Squarespace makes some of the best looking websites on the internet. For a Ghanaian merchant there is a problem that comes before design, before features and before price.
Your customers mostly cannot pay you.
That is not an exaggeration, and it is worth understanding properly before you spend a weekend building a beautiful store.
The Payment Problem
Squarespace Commerce works with exactly two payment processors: Stripe and PayPal. There are no others, and you cannot connect Paystack or a local gateway.
Stripe does not operate in Ghana for merchants. Stripe's coverage across much of Africa is powered by Paystack, and Squarespace does not support that route. So Stripe is out.
That leaves PayPal, and only PayPal.
Think about what that means for a shop selling in Ghana. No MTN MoMo. No Telecel Cash. No AirtelTigo Money. No local card payments. No payment on delivery. Your customer either has a working PayPal account or they cannot buy from you.
For the overwhelming majority of Ghanaian shoppers, that is the end of the sale.
The Short Answer
| Strawlo | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | GHS 60 | about GHS 312 (Core) |
| Charged in | Ghana cedis | US dollars |
| Mobile money | Built in | Not possible |
| Local cards | Yes | Not possible |
| Payment on delivery | Built in | No |
| Payment options in Ghana | MoMo, card, on delivery | PayPal only |
Squarespace prices converted at roughly GHS 11.56 to the dollar in September 2026.
What Squarespace Costs in Cedis
| Plan | Monthly (USD) | Monthly (GHS) | Annual (USD/mo) | Store fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $19 | about GHS 220 | $12 | 2% |
| Core | $27 | about GHS 312 | $17 | 0% |
| Advanced | $36 | about GHS 416 | $25 | 0% |
Note the Basic plan charges 2% on every online store sale on top of the subscription. To avoid that you need Core, about GHS 312 a month.
| Strawlo plan | Monthly | Yearly | Platform cut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business | GHS 60 | GHS 650 | 0% |
| Business+ | GHS 150 | GHS 1,500 | 0% |
Strawlo Business+, with unlimited products and three stores, is less than half the price of Squarespace Core, and it can actually take a mobile money payment.
What the Fee Actually Is
Worth stating clearly because the percentages can blur together.
Strawlo takes 0% of your sales, on every plan. You pay the subscription and nothing more.
Paystack is the payment processor. It is the service that moves the money from your customer's mobile money wallet or card into your bank account, and its 1.95% is what that costs. It is not a Strawlo commission. The sale lands in your account and Strawlo takes nothing out of it.
Squarespace's 2% on the Basic plan is a genuine platform cut, charged by Squarespace on top of whatever PayPal charges to process the payment.
Paying in Dollars
Squarespace bills in US dollars, which for a Ghanaian merchant means the price moves with the cedi, your card needs international transactions enabled, and a declined renewal can take your site offline.
Strawlo is priced in cedis and you can pay with mobile money.
Where Squarespace Is Genuinely Better
If any of the following is true, Squarespace may still be right for you.
Design is the whole point. Squarespace templates are excellent and the editor produces genuinely beautiful sites with little effort. Nothing here competes with that.
You are selling to customers abroad. If your buyers are in the US, UK or Europe, PayPal is normal for them and the payment problem largely disappears.
You are a creative business. Photographers, designers, studios and writers get portfolios, galleries and content tools that a commerce platform does not try to match.
You are selling services or bookings. Appointments, classes and consultations are well supported.
Selling is secondary. If the site is mainly a presence and a few sales are a bonus, the payment limitation matters less.
Where Strawlo Is Better for Ghana
Your customers can actually pay. MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AirtelTigo Money, local cards and payment on delivery, all working from the first day.
Payment on delivery is built in. Still how many Ghanaian customers prefer to buy from a shop they have not used before, and it simply does not exist on Squarespace.
Priced in cedis, payable by mobile money, with no exchange rate to watch.
WhatsApp is part of the product. Message every past customer from your own number with WhatsApp broadcast, and follow up orders that were never completed.
It runs from your phone. The full dashboard, which matters because most Ghanaian merchants run their business from a phone.
Delivery built for here, with local address capture and order tracking rather than international carrier integrations.
Support that knows the market, so questions about MoMo settlement and local delivery are routine rather than unusual.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Strawlo if you are selling products to customers in Ghana. The payment question settles it before anything else is considered.
Choose Squarespace if your customers are mostly overseas and comfortable with PayPal, or the site is a portfolio and presence first with selling as a secondary function.
There is also a reasonable middle path. Some businesses keep a Squarespace site for their brand and portfolio, and use Strawlo for the shop, linking from one to the other. You get the design you want and a checkout your customers can actually use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I accept mobile money on Squarespace in Ghana?
No. Squarespace supports only Stripe and PayPal, Stripe does not cover Ghana for merchants, and Squarespace does not support Paystack. Mobile money is not available.
Can I use Paystack with Squarespace?
No. Squarespace does not support Paystack as a payment processor, which is why Ghanaian merchants are left with PayPal only.
So is Squarespace useless in Ghana?
Not useless, but not suitable as a shop selling to Ghanaian customers. It remains a strong choice for a portfolio or brand site, or for selling to overseas customers who use PayPal.
Does Strawlo take a percentage of my sales?
No, 0% on every plan. Paystack's 1.95% is the processing cost of moving money from your customer to you, and it is not a Strawlo commission.
What does Squarespace's 2% fee apply to?
Online store sales on the Basic plan. Upgrading to Core removes it, which is why Core at about GHS 312 a month is the realistic starting price for selling.
Can I keep my Squarespace site and still use Strawlo?
Yes. Plenty of businesses keep a designed site and link to a Strawlo store for the actual buying. Your customers get a checkout that takes mobile money and you keep the site you like.
What about free trials?
Strawlo gives you 7 days free plus a 30-day money-back guarantee. Squarespace gives a 14-day trial with no card required.
Start With the Checkout
Before comparing templates or feature lists, ask one question. When a customer in Accra wants to buy from you, what do they tap?
On Squarespace the answer is PayPal, and for most Ghanaian shoppers that is not an answer at all.
On Strawlo it is mobile money, a card, or payment on delivery. Try it free for 7 days and take a real order.
Prices correct as of September 2026, converted at about GHS 11.56 to the US dollar. Squarespace pricing is set in dollars, so the cedi figures move with the exchange rate.
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