Bumpa, Selar or Shopify: Store Builders Nigerian Brands Compare

Bumpa suits Nigerian fashion brands that want a naira-priced, phone-first tool for sales, stock and a simple website. Selar describes itself as a way to sell digital products, so it fits pattern files and courses better than clothing. Shopify suits brands that want a full online store with a large app ecosystem and plan to sell to diaspora buyers abroad.

That is the short answer. The right choice depends on where your buyers are, how many products you carry and how much you want to grow beyond Instagram and WhatsApp. This guide compares the three for a clothing brand, using only what each company says on its own website (last checked November 2026). For the fit and photo side of selling online, see our main guide to virtual try-on for African fashion brands.

What is each store builder built for?

Each tool started from a different problem. That shapes everything else.

Bumpa

Bumpa's homepage presents it as a business tool for sellers. It says you can add products, run discount sales and ship products from a business website. It also lists inventory, sales, order and customer management, and says stock levels update after every sale.

Bumpa also covers the back office. Its site says you can create invoices, send receipts, record sales and log expenses in the Bumpa app. It mentions payment options to get paid in naira or US dollars, plus analytics such as best-selling product and average spend per customer.

Selar

Selar's homepage describes it as "the best way to sell digital products online." That makes it a natural fit for things you deliver as files or access, such as sewing patterns, styling guides, fashion-business courses and lookbook templates.

If you want to sell physical clothing on Selar, check Selar's current features page first. We could not confirm physical-product details on its homepage when we checked.

Shopify

Shopify is a hosted online store builder used worldwide. For Nigerian brands, the feature that stands out is international selling. Shopify's help page on international pricing says shoppers can view prices, pay and get refunds in their local currency, with automatic conversion by default and options for rounding or set prices by country.

Shopify's app store adds features through apps, from reviews to sizing. That flexibility is the main reason fashion brands with growing catalogs move to it.

How do the three compare side by side?

This table sums up what each company's own pages say, plus what we could not confirm.

Question	Bumpa	Selar	Shopify
Main focus on its homepage	Selling, stock and records for businesses	Selling digital products	Online stores, with international selling tools
Website included	Yes, a business website	Product and checkout pages (check current details)	Yes, a full themed store
Inventory tracking	Yes, stock updates after each sale	Not confirmed for physical stock	Yes
Invoices and receipts	Yes, in the app	Not confirmed	Through apps or order emails
Naira and dollar payments	Says you can get paid in naira or US dollars	Check Selar's current payment page	Local currency display, with full features tied to Shopify Payments
Mobile app	Yes, on Play Store and App Store	Check Selar's site	Check Shopify's site
App ecosystem	Built-in tools	Built-in tools	Large app store

How much does each one cost?

Prices change, so always check the live page before you decide.

Bumpa's homepage listed its Starter plan at N15,000 billed quarterly, which it shows as N5,000 a month, and its Pro plan at N30,000 billed quarterly, shown as N10,000 a month, with a 14-day free trial mentioned in its FAQ (Bumpa pricing, checked November 2026). Higher plans were listed with demo or contact options.

For Selar and Shopify, check their own pricing pages directly. Shopify lists its plans on shopify.com/pricing. Remember to add the cost of any apps, a theme if you buy one, and payment processing fees.

The full cost of a store goes beyond the subscription. Our breakdown of what a fashion website costs in Nigeria covers design, photos and apps.

Which one fits a clothing brand best?

Think about your next 12 months, not just today.

Pick Bumpa if

• You sell mostly to customers in Nigeria
• You want one phone app for orders, stock, invoices and expenses
• You take many orders through Instagram and WhatsApp and need records you won't lose
• You prefer a plan priced in naira

Pick Selar if

• You sell digital products, such as patterns, sewing classes or a "start your fashion brand" course
• Clothing is not your main product, or you already sell clothes elsewhere

Many designers run Selar next to a clothing store. The course or pattern sells on Selar. The clothes sell on the store.

Pick Shopify if

• A large share of your buyers are diaspora customers in the UK, US or Canada
• You want local-currency pricing for each country
• You carry many styles, sizes and colors and want strong filters
• You want to add tools such as size recommendation and virtual try-on through apps

If you want to own your site on WordPress instead, our WooCommerce setup checklist for Lagos boutiques covers that route.

What should a fashion brand test before choosing?

Every free trial is a chance to test real work, not just browse menus. Run this checklist on each builder you try:

1. Add one real product with three sizes and two colors. Check how sizes appear on a phone.
2. Place a test order with your real payment account and confirm the money flow.
3. Set up delivery for Lagos, one other city and one international zone.
4. Check the product page on a slow connection. Many of your buyers shop on mobile data.
5. Send the link on WhatsApp and see how the preview looks.
6. Ask a friend abroad to open the store and say what currency they see.
7. Export your orders and check you can take your data with you if you switch later.

Write down what took longest. The tool that makes your daily work fastest usually wins.

What does this look like for a real brand?

Take an example brand: a Lagos label selling ready-to-wear Ankara dresses and made-to-order Aso-ebi sets. Most orders come through Instagram DMs, and about one in four buyers lives abroad. The owner and one assistant run everything from their phones.

Here is how each choice plays out for that brand:

• On Bumpa, the assistant records every DM order, sends an invoice and tracks stock from the app. Local buyers get a simple website link. Diaspora buyers can pay, but the store is built mainly around naira selling.
• On Selar, the brand would sell a digital "how to tie gele" class or a pattern pack well. The dresses themselves are better placed on another platform.
• On Shopify, the brand sets naira as the main currency, adds a UK and US market, and installs a sizing app. The assistant still answers DMs but sends buyers to the product link to pay.

This example brand would likely start on Bumpa if most growth is local, or Shopify if the diaspora share keeps rising. Neither choice is wrong. It depends on which customers you want more of.

Can you combine more than one tool?

Yes, and many brands do. Common combinations:

• Bumpa for in-person and WhatsApp sales, Shopify for the online store. Your studio and Instagram orders stay in Bumpa while diaspora buyers check out on Shopify. You will need to keep stock in sync by hand or with a tool.
• Shopify for clothes, Selar for digital products. A clean split by product type.
• A Paystack storefront for quick drops, a full store later. Our comparison of Paystack Storefront and Shopify looks at that option.

Keep the number of tools small. Every extra tool is another place an order can be missed.

How do size and fit fit into the choice?

Fit is the biggest worry for anyone buying clothes they cannot touch. That is especially true for diaspora buyers ordering an Aso-ebi outfit or an Owambe gown from Lagos.

A builder with an app store gives you more options here. On Shopify, ZeDaq.ai adds virtual try-on: the shopper uploads one photo and sees your real garment on their body. A 30-second scan (one photo plus height) recommends a size from your own size chart. To see how it compares with other try-on apps, read our roundup of AI try-on apps for Shopify.

ZeDaq.ai has a Free plan with 3 try-ons a month to test, and paid plans start at $14 a month. Every paid plan has a 3-day free trial with no card required.

FAQs

Is Bumpa or Shopify better for a small Lagos boutique?

If almost all your buyers are in Nigeria and you want a naira-priced phone app for orders and stock, Bumpa is a strong fit. If you plan to sell abroad or need apps, Shopify gives you more room.

Can I sell clothes on Selar?

Selar's homepage presents it as a platform for digital products. Check Selar's current features before you plan a clothing store on it.

Can I move from Bumpa to Shopify later?

Moving is possible, but plan for it. Export your product list and customer data, and redo your photos, sizes and delivery rates on the new platform.

Do I need a developer for any of these?

Not to start. All three are built for owners to set up themselves. You may want help later for custom design or advanced apps.