Head-to-Head Specification Audit
Paystack vs Shopify
Nigerian & African Businesses · Nigeria
Specification Matrix
| Metric | Paystack | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/moBetter | $29/mo |
| API Rate Limit | 300 req/minBetter | 2 req/min |
| Target Country | Nigeria | South Africa |
| Category | Payment Processing | E-Commerce Platform |
| Compliance (vendor-stated) | NDPA, CBN Licensed, PCI-DSS | GDPR, CCPA, PCI-DSS |
| Hosting Regions | NG-Lagos, GH-Accra, ZA-Johannesburg | US, EU, AU |
| Native Integrations | 5 listed | 7 listedBetter |
Paystack — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓Acquired by Stripe — a widely-used payment API serving African markets
- ✓Supports Nigerian bank transfers, USSD, Visa/Mastercard, and mobile money
- ✓Instant settlement to Nigerian bank accounts
- ✓Now available in Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Ivory Coast
Shopify — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓Storefront API supports headless commerce with any frontend framework
- ✓Checkout extensibility via UI Extensions — no more checkout.liquid hacks
- ✓Built-in ZAR currency support and PayFast/Peach Payments gateway integration
- ✓Webhooks for 50+ event types with automatic retry on delivery failure
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is lower-priced, Paystack or Shopify?+
Paystack starts at Free plan available, which is lower than Shopify at $29/mo. Verify current pricing on each vendor's website.
Which compliance frameworks do Paystack and Shopify list?+
Both list PCI-DSS in their vendor documentation. Paystack additionally lists NDPA, CBN Licensed. Shopify additionally lists GDPR, CCPA. These are vendor-stated frameworks. VektorIndex has not independently audited these claims.
Which has a higher documented API rate limit — Paystack or Shopify?+
Paystack has a higher documented API rate limit at 300 req/min versus Shopify at 2 req/min.
Which data hosting regions do Paystack and Shopify support?+
Paystack lists hosting regions: NG-Lagos, GH-Accra, ZA-Johannesburg. Shopify lists hosting regions: US, EU, AU. For data residency requirements in Nigeria, confirm exact region configuration directly with each vendor.
Data last updated: 29 August 2026 — Sourced from official vendor documentation. Not independently audited. Report incorrect information
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