Choosing an e-commerce platform in Ghana: custom vs Shopify vs WooCommerce (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

In Ghana, the right platform choice comes down to three concrete criteria: native local payments (Mobile Money / Paystack), total cost over 3 years and scalability. Shopify is fast to launch but costly over time, WooCommerce is flexible but time-consuming to maintain, and custom costs more upfront but becomes the cheapest in use. The trap is choosing by trend rather than by calculation.

The three-solution comparison

Each solution has a different cost logic: monthly subscription for Shopify, hosting + plugins for WooCommerce, one-time investment for custom.

Often underestimated: on Shopify, if you don't use Shopify Payments, a 2 % commission is added to each transaction on top of the subscription.

Total cost over 3 years, the real judge

Upfront cost lies. What matters is the cumulative 3-year cost, subscriptions and transaction fees included. Here is a 2026 ballpark for a store with GHS 30,000 annual revenue.

Over 3 years the three converge, but custom adds native payments with no platform commission, full code ownership and unlimited scalability.

Senegal side: Shopify less competitive

In Senegal the trade-off shifts: Wave and Orange Money integrate poorly with Shopify, and outside Shopify Payments a 2 % fee applies. This strengthens the custom option, whose native Wave/OM payments carry no platform commission.

Mini case study

Akosua launches a home-decor store in Accra, projected GHS 35,000 annual revenue, 90 % encashed via MTN MoMo through Paystack. On Shopify at USD 79/month plus 2 % fees outside Shopify Payments, she'd pay about GHS 5,700 subscription plus GHS 700 transaction fees a year, i.e. GHS 6,400/year while never owning her code. On custom at GHS 15,000 plus GHS 500/month hosting, her year-1 cost is GHS 21,000, but from year 2 she only pays GHS 6,000/year with no platform commission. After 3 years both options meet around GHS 23,000-25,000, and custom leaves her an asset she owns.

FAQ

Does Shopify accept Mobile Money? In Ghana, yes, via the Paystack app fairly well; in Senegal, Wave/OM integration is weak and outside Shopify Payments a 2 % commission is added per sale. That's the main brake for the Senegalese market.

Is WooCommerce really free? The core is free, but hosting (GHS 250-750/month), payment plugins and maintenance have a real cost. Technical management time is often underestimated.

When is custom justified? As soon as native commission-free payments, code ownership and scalability matter, or when the store targets strong growth. Over 3 years its total cost meets subscription-based options.

Can I migrate from Shopify to custom later? Yes, but migration has a cost (products, customers, SEO to preserve). It's often simpler to choose well from the start based on your target volume.

Which to start small and fast? If the initial budget is tight and volume low, WooCommerce or Shopify allow a quick launch. Once revenue passes a few tens of thousands of GHS/year, custom becomes competitive and strategic.

Let's talk about your project. Together we'll compute the 3-year total cost of each option for your real volume. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.