Hire Developer vs Outsource vs Agency Malaysia 2026: Mana Lebih Jimat?

# Hire Developer vs Outsource vs Agency Malaysia 2026: Mana Lebih Jimat?

Anda dah decide nak buat website atau system. Sekarang soalan seterusnya:

Siapa yang patut buat?

• Hire developer sendiri (in-house)?
• Outsource ke freelancer?
• Guna agency/company?

Setiap pilihan ada pros dan cons. Dan pilihan salah boleh kos anda puluhan ribu ringgit - sama ada bayar lebih, atau dapat hasil tak berkualiti.

Artikel ini breakdown semua option dengan kos sebenar di Malaysia 2026.

Quick Comparison

Sekarang mari breakdown setiap satu.

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Option 1: Hire In-House Developer

Kos Sebenar

Junior Developer (0-2 years experience): - Gaji: RM3,000-4,500/bulan

• EPF (13%): RM390-585
• SOCSO + EIS: ~RM80
• Equipment: RM3,000-5,000 (one-time)
• Software licenses: RM200-500/bulan
• Total tahun pertama: RM48,000-70,000

Mid-Level Developer (3-5 years): - Gaji: RM5,000-8,000/bulan

• EPF: RM650-1,040
• SOCSO + EIS: ~RM80
• Equipment: RM4,000-6,000 (one-time)
• Software: RM300-600/bulan
• Total tahun pertama: RM78,000-120,000

Senior Developer (5+ years): - Gaji: RM8,000-15,000/bulan

• EPF: RM1,040-1,950
• Full benefits package
• Total tahun pertama: RM120,000-220,000

Hidden Costs Yang Ramai Lupa

Bila In-House Masuk Akal

✅ Continuous development work - Ada kerja setiap hari

✅ Core product - Software/app adalah main business anda

✅ Long-term roadmap - Plan development 2+ tahun

✅ Sensitive data - Tak selesa data dengan outsiders

✅ Budget RM100k+/tahun untuk tech team

Bila BUKAN Pilihan Bagus

❌ One-off project (website, single system)

❌ Budget terhad (

❌ Tak tahu manage developers

❌ Uncertain workload

❌ Need multiple skills (frontend, backend, mobile)

Real Talk: The Management Problem

Ramai business owner ingat: "Hire developer, problem solved."

Reality: - Developer perlu direction - apa nak buat, macam mana

• Perlu code review - siapa check kerja dia?
• Perlu project management - deadlines, priorities
• Perlu technical decisions - architecture, tools

Kalau anda non-technical, anda essentially hire orang yang anda tak boleh evaluate kerja dia.

Common scenario: - Hire junior sebab murah

• Junior tak tahu best practices
• Build something yang tak scalable
• 2 tahun kemudian: "Kenapa system ni slow dan buggy?"
• Perlu rebuild from scratch

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Option 2: Outsource ke Freelancer

Kos Sebenar

Malaysian Freelancers (Upwork, Facebook groups): - Junior: RM30-60/jam atau RM1,500-4,000/project

• Mid-level: RM60-100/jam atau RM4,000-10,000/project
• Senior: RM100-200/jam atau RM10,000-25,000/project

Platforms: - Upwork, Fiverr: Wide range, need to filter

• Facebook groups: Hit or miss
• Referrals: Usually better quality

Pros

✅ Flexible - Hire bila perlu je

✅ No commitment - Project basis

✅ Cost-effective untuk one-off projects

✅ Access to specialists - Hire exact skill needed

✅ Fast start - Takde recruitment process

Cons

❌ Quality varies wildly - Ramai "developers" sebenarnya beginners

❌ Availability - Good freelancers selalu busy

❌ Communication - Timezone, responsiveness issues

❌ No continuity - Freelancer move on, anda stuck

❌ Limited accountability - Susah enforce kalau kerja tak siap

❌ Support? - Good luck lepas project "complete"

The Freelancer Gamble

Good scenario: - Find experienced freelancer

• Clear requirements
• Project done well
• Everyone happy

Bad scenario (more common): - Hire based on low price

• Freelancer overpromise
• Delays dan excuses
• Deliver something half-working
• Disappear bila ada issues
• Anda cari orang lain untuk fix

Risk Mitigation

Kalau nak guna freelancer:

1. Check portfolio carefully - Bukan just screenshots, actual live sites
2. Talk to past clients - Ask for references
3. Start small - Test dengan small task dulu
4. Clear contract - Scope, timeline, payment terms, ownership
5. Milestone payments - Jangan bayar 100% upfront
6. Source code escrow - Ensure anda dapat code

Bila Freelancer Masuk Akal

✅ Simple, well-defined projects

✅ One-time work (landing page, simple website)

✅ Specific expertise needed temporarily

✅ Budget RM2,000-10,000

✅ You can evaluate the work technically

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Option 3: Guna Agency/Company

Kos Sebenar

Small Local Agency (2-10 people): - Simple website: RM3,000-8,000

• Custom website: RM8,000-20,000
• E-commerce: RM10,000-30,000
• Web application: RM25,000-80,000

Mid-size Agency: - Add 30-50% to above prices

• More process, more polish

Big Agency/MNC: - 2-3x small agency prices

• Enterprise clients mainly

What You're Paying For

Pros

✅ Accountability - Company reputation at stake

✅ Process - Structured approach, documentation

✅ Team - Designer + developer + PM working together

✅ Support - Contractual obligation

✅ Consistency - Standard quality control

✅ Backup - Team, not individual

✅ Full service - Strategy to maintenance

Cons

❌ Higher cost than freelancer

❌ Less flexibility - Follow their process

❌ Longer timeline sometimes

❌ Communication layers - May not talk direct to developer

Bila Agency Masuk Akal

✅ Important projects - Website/system yang affect business

✅ Need reliability - Cannot afford project failure

✅ Non-technical - You need guidance

✅ Ongoing support needed

✅ Budget RM5,000+

✅ Want peace of mind

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Head-to-Head: Same Project, Different Costs

Project: E-commerce website dengan 100 products, payment gateway, basic inventory

In-House Approach

• Hire mid-level developer: RM6,000/bulan
• Time to complete: 3 bulan (including learning curve)
• Cost: RM18,000 + ongoing salary
• After project: Developer still on payroll doing... what?

Freelancer Approach

• Find freelancer: RM8,000-15,000 quoted
• Reality: 2 freelancers later (first one disappeared), RM18,000 total
• Time: 4 bulan (including finding replacement)
• Support: None
• True cost: RM18,000 + anda punya time

Agency Approach

• Quote: RM15,000
• Time: 6 minggu
• Includes: Design, development, testing, training
• Support: 3 bulan included
• Cost: RM15,000, delivered properly

For this specific project, agency is actually cheapest when you factor time and risk.

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Decision Framework

Ask Yourself:

1. Is this a one-time project or ongoing?

• One-time → Freelancer or Agency
• Ongoing → Consider In-house or Agency retainer

2. How critical is this to your business?

• Critical → Agency (lower risk)
• Nice-to-have → Freelancer (lower cost)

3. Do you have technical knowledge?

• Yes → Can manage freelancer
• No → Need agency guidance

4. What's your budget?

• RM5,000-30,000 → Small agency
• RM30,000+ → Agency or in-house consideration

5. What's your timeline?

• ASAP → Freelancer or small agency
• Flexible → Any option

6. How much risk can you tolerate?

• Low tolerance → Agency
• Can handle setbacks → Freelancer

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Recommendation by Business Size

Solopreneur / Side Business

Best option: Freelancer untuk simple work, small agency untuk important stuff

Budget: RM2,000-5,000

Focus: Get something working, iterate later

Small Business (1-10 employees)

Best option: Small local agency

Budget: RM5,000-15,000

Focus: Professional result, reliable support

SME (10-50 employees)

Best option: Agency atau in-house + agency hybrid

Budget: RM15,000-50,000

Focus: Quality, scalability, integration

Established Company (50+ employees)

Best option: In-house team + agency for specialized work

Budget: RM50,000+/year for tech

Focus: Control, speed, competitive advantage

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The Hybrid Approach

Most successful SMEs do this: 1. Agency for initial build - Get it done right

1. Train internal staff untuk basic updates
2. Agency retainer untuk major changes dan support

Why this works: - Professional initial build

• Internal ownership of day-to-day
• Expert help when needed
• Cost-effective long-term

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Red Flags for Each Option

In-House Red Flags

🚩 Hire junior to "save money" on critical project

🚩 No technical person to manage developer

🚩 Unclear what developer will do after project

Freelancer Red Flags

🚩 Price terlalu murah (too good to be true)

🚩 No portfolio atau portfolio suspicious

🚩 Want 100% payment upfront

🚩 Communication already difficult before start

🚩 Promise unrealistic timeline

Agency Red Flags

🚩 No portfolio atau case studies

🚩 Can't explain their process

🚩 Price terlalu rendah (cutting corners somewhere)

🚩 Pushy sales tactics

🚩 No clear contract

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Making Your Decision

Summary table untuk quick reference: | Situation | Best Choice |

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About Forward Genix

Kami small agency yang specialize dalam web development dan custom systems untuk SME Malaysia.

Why clients choose us over: vs Freelancer: - Team backup (tak depend on 1 person)

• Structured process
• Proper support
• Accountable company

vs Big Agency: - Direct access to developers

• Faster turnaround
• SME-friendly pricing
• Flexible approach

Our approach: - Understand your business first

• Recommend what you actually need (sometimes it's NOT us)
• Transparent pricing
• You own everything we build
• Support included

Services: - Website development: From RM3,500

• E-commerce: From RM8,000
• Custom systems: From RM15,000
• Ongoing support: Retainer packages available

Free consultation: - Discuss your project

• Get honest recommendation
• No obligation

Tak pasti mana option terbaik untuk situasi anda? WhatsApp kami. We'll give you straight answer - even if that answer is "you don't need us."