lock you into expensive monthly fees
  • No mention of hosting costs (budget KSh 5,000-15,000/year)

Mobile App Development Costs

This is where pricing gets complicated. Mobile apps vary wildly in complexity.

Simple App (MVP / Basic Features)

KSh 200,000 - 500,000

Examples:

  • Simple calculator or utility app
  • Business directory app
  • Event listing app
  • Basic information app

Features: 3-5 screens, local data storage, basic design

Timeline: 4-8 weeks

Medium Complexity App

KSh 500,000 - 1,500,000

Examples:

  • E-commerce app
  • Booking/reservation app
  • Delivery tracking app
  • Social/community app (basic)

Features: User authentication, backend server, payment integration, push notifications

Timeline: 2-4 months

Complex App

KSh 1,500,000 - 5,000,000+

Examples:

  • Ride-hailing app (like Uber)
  • Full social media platform
  • Fintech/banking app
  • Healthcare management app

Features: Real-time features, complex backend, multiple user types, third-party integrations, admin dashboard

Timeline: 4-12 months

Money-Saving Tip:

Start with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) for KSh 300,000-600,000. Test your idea with real users before investing millions in a full-featured app. We've seen too many businesses spend KSh 3M+ on apps nobody wanted.

Android vs iOS vs Both?

Option Cost Multiplier Best For
Android Only 1x (base price) Kenya-focused apps (80%+ of Kenyans use Android)
iOS Only 1x - 1.2x Premium/luxury market targeting
Both (Native) 1.7x - 2x Maximum reach, different codebases
Both (Cross-platform) 1.2x - 1.4x Cost-effective for both platforms

Enterprise Software Costs

Enterprise software is where budgets get serious. These are systems that run your entire business.

Custom CRM System

KSh 500,000 - 2,000,000

Customer management, sales pipeline, reporting, team collaboration

ERP System

KSh 2,000,000 - 10,000,000+

Inventory, HR, accounting, procurement, reporting — all integrated

Custom POS System

KSh 300,000 - 1,500,000

Point of sale, inventory, M-Pesa, reporting, multi-branch support

Custom Booking/Scheduling System

KSh 400,000 - 1,200,000

Online booking, calendar management, payments, notifications

Hidden Costs Nobody Tells You About

The development cost is just the beginning. Here's what else you need to budget for:

Item Cost (Annual) Notes
Web Hosting KSh 5,000 - 50,000 Depends on traffic & complexity
Domain Name KSh 1,500 - 5,000 .co.ke is cheaper than .com
SSL Certificate Free - KSh 15,000 Free options available (Let's Encrypt)
App Store Fees $25 (Google) / $99 (Apple) One-time for Google, annual for Apple
Server Costs (Apps) KSh 2,000 - 100,000/month Scales with users
Maintenance & Updates 15-25% of dev cost Bug fixes, security updates
M-Pesa Integration KSh 20,000 - 50,000 setup Plus transaction fees

Developer Hourly Rates in Kenya

If you're hiring developers directly or want to understand pricing:

Developer Level Hourly Rate (KSh) Monthly Salary (Full-time)
Junior (0-2 years) 1,500 - 3,000 50,000 - 100,000
Mid-Level (2-5 years) 3,000 - 6,000 100,000 - 200,000
Senior (5+ years) 6,000 - 15,000 200,000 - 500,000
Tech Lead / Architect 10,000 - 25,000 400,000 - 800,000+

How to Get the Best Value

  1. Start with clear requirements. Vague requirements = expensive changes later.
  2. Build in phases. Launch a simpler version first, then add features.
  3. Choose the right technology. Don't use enterprise tools for simple projects.
  4. Get 3+ quotes. But don't just pick the cheapest — compare what's included.
  5. Ask about maintenance costs upfront. The cheapest development can be expensive to maintain.
  6. Consider cross-platform for mobile. React Native or Flutter can save 30-40% vs building native apps separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Simple websites cost KSh 30,000-80,000. Business websites with CMS cost KSh 80,000-200,000. E-commerce websites cost KSh 150,000-500,000.

Simple apps cost KSh 200,000-500,000. Medium complexity apps cost KSh 500,000-1,500,000. Complex apps can cost KSh 1,500,000-5,000,000+.

Software development requires skilled professionals who spend years learning their craft. However, Kenya offers competitive rates — typically 50-70% less than US/UK for similar quality.

Freelancers are 20-40% cheaper but riskier. Companies offer accountability, teams, and ongoing support. For business-critical projects, a company is usually worth the extra cost.

Ready to Get an Accurate Quote?

Every project is different. These prices give you a starting point, but the best way to know your exact cost is to talk to a developer about your specific needs.

We offer free consultations where we'll:

  • Understand your business goals
  • Recommend the right approach
  • Give you a detailed, no-obligation quote

Get Your Free Quote

Tell us about your project and get a detailed cost estimate within 24 hours. No commitment required.

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SA

Steve Austine Opiyo

Founder & CEO, NeuraCreations. Building software for Kenyan businesses since 2020.

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