Thinking of selling online? Between Shopee, TikTok Shop and having your own online store, Malaysian SMEs have more options than ever — and more confusion. This guide breaks down what an eCommerce website really costs in Malaysia, which platform fits your business, and the mistakes that quietly kill online stores.
Short answer: if you’re serious about your brand, yes. Marketplaces like Shopee and Lazada give you traffic but take commissions, control your customer data, and put you side-by-side with price-cutting competitors. TikTok Shop is powerful for impulse products but you’re renting the audience.
Your own store means: your brand experience, your customer database (for remarketing), better margins, and a business asset that grows in value. The smart play for most SMEs is marketplaces for reach + your own store for brand and repeat customers.
| Store Type | Typical Price (RM) | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Starter store (up to ~30 products, standard checkout) | RM8,000 – RM10,000 | First-time online sellers |
| Full eCommerce (custom design, filters, promotions, shipping rules) | RM10,000 – RM15,000 | Growing retail brands |
| Advanced (memberships, B2B pricing, multi-language, integrations) | RM15,000+ | Established businesses |
Ongoing costs to budget: hosting, domain, payment gateway fees (typically 1–3% per transaction), and maintenance.
Pros: you own everything, no monthly platform fee, unlimited customisation, works beautifully with local payment gateways (FPX via toyyibPay, Billplz, senangPay, iPay88, eGHL). Cons: needs proper setup and maintenance — this is where a good agency matters.
Pros: easy to run day-to-day, reliable hosting included. Cons: monthly fees in USD forever, transaction fees unless you use Shopify Payments, harder to customise deeply, and you’re locked into their ecosystem.
Our take: for most Malaysian SMEs who want FPX payments, local courier integrations and full ownership, WooCommerce wins on total cost over 3 years. Shopify suits businesses that prioritise simplicity over ownership.
We’re a website design company in Puchong, Selangor building custom eCommerce stores for Malaysian businesses — custom design (not templates), FPX and e-wallet payments, courier integration, SEO fundamentals, and training so your team can manage products and orders themselves. See our full website pricing guide for how eCommerce fits into overall website costs.
Tell us what you sell and we’ll recommend the right platform and give you an itemised quote — free. WhatsApp 012-377 6510 / 012-671 8739 or reach us via the contact page.
Our service is a huge component of every business. We help brands transform and move their businesses forward.
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