If you run a restaurant or any food business in Ghana, you have probably asked yourself which delivery platform deserves your menu. Bolt Food has the name. Chowdeck is the new energy in Accra. And Dingo is the one quietly letting restaurants keep every cedi they earn.
So let's compare them honestly, with real numbers, and help you decide what fits your business.
The quick answer
Bolt Food and Chowdeck are marketplaces: they bring customers, but they take a share of every order. Bolt's commission in Ghana is around 20%, and delivery apps commonly take 20 to 30% once you count everything. Dingo works differently: it charges zero commission on every order, your store page and WhatsApp selling AI are free forever, and the Pro plan (GH₵250/month) adds a custom website plus Instagram and Facebook selling.
Keep reading for the full math, because the difference is bigger than most owners realise.
Meet the three platforms
Bolt Food is the food arm of Bolt, the ride company. It has strong brand recognition in Accra and a steady stream of hungry customers who already have the app installed.
Chowdeck is the Nigerian star that chose Ghana as its first step outside Nigeria, launching across areas like Osu, East Legon and Madina. It is young, fast, and growing quickly.
Dingo is the Ghanaian platform built on a different idea: instead of renting you customers, it gives you your own online store, ready in about 3 minutes, with an AI assistant that sells for you on WhatsApp. You get found, you take orders, and you keep the full amount.
The commission math that changes everything
Let's use a modest kitchen doing GH₵2,000 in orders every week, which is GH₵8,000 a month:
| Bolt Food (approx.) | Chowdeck (approx.) | Dingo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission | around 20% | around 20 to 30% | 0% |
| What leaves your pocket monthly | about GH₵1,600 | about GH₵1,600 to 2,400 | GH₵0 |
| Monthly cost of your online store | included, but rented | included, but rented | Free plan, or GH₵250 on Pro |
That GH₵1,600 every month is not a small thing. In a year, it is nearly GH₵20,000, enough to buy a new oven, pay a chef, or cover rent. On Dingo, even if you upgrade to Pro for the custom website, your entire year costs GH₵2,400. One number feeds your business; the other feeds somebody else's.
Who actually owns the customer?
This is the part nobody puts on a flyer. When a customer orders through a marketplace app, the relationship belongs to the platform. They see your food, but the app keeps their details, their order history, and their loyalty.
On your own Dingo store, the customer is yours. Their orders, their number, their buying pattern. You can greet them on WhatsApp status when you have a new dish, message them when their favourite is back, and build the kind of relationship that turns a one-time buyer into a regular. Our guide on how to move your restaurant off Bolt Food walks through this properly.
Remember what happened to Jumia Food and Glovo
If you think a platform is forever, remember the recent history of Ghana's delivery scene. Jumia Food shut down. Glovo packed up and exited the country. Today it is Bolt Food and Chowdeck at the top, but yesterday's leader is not guaranteed tomorrow.
Restaurants that built their whole business on one app felt that pain. The platforms are useful, but they come and go with market forces you cannot control. Your own store, your own customer list, and your own WhatsApp relationships survive every market change.
So which one should you use?
Honest verdict? They are not equally useful for every goal:
- For pure discovery, marketplaces work. New customers scroll those apps daily, and being listed there can bring orders you would never have seen.
- For your margins, Dingo wins without a fight. Zero commission means every cedi stays with you.
- For the long term, you need a channel you own. An app listing can vanish; your customer list cannot be taken from you.
Many smart restaurants do both: they keep a marketplace listing for new eyes while growing their direct orders on Dingo, then let the direct side take over as it grows.
Frequently asked questions
Does Dingo really take zero commission?
Yes. Dingo's own pricing page says it plainly: all plans include 0% commission on orders, and you keep everything you earn. You only pay if you choose a paid plan for extras like a custom website.
Is the free plan actually free, or is there a catch?
The Free plan is GH₵0 forever. It includes your Dingo store page, WhatsApp selling AI, a POS system for in-person sales, unlimited orders, and a channel on the Dingo shopping app. No credit card games.
What is the WhatsApp selling AI?
It is an assistant that answers your customers on WhatsApp automatically: prices, availability, recommendations, and it can take the order and send a payment link, all inside the chat, day and night. We explain it fully in AI That Sells for You.
Can I use Bolt Food and Dingo together?
Absolutely. Many restaurants keep their Bolt listing for discovery while moving their regulars to direct orders on Dingo. Every order that comes direct is money that stays in your pocket.
Ready to keep 100% of every cedi?
Set up your Dingo store at madingo.store, claim your shop name, and let the AI start selling while you focus on the food. It takes about 3 minutes, and the free plan costs nothing forever.