Bumpa vs Catalog vs Afrii: Which E-commerce Platform Is Best for Nigerian Sellers?

For Nigerian business owners selling through Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads, and other social platforms, having a simple way to display products, manage orders, and collect payments can make selling much easier.

But not every seller needs the same tools.

Some businesses need a full retail management system with staff accounts and point-of-sale features. Others simply want an affordable online catalog that they can share in their bio. And for smaller social sellers, keeping monthly costs as low as possible may be the most important consideration.

In this guide, we compare Bumpa, Catalog, and Afrii based on pricing, product limits, inventory management, storefront capabilities, and the type of Nigerian seller each platform may suit.

- Bumpa is better suited to established businesses that need more advanced retail and business-management features.

- Catalog offers a relatively affordable monthly subscription and is useful for sellers who want a simple online catalog and storefront.

- Afrii is the lowest-cost option among the three based on the pricing considered in this comparison, starting from ₦1,000/month, with an additional ₦100 fee per sale when using its payment provider.

- Bumpa's Starter plan is ₦15,000 for three months, while its Pro plan is ₦30,000 for three months.

- Catalog's Lite plan starts at ₦2,750/month and supports up to 100 products.

- Afrii's entry plan starts at ₦1,000/month, includes up to 30 products, inventory management, a branded store, and product cards that can be shared across social platforms.

- The right choice depends less on which platform has the most features and more on how you sell and what you need the platform to do.

Selling online in Nigeria no longer means that every business needs a complicated website.

For many small businesses, social media is already the main storefront.

Customers discover products on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, or WhatsApp and then message the seller to ask questions, confirm availability, negotiate delivery, or place an order.

This has created demand for tools that sit between a traditional e-commerce website and social media.

Platforms such as Bumpa, Catalog, and Afrii help sellers turn their product lists into digital storefronts while making it easier to manage products and orders.

However, their pricing models and target users are different.

So, which one makes sense for your business?

Here is a simplified comparison of the three platforms based on their current pricing and the features considered in this guide.

Feature| Bumpa| Catalog| Afrii

Entry pricing| ₦15,000/3 months| ₦2,750/month| From ₦1,000/month

Monthly payment| No for Starter| Yes| Yes

Free trial| 15 days| Depends on plan/offer| No

Entry product limit| Plan dependent| Up to 100 products on Lite| 30 products

Inventory management| Yes| Yes| Yes

Branded storefront| Yes| Yes| Yes

Product sharing| Yes| Yes| Yes

Staff accounts| Available on higher plans| Plan dependent| Plan dependent

Physical retail/POS features| Strong| More focused on online selling| Focused on social/online selling

Best suited for| Established businesses| Growing online sellers| Cost-conscious social sellers

«Note: Pricing and plan features can change, so sellers should confirm the latest details directly with each platform before subscribing.»

Bumpa takes a broader approach to business management.

Rather than simply helping you create an online product catalog, it is designed to help businesses manage different aspects of their operations.

This makes it particularly relevant to businesses that have moved beyond simply selling through Instagram or WhatsApp.

Bumpa Pricing

Bumpa's Starter plan is ₦15,000 for three months, meaning the subscription is billed quarterly rather than monthly.

New users also receive a 15-day trial before they need to begin paying.

Its Pro plan is ₦30,000 per quarter and includes additional staff accounts.

One thing to consider is that the Starter plan cannot be paid month-to-month. For a small seller who wants to minimize upfront spending, paying for three months at once may be less convenient than a monthly subscription.

Bumpa may make more sense if you:

- Run an established retail business.

- Have a physical shop as well as online sales.

- Need inventory and business management tools.

- Work with multiple staff members.

- Need more than a simple product catalog.

- Are comfortable paying a larger subscription upfront.

For a business with significant daily sales and multiple moving parts, the additional operational features may justify the higher cost.

For a beginner selling a few products through Instagram and WhatsApp, however, you may not need everything that Bumpa offers.

Catalog takes a simpler approach.

The platform is particularly useful for sellers who want to create an online catalog that they can share with customers and across social media.

One of its biggest advantages is its monthly payment structure, which gives sellers more flexibility over their subscription.

Catalog's Lite plan starts at approximately ₦2,750 per month and allows up to 100 products.

This makes it considerably less expensive upfront than Bumpa's quarterly Starter plan.

Catalog also provides a 7-day grace period after a subscription expires. After the grace period, the store is disabled until the subscription is renewed.

Who Should Choose Catalog?

Catalog may be a good fit if you:

- Want to pay monthly rather than quarterly.

- Have a growing product catalog.

- Want to share your products through a simple online storefront.

- Don't need a full physical point-of-sale system.

- Want more product capacity than a very small starter plan provides.

The main thing to consider is the recurring subscription.

₦2,750 may seem small compared with other business expenses, but it becomes a recurring operating cost as long as you want to keep the store active.

Afrii takes a different approach by keeping its entry price low while still providing tools for sellers who operate primarily online.

Its pricing makes it particularly interesting for small businesses, social-media sellers, and entrepreneurs who are trying to keep their monthly operating costs low.

Afrii starts at ₦1,000 per month.

Its plans allow sellers to manage inventory, and the entry plan includes:

- Up to 30 products

- A branded online store

- Product cards for sharing

- Tools for taking orders from social platforms

There is no free trial on the plan considered in this comparison.

Afrii also charges an additional ₦100 per sale when you use its payment provider, Paystack, according to the pricing information considered for this comparison.

That means sellers should look at both the subscription price and transaction-related costs when calculating their total cost.

Afrii may be a particularly attractive option if you:

- Are just starting an online business.

- Sell primarily through Instagram, Facebook, Threads, or WhatsApp.

- Want a branded storefront without a large subscription.

- Need basic inventory management.

- Want an easy way to share individual products online.

- Want to keep your fixed monthly business expenses low.

For a seller who mainly needs a place to display products and an easy way to receive orders, paying ₦1,000/month can be easier to justify than committing to a more expensive platform.

If price is your main consideration, the three platforms have very different entry points.

Afrii

From ₦1,000/month

This is the lowest entry price of the three based on the plans compared in this article.

However, sellers should remember to factor in the additional ₦100 per sale when using its payment provider.

Catalog

From ₦2,750/month

Catalog is the second-lowest entry point in this comparison.

The advantage is that you can pay monthly, which means you don't need to commit to a quarterly subscription.

Bumpa

₦15,000 for three months

Bumpa's Starter plan works out to approximately ₦5,000 per month when averaged across the three-month billing period, but the important difference is that the ₦15,000 is paid upfront for the quarter.

This makes the actual cash commitment higher at the point of subscription.

Product limits can become important as your business grows.

With Afrii's entry plan, you get 30 products.

Catalog's Lite plan allows up to 100 products.

Bumpa's product capacity depends on the plan and setup you choose.

For a small seller with 10–30 products, Afrii's entry plan may be enough.

For a seller with a larger catalog, Catalog's 100-product allowance on Lite may provide more room before needing to upgrade.

The choice between Afrii and Catalog largely comes down to price versus product capacity.

Choose Afrii if your priority is:

- Lower monthly cost

- A branded storefront

- Simple social selling

- Inventory management

- Product cards and easy sharing

- Keeping your business overhead low

Choose Catalog if your priority is:

- A larger product catalog

- Monthly billing

- A simple online storefront

- More room to grow before reaching product limits

These two platforms are aimed at somewhat different levels of business operations.

Choose Afrii if you're primarily a social seller and want an affordable tool for displaying products and taking orders.

Choose Bumpa if your business is more established and you need broader business-management capabilities, particularly if you operate a physical retail business or have staff working with you.

The question isn't simply which platform has more features.

It's whether you will actually use those features.

Catalog may appeal to sellers who want a relatively simple storefront with a monthly subscription.

Bumpa is more suitable for businesses looking for a broader operational system.

If your business is mostly:

Instagram → Product Catalog → Customer Order

you may not need the complexity of a full retail management platform.

But if your workflow looks more like:

Physical Store → Staff → Inventory → POS → Online Sales → Business Management

then a more comprehensive platform can become more relevant.

There isn't one platform that is right for every Nigerian seller.

Your choice should depend on your business size, sales channels, product count, and budget.

Choose Bumpa if...

You run an established business and need more comprehensive tools for managing your retail operations, inventory, staff, and sales.

Choose Catalog if...

You want a straightforward online catalog, have a growing number of products, and prefer the flexibility of paying for your subscription monthly.

Choose Afrii if...

You are a small or growing social seller who wants to keep costs low while still having inventory management, a branded storefront, and simple tools for sharing products and taking orders.

If my main priority were getting the most affordable starting point while still having useful e-commerce features, I would lean toward Afrii based on the pricing and features compared in this guide.

At ₦1,000/month, the entry cost is significantly lower than the alternatives, while the platform still gives sellers inventory management, a branded storefront, and product-sharing tools.

It also fits the way many Nigerian small businesses already sell: through Instagram, Facebook, Threads, WhatsApp, and links in their bios.

You can start here if that's your choice 

However, that doesn't automatically make Afrii the right choice for everyone.

If I had a larger catalog, Catalog could make more sense because of its 100-product Lite plan.

And if I were running a physical retail operation with staff and more complex business-management requirements, Bumpa would be the more relevant type of platform to consider.

The best e-commerce platform isn't necessarily the one with the most features.

It's the one whose features match the way you actually sell.

Start With What Your Business Actually Needs

Before paying for an e-commerce platform, ask yourself:

1. How many products do I currently sell?

2. Do I sell online only, or do I also have a physical store?

3. Do I need staff accounts?

4. How important is inventory management?

5. Do I need a full POS system?

6. How much can I comfortably spend every month?

7. Do my customers mainly come from Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, or my website?

8. Will I actually use the advanced features I'm paying for?

Answering these questions can make the decision much easier.

For a small social-commerce business, keeping your costs low and your selling process simple may matter more than having a long list of advanced features.

For a growing retail business, however, investing in more comprehensive business-management software may become worthwhile as operations become more complex.

Choose the platform that fits your current stage  and leave room to upgrade as your business grows.