Tihada vs Stan Store, Selar, Gumroad & Beacons: the best creator platform for Kenya
Comparing Tihada, Stan Store, Selar, Gumroad, Beacons and Linktree for Kenyan creators. Pricing, M-Pesa support, payouts, and which platform to pick for selling digital products in Kenya.
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If you are a Kenyan creator looking for a platform to sell digital products, you have probably come across Stan Store, Selar, Gumroad, Beacons, and Linktree. The question is which one actually works for a Kenyan audience that pays with M-Pesa.
This guide compares all five plus Tihada on the things that matter for Kenyan creators: pricing, M-Pesa checkout, payouts to M-Pesa, format, and whether a subscription is required. For the broader guide on making money selling digital products with M-Pesa, see Make money selling digital products with M-Pesa: a guide for Kenyan creators.
The comparison at a glance
| Tihada | Stan Store | Selar | Gumroad | Beacons / Linktree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | 7.5% per sale, no subscription | $29–$99/mo subscription, 0% transaction fee (Stan Store pricing, 2026) | Free to start, 5% + KSh 20 per KES sale (Selar pricing, 2025) | 10% + $0.50 per sale, no subscription (Storelib, 2026) | 9–12% on free tier, $30–$35/mo for 0% (Beacons pricing, 2025; Pulz.bio, 2025) |
| M-Pesa checkout | Native STK Push | No — Stripe and PayPal only (Stan Store Help, 2025) | Yes (Selar blog, 2025) | No — Stripe and PayPal | No — Stripe only |
| Payouts to M-Pesa | Yes | No — Stripe or PayPal payouts in USD | Yes — bank or mobile money in 14 countries | No — PayPal or bank transfer | No — Stripe payouts |
| Built for Kenya | Yes, Kenyan-first | No — US-centric, USD pricing | Africa-wide, supports KES | No — global, USD-centric | No — global, USD-centric |
| Format | Link-in-bio creator store | Link-in-bio creator store | Product pages and marketplace | Product pages and marketplace | Link directory with optional storefront (Beacons) or redirects (Linktree) |
| Subscription required | No | Yes ($29/mo minimum) | No | No | No, but high fees on free tier |
The short version: Tihada is the only option that combines a link-in-bio creator store, native M-Pesa STK Push checkout, KES pricing, payouts to M-Pesa, and no monthly subscription — all built specifically for Kenyan creators. Below is a deeper look at each platform.
Stan Store: the creator store pioneer, but not for Kenya
Stan Store is the product that popularized the “creator store” concept — a link-in-bio storefront where creators sell digital products, courses, and bookings directly from their social profile. It is well-designed and widely used in the US.
Why it does not work for Kenyan creators:
- No M-Pesa. Stan Store uses Stripe and PayPal for payments (Stan Store Help, 2025). Kenyan buyers cannot pay with M-Pesa, which is the payment method they trust and use every day.
- Monthly subscription. Stan Store charges $29/month for the Creator plan or $99/month for Creator Pro (Stan Store pricing, 2026). That is roughly KSh 3,800 to KSh 13,000 per month before you make a single sale — a significant barrier for a Kenyan creator testing their first product.
- USD payouts. Payouts go through Stripe or PayPal in USD. Kenyan creators face withdrawal friction and currency conversion costs.
- No KES pricing. Products are priced in USD, which creates hesitation for Kenyan buyers who think in shillings.
Stan Store takes 0% per transaction, but the monthly subscription means you pay even when you are not selling. For a Kenyan creator making their first few sales, the subscription cost can exceed the revenue.
Selar: the strongest African alternative
Selar is a Nigerian-founded platform built for African creators. It supports M-Pesa, sells in KES, and pays out to mobile money wallets and bank accounts across 14 African countries (Selar pricing, 2025; Selar blog, 2025). It is a legitimate option for Kenyan creators.
How it differs from Tihada:
- Marketplace vs storefront. Selar functions as a product-page marketplace. Buyers land on a product page within Selar’s ecosystem, alongside other sellers’ products. Tihada is a personal link-in-bio storefront — buyers land on your branded page, not a shared marketplace.
- Pricing structure. Selar charges 5% plus KSh 20 per KES sale. Tihada charges a flat 7.5% with no per-transaction fixed fee. On a KSh 500 product, Selar takes KSh 45 (KSh 25 + KSh 20) while Tihada takes KSh 37.50. On a KSh 100 product, Selar takes KSh 25 (KSh 5 + KSh 20) while Tihada takes KSh 7.50 — the fixed KSh 20 fee makes Selar significantly more expensive on low-priced products.
- Onboarding incentive. Tihada waives its 7.5% commission on your first five paid sales. Selar does not offer an equivalent waiver.
Selar is a good choice if you want a marketplace with built-in discovery. Tihada is the better choice if you want a personal storefront that functions as your link in bio, with lower effective fees on lower-priced products.
Gumroad: global, simple, but no M-Pesa
Gumroad is one of the oldest and most recognizable digital product platforms. It is simple to use: upload a product, get a link, start selling.
Why it does not work for Kenyan creators:
- No M-Pesa. Gumroad uses Stripe and PayPal. No M-Pesa checkout.
- High fees. Gumroad charges 10% plus $0.50 per direct sale, and 30% if the buyer finds your product through Gumroad Discover (their marketplace) (Storelib, 2026). On a KSh 500 product (roughly $3.90), the 10% + $0.50 fee takes about KSh 88 — nearly 18% of the sale.
- USD-centric. Products are priced in USD. No native KES pricing.
- No M-Pesa payouts. Payouts go to PayPal or bank accounts, not M-Pesa.
Gumroad works well for creators with international audiences who pay in USD. For a Kenyan creator selling to a Kenyan audience, the lack of M-Pesa is a dealbreaker.
Beacons and Linktree: link tools with bolted-on commerce
Beacons and Linktree are link-in-bio tools. Their primary job is to host a list of links. Both have added commerce features — Beacons has a built-in digital product storefront, and Linktree added payment links and tip jars.
Why they do not work for Kenyan creators:
- No M-Pesa. Both use Stripe for payments. No M-Pesa checkout.
- High fees on free tiers. Beacons charges 9% on sales on its free and $10/month plans. Linktree charges 12% on its free tier (Beacons pricing, 2025; Pulz.bio, 2025). You only reach 0% transaction fees by paying $30/month (Beacons Creator Plus) or $35/month (Linktree Premium).
- Commerce is secondary. Linktree primarily redirects buyers to external stores like Shopify or Gumroad. Beacons has a more native storefront, but it is still a link tool with commerce added on, not a commerce-first product.
These tools are good for organizing links. They are not built for selling digital products to a Kenyan audience with M-Pesa.
Payhip, Paystack, and Flutterwave: adjacent tools worth knowing
A few other names come up when Kenyan creators research selling online:
- Payhip is a UK-based digital product platform. Its free plan charges 5% per sale, and paid plans ($29–$99/month) reduce or eliminate transaction fees. It does not support M-Pesa checkout or payouts.
- Paystack and Flutterwave are payment processors, not creator stores. They power M-Pesa and card payments for businesses, but you would need to build your own storefront or use a platform that integrates them. Tihada handles the payment infrastructure for you so you do not need to set up a payment processor separately.
Which platform should you pick?
| If you… | Pick |
|---|---|
| Want a link-in-bio store with M-Pesa checkout and no subscription | Tihada |
| Want a marketplace with built-in discovery and M-Pesa support | Selar |
| Have a US/EU audience that pays in USD with cards | Stan Store or Gumroad |
| Just want to organize links, not sell | Linktree or Beacons |
| Want to sell to a Kenyan audience with M-Pesa and keep full control of your storefront | Tihada |
For most Kenyan creators selling digital products to a Kenyan audience, the decision comes down to Tihada vs Selar. Tihada gives you a personal link-in-bio storefront with native M-Pesa STK Push, lower effective fees on low-priced products, no subscription, and commission-free first sales. Selar gives you a marketplace with broader African reach and built-in discovery.
If you are ready to build your store, read how to build a creator store with Tihada or book a session.
Frequently asked questions
Does Stan Store work with M-Pesa?
No. Stan Store uses Stripe and PayPal for payments. It does not support M-Pesa checkout or payouts to M-Pesa. Kenyan creators who need native M-Pesa checkout should use Tihada or Selar instead.
What is the best Stan Store alternative in Kenya?
Tihada is the best Stan Store alternative for Kenyan creators. It offers a link-in-bio creator store with native M-Pesa STK Push checkout, KES pricing, payouts to M-Pesa, and no monthly subscription. Tihada charges 7.5% per sale, while Stan Store charges $29 to $99 per month. Selar is another alternative that supports M-Pesa, charging 5% plus KSh 20 per KES sale, but it works as a marketplace rather than a personal storefront.
Is Selar or Tihada better for Kenyan creators?
Both support M-Pesa and are built for African creators. Selar charges 5% plus KSh 20 per KES sale and works as a product-page marketplace where buyers browse alongside other sellers. Tihada charges a flat 7.5% with no per-transaction fixed fee, no subscription, and is built as a link-in-bio creator store, so buyers land on your branded storefront instead of a shared marketplace.
Can I use Gumroad in Kenya?
Gumroad is available globally but does not support M-Pesa. It charges 10% plus $0.50 per sale and uses Stripe and PayPal for payments. Kenyan creators who need M-Pesa checkout and KES pricing should use Tihada or Selar instead.
Does Linktree support M-Pesa?
No. Linktree is a link-in-bio tool that redirects buyers to external stores like Shopify or Gumroad. It does not handle M-Pesa transactions directly. Beacons, a similar tool, supports digital product sales but also uses Stripe, not M-Pesa. Tihada is the only link-in-bio creator store with native M-Pesa STK Push checkout.
Which platform has the lowest fees for Kenyan creators?
Tihada charges 7.5% per sale with no subscription and no per-transaction fixed fee. Selar charges 5% plus KSh 20 per KES sale. On a KSh 500 product, Tihada takes KSh 37.50 while Selar takes KSh 45. On a KSh 1,000 product, Tihada takes KSh 75 while Selar takes KSh 70. Tihada also waives its commission on your first five paid sales.