Loan App Cost Checker: Compare Fuliza, M-Shwari, Tala, Branch and More

Updated 17 October 2026

A KSh 5,000 mobile loan can cost you less than KSh 20 or close to KSh 1,000, depending on which product you use and how long you keep it. This checker puts the real numbers side by side: the cash you receive, the total you repay and the effective annual rate (APR). It uses only the fees and rates each lender publishes, and lets you type in the figures from your own loan offer when a lender does not publish them. It is a comparison aid, not financial advice.

How to Use the Loan App Cost Checker

1. Pick a loan. Choose Fuliza, M-Shwari, KCB M-PESA, the Hustler Fund or one of 34 loan apps, or pick “Enter my own offer” for any lender not on the list.
2. Enter the amount and the number of days. Use the number of days you realistically expect to take to repay, not the shortest possible term.
3. Press “Check the cost” to see the total you repay, the cost in shillings and the effective APR.
4. Press “Compare all” to see every product at the same amount and term, sorted from the cheapest possible total.

What the Numbers Mean

Cash you receive is what actually lands in your M-PESA. Some products take fees or tax from the loan before sending it. M-Shwari, for example, deducts 1.5% excise duty, so a KSh 5,000 loan sends you KSh 4,925.

Total you repay is the amount you owe at the end, including every published fee.

Effective annual rate (APR) is the cost divided by the cash you received, scaled to a full year. It is the fairest way to compare a 30-day loan with a 14-day or 120-day loan. A rate that sounds small per month becomes large over a year, which is why short mobile loans often show APRs above 100%.

Example: KSh 5,000 for 30 Days

• Hustler Fund: the personal loan runs for 14 days at 8% a year, so KSh 5,000 for 14 days costs about KSh 15.34 in interest. Over 30 days the late rate of 9.5% a year applies. 5% of every Hustler Fund loan goes into your savings, and that money remains yours.
• KCB M-PESA: KCB publishes a loan rate of 8.80% for the one-month term, so you repay KSh 5,440, an effective APR of about 107%.
• M-Shwari: Safaricom publishes a 7.5% loan fee plus 1.5% excise duty. You receive KSh 4,925 and repay KSh 5,375 within 30 days, an effective APR of about 111%.
• Fuliza: on a balance of KSh 5,000 you pay the 1% access fee of KSh 50 plus KSh 30 a day (KSh 25 daily fee and KSh 5 excise duty). Kept for 30 days, that is KSh 950 in charges, an effective APR of about 231%. Fuliza is cheap only when you clear it quickly: balances of KSh 1,000 or less get the first three days free.
• Loan apps: the tool shows a range from each app’s lowest to highest published APR. Tala, for example, publishes 109.5% to 219% a year, which on KSh 5,000 for 30 days is KSh 450 to KSh 900 in interest.

Where the Rates Come From

Fuliza charges are from Safaricom’s Fuliza tariff table, and the three free days come from Safaricom’s announcement with NCBA and KCB in September 2022. M-Shwari charges are from Safaricom’s M-Shwari page. The KCB M-PESA rate is from KCB Bank Kenya’s product page, which does not say whether excise duty is included. Hustler Fund terms are from the Fund’s personal loan page and FAQs. Loan app terms are what each lender publishes on its Google Play listing, as Google requires for personal loan apps. We checked them in October 2026, and the date is shown under every result.

Important Limits

• Your offer decides the price. Loan apps set your rate from your credit score. The range shown is what the lender publishes, not a quote. Before you accept, copy the cash amount and repayment total from the offer screen into “Enter my own offer”.
• Apps quote APR differently. Some publish interest only, others include service or processing fees. Branch, for instance, publishes a 6% processing fee on top of its APR range, and the tool adds it.
• Late payment costs more. Rollovers, extension fees and late fees are not included unless the lender publishes them as part of the standard price. Paying late can also lead to a negative listing with a credit reference bureau.
• Check the licence. Only borrow from apps licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya. Our list of CBK-licensed digital lenders shows who is on the latest directory.

How to Borrow More Cheaply

Borrow the smallest amount that solves the problem and repay as early as you can, because most charges grow with time. For a gap of a day or two, a small Fuliza balance can be the cheapest option. For a month, compare M-Shwari and KCB M-PESA with your Hustler Fund limit. If you are borrowing to cover lost income, a steadier fix is a new income stream: our partner site JobinKenya lists current jobs across Kenya.

Related Guides

• Cheapest loan apps in Kenya, sorted by published APR
• Fuliza charges explained and M-Shwari charges
• Hustler Fund loan calculator
• Loan apps in Kenya