ISP Billing Software in Kenya: A Practical 2026 Comparison
An honest comparison of ISP billing software options for Kenyan operators in 2026, covering Cortex AutoBill, Splynx, Radius Manager, MikroBill, and custom builds — with a focus on M-Pesa, MikroTik, and KES pricing.
Choosing billing software for a Kenyan ISP in 2026 is harder than it looks. The global market is full of options — but most of them were built for European or North American operators, where M-Pesa doesn't exist, MikroTik is a niche choice, and billing in local currency is the default. This guide gives an honest assessment of each realistic option for a Kenya-based operator.
What a Kenyan ISP billing system must do
- Accept M-Pesa payments natively (STK Push + C2B paybill) without a third-party plugin
- Automate MikroTik PPPoE subscriber management via the RouterOS API
- Send SMS notifications via a local provider (Africa's Talking preferred)
- Bill in Kenyan Shillings — not USD, EUR, or any other currency
- Handle grace periods, credit balance, and overpayments
- Provide EAT (East Africa Time) business-hours support
Option 1: Cortex AutoBill
Cortex AutoBill is the only billing platform built specifically for Kenyan ISPs. M-Pesa STK Push, C2B paybill, MikroTik PPPoE automation, Africa's Talking SMS, grace periods, credit balance management, and multi-tenancy are all native features — not add-ons. Pricing is in KES, support runs on EAT, and the platform was designed with Kenyan realities in mind from day one.
Pricing: from KES 15/client/month
Option 2: Splynx
Splynx is a comprehensive European ISP billing platform with strong MikroTik support. M-Pesa integration exists but requires a third-party payment gateway — typically adding KES 2–5 per transaction on top of Splynx's per-client USD fee. Support runs on EU hours. For large ISPs that primarily bill in USD or EUR (corporate clients, international wholesale), Splynx is a solid choice. For a typical Kenyan residential operator, the M-Pesa friction and USD pricing add up fast.
Pricing: ~$2–5/client/month (USD)
Option 3: Radius Manager
Radius Manager is a legacy Windows-based billing system widely used in Africa. It has good MikroTik support through RADIUS, but has no native M-Pesa integration, no modern UI, no multi-tenancy, and relies on community forums for support. The one-time license model ($200–400) looks attractive upfront, but ongoing customisation costs and the lack of active development make it expensive in the medium term.
Pricing: $200–400 one-time license
Option 4: MikroBill
MikroBill is a popular African billing tool with solid PPPoE/RADIUS support. M-Pesa integration is available but requires manual configuration and is not as seamless as a native integration. Multi-tenancy is not supported, and the audit trail is limited. A reasonable choice for a single-operator ISP that doesn't need M-Pesa automation or multi-tenancy.
Option 5: Custom PHP Build
Many Kenyan ISPs that started early built their own PHP billing system — or hired a developer to do it. The result is usually a system that works for the current scale but becomes a liability as the ISP grows. M-Pesa integration requires Daraja API certification and maintenance, MikroTik automation requires RouterOS API expertise, and the system is only as maintainable as whoever built it.
Summary comparison
- Native M-Pesa: Cortex AutoBill ✅ | Splynx ⚠️ | Radius Manager ❌ | MikroBill ⚠️ | Custom ❌
- MikroTik PPPoE: All options support this
- Africa's Talking SMS: Cortex AutoBill ✅ | Others ❌
- Multi-tenancy: Cortex AutoBill ✅ | Others ❌
- KES pricing: Cortex AutoBill ✅ | Others ❌
- EAT support: Cortex AutoBill ✅ | Others ❌
Bottom line: if your subscribers pay primarily via M-Pesa and you operate on the Kenyan market, Cortex AutoBill is the only purpose-built option. Every other platform requires workarounds that add cost and complexity.
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