Written By
Daren LowUpdated On
April 22, 2024
The best website builders make it easy for anyone to create a professional website without technical expertise. We’ve evaluated and ranked these sitebuilder for Malaysians based on their editor, server performance, advantages, and limitations to help you find the right solution.
This article then expands on why website builder are essential as the world becomes more digitalized. We also explain how to choose the right sitebuilder, with special attention to website hosting and scalability. We also clarify the differences between website builders and hosting, what to do if your site outgrows a plan, and challenges on site migration. Finally, we name web hosts that include builders in their plans. Hostinger is our #1 pick as the best website builder.
Top 5 Website Builder Services For Malaysia
- Hostinger Website Builder – Best cheap website builder
- Wix – Best all purpose website builder
- Shopify – Best for eCommerce or online store
- Weebly – Best no-frills website builder
- Squarespace – Great for blogs and small online store
1. Hostinger Website Builder
https://www.hostinger.com
Coming in tops is Hostinger Website Builder – an excellent drag-and-drop website builder for beginners. Once on the market as ‘Zyro’, this builder was rebranded in February 2023 and now comes packaged into Hostinger’s web hosting plans. The good news is that Hostinger is one of the very best web hosts on the market, so you can expect only the best server speeds and uptime for your site. The downside is of course that if you’re already using another web host – you won’t be able to take advantage of this builder.
But how does Hostinger Website Builder itself fare?
Well, although it has fewer advanced features than some builders out there, to many folks this proves its greatest strength. While the industry focuses on offering ever increasing features, Hostinger keeps the focus on simplicity. Setting up your website is quick and straightforward since there aren’t overly-fancy design tools to distract you or complicate matters. If you’re looking to get your website up and running quickly – you’re all set.
What’s more, their combined Web Hosting and Website Builder plan starts from just RM13.36 per month! That means for a price of a standard website builder alone, you’re getting both the drag-and-drop tools to set up your website, and access to one of the best web hosts that money can buy.
Hostinger Website Builder Server Speed Test
| US (W) | US (E) | London | Singapore | São Paulo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2 ms | 3 ms | 3 ms | 3 ms | 1 ms |
| Bangalore | Sydney | Japan | Canada | Germany |
2 ms | 2 ms | 5 ms | 2 ms | 2 ms |
Average Speed: 2.5 ms – See full result
- Simplicity redesigned At a time when website builders are becoming increasingly complex due to maturity, Hostinger takes us quickly back to basics. The refreshingly simple website builder interface is easy to use and built with beginners in mind.
- eCommerce capable Although many website builders are eCommerce capable, Hostinger deserves a special mention in this area for two main reasons. The first of course is it’s low price of entry for this market segment. The second is the way it simplifies the eCommerce store concept, making it truly useful to everybody.
- Excellent supporting tools Hostinger Website Builder comes along with a number of free tools that I’m surprised nobody has bothered to look towards. The AI Writer, AI Heatmap, and Logo and Slogan Generators may be very rudimentary, but an excellent idea to incorporate. It gives Hostinger a much more user-needs centricity as a whole.
- Free images We all love freebies but when it comes to images, they’re really an indispensable part of website construction. Instead of you having to search for and risk copyright infringement with outside images, Hostinger Website Builder offers them for free. Like I said – user-needs centricity really comes to the fore.
The Downside: May be too basic for some
Hostinger Website Builder’s big strength is also its weakness – its features may not be enough for everyone. If you’re the type who has a very particular idea of what you want your website to look like, and you’d like to customize it down to a tee – you may find Hostinger Website Builder a little too simple to make your craziest, most creative dreams come true.
However, since the pricing is very attractive, we still feel this is the best option for anyone who wants a basic, great looking and fantastically performing website. It’s ideal for beginners. Not only does it get the job done fast – it performs impressively well.
Learn More About Hostinger Website Builder
- Read our detailed Hostinger Website Builder review to learn more!
- Visit our Hostinger Website Builder test site.
2. Wix
https://www.wix.com
Wix is one of the earlier modern website builders to establish itself and that shows in product maturity. It’s fast, solid, and comes jam packed with a whole lot of features.
However, all of this comes at a price and while our friends in the US or Europe won’t flinch, it can be painful to see the price converted from US dollars to Ringgit.
Still, if you can afford it, Wix is one of the best choices in the market and will offer a great user experience.
Wix Server Speed Test
| US (W) | US (E) | London | Singapore | São Paulo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
41 ms | 30 ms | 96 ms | 189 ms | 141 ms |
| Bangalore | Sydney | Japan | Canada | Germany |
237 ms | 173 ms | 124 ms | 30 ms | 108 ms |
Average Speed: 116.9 ms – See full result
- Wix sites are speedy Among all the website builders I reviewed, Wix has by far the best speed performance among them. True, this may not be your key consideration, but I would suggest otherwise. Once you’ve found a great website builder – you need to be able to host a fast site there. A slow site will ultimately affect your sales somehow or other.
- Powerful mobile editor As a website builder, Wix has a fantastic drag-and-drop interface but where it really impresses is what it calls its mobile editor. Malaysians are simply in love with their mobile devices and so are everyone else in the world. The Wix mobile editor lets you modify the mobile version of your site – right down to having it show a different layout compared to the full site. This is very useful and in today’s market is a top-notch selling point for Wix.
- The app market is useful Besides the standard features that it offers, Wix comes with a marketplace that lets you do all the things you might want or need. Add or remove them to give your site various features and you’ll find that you can have a very agile and thriving online business.
- Great marketing capabilities Building your site is only half the problem – how are you going to attract people to it? With SEO Management built into the fabric of Wix, that solves a big part of the problem. SEO is often one of the most difficult aspects of hosting a site that new owners face – and even many veterans. With Wix? Well, just click on their Wix SEO Wix and you’ll be guided through the steps to make it work.
The Downside: Your site is stuck with Wix
Given how powerful Wix is, it isn’t surprising that the company keeps a jealous eye on its customers.
If you’ve created your site with Wix, you can’t move your business elsewhere easily. Wix doesn’t allow customers to export their websites, so in essence you either start anew or stay with Wix forever.
Learn More About Wix
- Read our in-depth Wix review for more information!
- Visit our Wix test site.
3. Shopify
https://www.shopify.com
When it comes to eCommerce website builders, Shopify is so much more than your average bear. Unfortunately for Malaysians, it is also one of the most expensive in the market. Part of this is because of the focus on eCommerce.
If you’re planning to build an online store though, there’s no better partner than Shopify.
Shopify Server Speed Test
| US (W) | US (E) | London | Singapore | São Paulo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2 ms | 1 ms | 2 ms | 2 ms | 3 ms |
| Bangalore | Sydney | Japan | Canada | Germany |
2 ms | 1 ms | 70 ms | 2 ms | 2 ms |
Average Speed: 8.7 ms – See full result
- Great onboarding experience Rather than just let you dive into the site building game blindly, Shopify guides you along right from the beginning. Offering an intelligent site building process which you help along by answering a few questions, it gives you something to work with. Once you’re there, then you can explore all the tools it has to your leisure.
- Wide variety of third-party apps The Shopify gives you access to many third-party apps that can work with your online store. Although not done by Shopify themselves, they are approved for use on the platform. This means that you can very quickly and easily extend the functionality of your online store. Their apps are comprehensive and cover everything from standard newsletter creators all the way to managing exchanges and/or returns.
- Cross-platform capability Selling online through a store you own is one thing, but is it enough? Thanks to Shopify you can sell through multiple channels. From Point-of-Sales all the way to Facebook, reach out to customers like you never have before!
- Combine online with offline For those who already sell through brick and mortar stores, Shopify has an option for you to simply extend that business online. Their complete integration capability helps you merge your inventory and control all your sales channels at one – even from the physical store.
The Downside: Shopify Payments Not Available Locally
Sadly, Shopify payments with its zero commission rate isn’t available for Malaysian stores. If you want to run a shop you’ll have to work with a third-party payments processor. Luckily the Shopify payments ecosystem is strong, so you won’t be short of choice.
Learn More About Shopify
- Read our full Shopify review to find out more!
- Visit our Shopify test site.
4. Weebly
https://www.weebly.com
Weebly may start off from as low as RM20.50 per month but there’s a small catch. That price doesn’t apply to eCommerce sites. If you want to run an online store, you’ll need to buy into Weebly at one of its higher-priced plans which start at RM49 per month.
Weebly Server Speed Test
| US (W) | US (E) | London | Singapore | São Paulo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2 ms | 76 ms | 133 ms | 171 ms | 198 ms |
| Bangalore | Sydney | Japan | Canada | Germany |
238 ms | 143 ms | 111 ms | 76 ms | 144 ms |
Average Speed: 129.2 ms – See full result
- Great feature-packed editor With 50 themes in its stable, you can get started quickly on Weebly. This is an area in which this website builder really shines. The term ‘drag and drop’ is very literal and you can use this to add almost anything to your site. From simple text blocks to complex rich media – everything is there.
- Responsive and totally mobile With the basic feature being mobile responsiveness of their sites, I say that Weebly has gone far above and beyond in this area. Aside from a mobile editor they have a complete mobile app to benefit its users as well. The app is so powerful that you can virtually build your site from your mobile device.
- Awesome app centre Here is where the beginners in website builders drop out and champions like Weebly shine. It offers you not just its own features, but the features of a ton of other developers. Extend your site functionality with add-on tools covering a massive eCommerce market. There’s everything from simple analytics to advanced marketing available.
- Bonus extras Malaysians simply love freebies and that’s what comes with each Weebly plan. All paid plans come with a free domain. There are also lots of free apps on their App Marketplace that offer fantastic features such as MarketGoo which gives you free SEO analysis reports on your site.
The Downside: Speed is a little wonky
Although Weebly managed a strong A+ rating overall in our Bitcatcha speed test, we were a little disturbed that response rates are good for US sites but drop the further away it gets.
For Malaysians sites targeting local traffic this isn’t ideal but if you’re looking to cater to international traffic it’s fine.
Learn More About Weebly
- Read our complete Weebly review.
- Visit our Weebly test site.
5. Squarespace
https://www.squarespace.com
With a starting price point of RM49 per month, Squarespace certainly isn’t the cheapest on this list and is certainly pricey for the Malaysia market.
However, it does perform exceptionally well and is a great resource for someone who wants everything they need to create a professional-looking site in one place.
Squarespace Server Speed Test
| US (W) | US (E) | London | Singapore | São Paulo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
39 ms | 26 ms | 95 ms | 210 ms | 130 ms |
| Bangalore | Sydney | Japan | Canada | Germany |
306 ms | 248 ms | 151 ms | 45 ms | 89 ms |
Average Speed: 133.9 ms – See full result
- Great Asia performance Malaysians will be especially happy to learn that Squarespace sites perform just as well from any corner of the globe. Speed was of course slightly slower than tests from US-based servers but overall, 151 ms from Japan isn’t anything to be sneezed at.
- Excellent starting choices One of the most appealing things about website builders is not just the ability to create sites with less effort, but also to get going quickly. With over 60 designer templates to start off with, you can bet that you will hit the ground running with Squarespace.
- Drag and drop goodness Not only does Squarespace have that drag and drop interface that’s key to a fluid site building experience but you can customize the exact location of elements. This gives you great control over your website and is markedly different from website builders that limit your element locations to certain ‘blocks’ that are pre-set.
The Downside: It’s pay all the way
Although you can sign up for a free account with Squarespace, there’s no free meal here. All sites that are built must convert to paying accounts before you can start using those sites. If you don’t convert to a paying account your site will expire after some time, rendering it useless.
Did I also mention that it starts from RM49 a month? Quite a fee once you’ve converted that into Malaysian Ringgit.
Learn More About Squarespace
- Read our Squarespace review.
- Visit Squarespace official page for more information.
Overcoming Localization
The biggest obstacle to overcome for Malaysian website owners is overcoming the mindset of localization. Once you get past the border barrier, you’ll discover that there are thousands of web hosting options available across the globe – offering products that are better, faster, or even cheaper than what you find locally.
Similarly, the world of website builders today has its own set of challenges.
In the past, many people were using them to rapidly build websites. Yet today the challenge has moved more towards the eCommerce front. Thanks to the age of digital, borderless trade is booming and even small businesses can compete on the international stage.
Rather than spend on outsourcing, small businesses have the option to extend their capabilities on their own – thanks to tools like eCommerce enabled website builders. Now you can not only build websites, but turn them into full online stores, in some cases even with complete inventory control.
Taking that into account, do you know what your needs are as well as what’s available for you in the global arena? There are many factors you may need to consider, ranging from price all the way to unique features.
Why Malaysians Should Look Towards Website Builders
Website builders are extremely useful tools because they allow those with little to no technical expertise the chance to build their own websites. This can be done quickly and easily with as little effort as using a word processor.
For Malaysians, an especially good bonus point is that prices are usually little more than what you would pay for web hosting in the first place. This of course varies quite a lot depending on which website builder you end up choosing.
1. Working past the Malaysian Ringgit
There isn’t really a way to put this nicely, but it’s simply a fact that we live in Malaysia and transact in Ringgit.
The Ringgit is still quite weak against the US dollar and mentally, when we do a conversion the final price of overseas services freaks many of us out.
Yet in terms of websites, especially websites built for a commercial purpose, remember that you can also expand your business beyond our borders. By working for and earning overseas currencies we can basically negate the difficult conversion rate and pull in US dollars instead.
2. Challenging availability of local resources
There are several local web hosting companies that are focused on business here, but no real entity that provides a custom website builder for the local market. Yes, some companies such as Exabytes offer website builders, but if you’ve ever tried those out comparatively, most fall short.
Website builders are expensive to design and need to be tested extensively. Because of that, unless they are sold on a global basis the cost becomes too prohibitive for any single country market to support.
There are also more limitations once you build everything down to a country level, especially if you’re considering specifics such as data housing regulations and country-specific taxes.
Because of that, it is better to work with the performance and features of a global partner.
3. Expensive or unskilled developers
Having overseen the website development process of several companies here, I’ve unfortunately become all too aware of the challenges.
From thousands of freelancers hawking their wares to professional web development companies that charge exorbitant fees, your website could cost as little as perhaps RM300 all the way to over RM80,000 depending on whom you work with and what you need.
The most painful part of all this is that you’re working with very little available knowledge of the community of developers. Finding the right fit can become a challenge and at the end of the day, you’re meeting with an even half dozen simply so that you can say you’ve carried out your ‘due diligence’ in case something goes wrong.
Rather than go through all of this with multiple question marks in the air, why not contemplate using the power of a website builder? Yes, if your system is overly complex you might need some help, but many website builders are highly community driven, meaning there is help available.
You will also be free to have complete control over any changes in the development process easily, since everything is very modular.
4. Easiest DIY option
Although using WordPress and getting your own hosting can be a viable option, website builders are still an easier option. Mastering WordPress can take some time and the numerous plugins available aren’t necessarily all the best quality. Finding the best web hosting will be another endeavour that will take time, research and of course, money.
For rapid site development there is still nothing that compares with most of these purpose-specific website builders. It gets even better when you consider the fact that they come with hosting and generally all the other tools you’ll need to quickly build your website.
Our top 5 website builders for Malaysia are veterans to the game and have proven themselves to be able to support anything from individual small sites to massive corporate accounts.
What Makes A Good Website Builder For Malaysia?
The problem with assessing website builders is that although the basic premise of each is the same, all of them have their own focal points.
In general, users also have their own specific needs, so it is more a matter of going back to basics and what makes more sense from a utility standpoint.
If we heard back to basics, there are general parameters that (like it or not) all website builders need in order to even get their foot in the door.
Once that is taken into consideration from the user standpoint, we also assess how compatible those features are with global requirements, for example mobile speed capability.
Finally, there are the ‘Notable Extras’ that tend to make a key difference. These are features that are hard to find elsewhere or otherwise help a brand to stand out.
- Speed Speed is the lifeblood of any website, from personal blogs to massive online stores. It affects so many things that it simply must be one of the key requirements in any host. Website builders not only help you create your websites, but also act as your hosting platform – affecting your website speed.
- Ease of use A tool is only as useful as its ability to be wielded. The most powerful website builder in the world is useless if it isn’t user-friendly enough to be used without too much of a learning curve. Ideally, it should offer mainstream features in website development but be so simple to use that instructions shouldn’t be necessary.
- Mobile support The world has gone mobile and even search engines like Google are placing enhanced focus on mobile friendliness. Website builders should at the very least be able to offer you the opportunity to make your website mobile friendly.
- eCommerce features One of the most important elements of an online store is the ability to process transactions. After all, without them there is no real eCommerce, right? Yet not all transaction processing is equal, and they come at various costs to the site owner.
- Price & Notable extras Not all site needs are equal and as such, there are often subtly different features which one offers over another that distinguishes it. Of course, a big focus is also on price, primarily due to our weaker local currency.
Does a Website Builder Provide Website Hosting?
Yes, a website builder provides website hosting as part of its service. Most website builders, like Wix or Squarespace, bundle hosting with their website building tools. This means users do not need a separate hosting provider, and their website automatically goes live on the website builder’s servers once it is published.
Website Builder vs Website Hosting: What’s the Difference?
The difference between a website builder and website hosting lies in their purpose. A website builder provides tools that enable users to create and customize websites without coding. Website hosting stores the website’s data and makes it accessible online.
What if My Website Outgrows My Website Builder Plan?
You can upgrade to a higher-tier website builder plan if your website outgrows its current plan. Most website builders offer tiered plans with increasingly more features, storage, or bandwidth to accommodate growing websites.
Can I Create a Website on a Website Builder and Host It Separately?
No, you cannot create a website on a website builder and host it separately. Website builders like Wix, Squarespace, or Weebly integrate website hosting as part of their service, meaning websites created on their platforms must remain hosted on their servers.
Can I Migrate a Website Hosted on a Website Builder to Another Web Host?
Yes, you can migrate a website hosted on a website builder to another web host. However, the migration processs is highly impractical as website builders disallow exporting the website design and features, except for content like texts and images of the website. This means you need to rebuild the website on the new web host to achieve total migration, making the process time-consuming and inefficient.
Are There Web Hosts Offering Website Builder in Their Plans?
Yes, there are web hosts that offer website builders in their plans. You can find website builders included for free in hosting servics from popular web hosts such as Hostinger, HostGator, and Bluehost.
Verdict: Which Website Builder Should I Go For?
Let’s recap our top 3 website builders for Malaysian websites:
| Hostinger | Wix | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Server Speed | A+ | A+ | A+ |
| Overall Rating | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Price (MYR/MO) | RM13.36 | RM70 | RM119 |
| See all features |
As I mentioned earlier, the biggest obstacle to overcome in the context of Malaysian sites is localization. Yes, that means location and hence, price. We are also often tempted to work with local companies because they’re accessible to us.
This needs to be overcome if we’re to compete on the global stage. Working with a remote partner, whether they are a company here in the country or beyond our borders shouldn’t be a challenge. Instead, I urge you to look past that and for a change, compare them in terms of features and performance.
Pricing with online companies is also often in US dollars and this is not great for us because of conversion rate to Malaysian Ringgit. However, remember that we will also be selling internationally and earning in the same US dollars. This should help narrow the gap a little bit.
Ultimately, earning those dollars means you’re competing with everyone else in the world – in speed, functionality, access and a thousand more points. Find a good partner that can do that with you and you’ll be clearing the path to a successful business.