Cost index
Malaysian SME software cost index 2026.
This index shows what custom software costs a Malaysian SME in 2026, from Pali Studio's published rate card. A landing page starts at RM 900. A web app MVP in a standard configuration runs RM 10,000 to RM 13,600 over 2 to 4 weeks. Monthly plans start at RM 90. Every figure is computed by the pricing engine.
From Pali Studio's published rate card, 5 October 2026. Not market or visitor data.
What are the headline numbers?
- Lowest starting price (landing page)
- RM 900
- Web app MVP, standard configuration
- RM 10,000 to RM 13,600
- Web app MVP delivery, standard configuration
- 2 to 4 weeks
- Lowest monthly plan (Site Care)
- RM 90
From Pali Studio's published rate card, 5 October 2026. Not market or visitor data.
How much does each type of software cost?
Starting price and a standard configuration, priced by the calculator engine.
| Software type | Starting price | Standard range | Weeks (standard) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page | RM 900 | RM 1,400 to RM 2,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Website with CMS | RM 1,800 | RM 3,000 to RM 4,100 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Web app MVP | RM 4,500 | RM 10,000 to RM 13,600 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Multi-tenant SaaS | RM 9,000 | RM 20,400 to RM 27,700 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| ERP system | RM 3,600 | RM 4,700 to RM 6,500 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Mobile app | RM 4,500 | RM 9,700 to RM 13,200 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Desktop app | RM 4,500 | RM 12,100 to RM 16,500 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| AI and automation | RM 1,500 | RM 3,900 to RM 5,400 | 1 to 2 weeks |
Starting price and standard range by software type
Each row shows the published starting price as a tick and the standard configuration range as a bar, in ringgit.
Standard configuration per type
Landing page
- How many pages?
- 4 to 6 pages
- Who writes the words?
- I have text and photos
- Look
- Custom design
- Languages
- English and BM
Website with CMS
- What kind of site?
- Company site with CMS
- How many pages or templates?
- 9 to 15
- Moving content from an old site?
- Up to 30 pages or posts
- Look
- Custom design
- Languages
- English and BM
Web app MVP
- How many main features?
- 4 to 6
- Who uses it?
- 2 or 3 types
- Where is it used?
- Installable on phones (PWA)
- Data you already have?
- Spreadsheets to import
- Do you also need a website for it?
- No, the app is enough
- Look
- Custom design
- Languages
- English and BM
Multi-tenant SaaS
- How many main features?
- 5 to 8
- Who uses it?
- 2 or 3 types
- How do your customers pay you?
- Self-serve plans with trials
- Which platforms?
- Web, installable on phones
- Do you also need a website for it?
- No, the app is enough
- Look
- Custom design
- Languages
- English and BM
ERP system
- How many users?
- 21 to 100
- Where is your data now?
- Spreadsheets
- Where should it run?
- Online (cloud)
- Save on the build?
- Commit for 12 months
- Look
- Custom design
- Languages
- English and BM
Mobile app
- Which phones?
- Both
- How many screens?
- 11 to 20
- Who uses it?
- 2 or 3 types
- Do you also need a website for it?
- No, the app is enough
- Look
- Custom design
- Languages
- English and BM
Desktop app
- Which computers?
- Both
- How many main features?
- 4 to 6
- Who uses it?
- 2 or 3 types
- Where does the data live?
- Synced through the cloud
- Do you also need a website for it?
- No, the app is enough
- Look
- Custom design
- Languages
- English and BM
AI and automation
- What should run by itself?
- Reports and summaries
- How many workflows?
- 2 to 3
- How many tools does it touch?
- 3 to 5
- How many runs a month?
- 1,000 to 10,000
- Should a person approve first?
- Yes, an approval queue
- Languages
- English and BM
How much do monthly plans cost?
Published monthly prices; yearly billing where offered.
| Plan | Monthly | Paid yearly | Minimum term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site CareDesign and dev subscription | RM 90 | RM 900 | 3 months |
| MaintainDesign and dev subscription | RM 450 | RM 4,500 | 3 months |
| DevelopDesign and dev subscription | RM 900 | RM 9,000 | 3 months |
| Search CareSEO, AEO and GEO | RM 1,200 | Not offered | 3 months |
| Search GrowthSEO, AEO and GEO | RM 2,400 | Not offered | 3 months |
| Fractional CTO, 1 day a weekFractional CTO | RM 1,000 | Not offered | 3 months |
| Fractional CTO, 2 days a weekFractional CTO | RM 2,000 | Not offered | 3 months |
| Fractional CTO, 3 days a weekFractional CTO | RM 2,700 | Not offered | 3 months |
How are ERP module prices spread?
22 modules, each added to the ERP core. Median module: RM 750.
- Lowest
- RM 300
- 25th percentile
- RM 600
- Median
- RM 750
- 75th percentile
- RM 900
- Highest
- RM 1,500
| Module | Price | Extra weeks |
|---|---|---|
| SST | RM 300 | 0 |
| Documents | RM 450 | 1 |
| Fixed assets | RM 450 | 1 |
| Payments | RM 450 | 1 |
| Reports and BI | RM 600 | 1 |
| CRM | RM 600 | 1 |
| Delivery | RM 600 | 1 |
| Leave and claims | RM 600 | 1 |
| Service jobs | RM 600 | 1 |
| LHDN e-Invoice | RM 750 | 1 |
| Marketplace sync | RM 750 | 1 |
| Customer portal | RM 750 | 1 |
| Project costing | RM 750 | 1 |
| Purchasing | RM 750 | 1 |
| Sales | RM 750 | 1 |
| Inventory | RM 900 | 1 |
| Multi-company | RM 900 | 1 |
| Outlet POS | RM 900 | 1 |
| Staff app (iOS + Android) | RM 1,200 | 2 |
| Accounting | RM 1,500 | 2 |
| HR and payroll | RM 1,500 | 2 |
| Manufacturing | RM 1,500 | 2 |
What do real estimates show?
Figures from real estimates appear only where at least 30 stand behind them.
No figure has 30 real estimates behind it yet, so every number above stays in rate-card mode.
How does this compare with the wider market?
Third-party benchmarks, each with its source. Not part of this index.
| Benchmark | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Agency company website | RM 5,000 to RM 15,000 | AdvisoryApps website cost FAQ |
| Agency web app MVP | RM 30,000 to RM 100,000 | AdvisoryApps app cost FAQ |
| Senior developer salary, monthly | RM 9,000 to RM 15,000 | AJobThing salary guide |
| Freelance developer, hourly | RM 25 to RM 85 | Second Talent rate card: WordPress developers in Malaysia, local projects, junior to senior |
Methodology: how was this index calculated?
- Source: Pali Studio's published rate card (config/rates.json, version shown below, dated 5 October 2026), run through the same pricing engine as the public calculator.
- Starting price: the published base price of each software type, which is also the floor of any quoted range.
- Standard configuration: each single-choice answer is the option the rate card itself prices when a buyer says "not sure". Optional add-ons, integrations and a companion website are left out; the timeline is normal.
- Range: the engine quotes 15% below to 15% above the standard total, never below the starting price, shown in whole hundreds as in the calculator.
- Weeks: the engine delivery estimate for the standard configuration on a normal timeline.
- Real estimates: a figure from real calculator estimates is published only when its cell holds at least 30 estimates. Spam, test and preview data are removed, and no name, email or message is ever read.
- Prices are in Malaysian ringgit (RM). No SST is charged.
How do I cite this index?
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.
- Suggested citation
Built by Pali (Pali Studio). Malaysian SME Software Cost Index 2026, version 1.0, rate card of 5 October 2026. https://builtbypali.com/insights/sme-software-cost-index-malaysia-2026
- Version
- Version 1.0, rate card of 5 October 2026
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
Questions about the cost index
How much does custom software cost a Malaysian SME in 2026?
On this rate card a landing page starts at RM 900 and a standard web app MVP runs RM 10,000 to RM 13,600. The table lists every software type with its starting price, standard range and weeks.
Is this index based on a market survey?
No. Every figure comes from Pali Studio's published rate card and pricing engine. Third-party market benchmarks are shown separately, each with its source.
Why are the figures shown as ranges?
Scope changes the price. The range is what the calculator quotes for the standard configuration, and it never starts below the published starting price.
Can I reuse these figures?
Yes. The data is published under CC BY 4.0. Credit Built by Pali and link to this page; the CSV holds the same table.
When will figures from real estimates appear?
Automatically, once at least 30 anonymised estimates stand behind a figure. Until then that figure stays in rate-card mode and is labelled as such.