TL;DR
While Malaysian-breed company Serverfreak is great, looking beyond Malaysian shores for the best hosting around doesn’t mean stiffer fees. Often, you’ll find more competitive rates, even in USD. Top choices like Hostinger and TMD Hosting bring the benefit of international standards and SOPs.
Hostinger
Hostinger has swiftly risen from its humble beginnings in 2004 to become a globally recognized web hosting powerhouse, known for its affordable, user-friendly services and innovative technologies like the proprietary hPanel. With a commitment to excellence and a rapidly expanding team, Hostinger continues to redefine the web hosting landscape, making it easier for users around the world to establish their online presence.
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Hostinger Pros
- Affordable pricing
- Nine different data centers in four continents
- Good spread of hosting plans
- User-friendly control panel (hPanel)
- Wide range of payment options accepted
- Git environment available on shared hosting
- Additional 7% discount with coupon code “HOSTSCORE”
Hostinger Cons
- Price increase during the renewal
- Does not support Windows hosting
TMDHosting
TMDHosting is a full-service host and offer the gamut of hosting types ranging from shared all the way to dedicated servers. Plans are reasonably priced and come with significant value-added features. The company operates from data centers in five continents including South America and Africa, which is not often seen in market.
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TMDHosting Pros
- Affordable pricing
- Choice of global data centres in six continents
- Easy-to-use centralized dashboard
- Free white glove migration
- Host unlimited websites in Business or Enterprise plans
- Outstanding customer support
- Reinforced DDoS protection for all shared hosting accounts
TMDHosting Cons
- Lowest shared plan does not support automatic backup
- Free domain has no privacy protection
- Price increase during the renewal
ScalaHosting
ScalaHosting has a full range of products including VPS hosting with its in-house built control panel, sPanel. The “Anytime Unconditional Money-back Guarantee” offered by the company transforms their offers into an irresistible proposition, particularly for those eager to experiment with their services without any financial risk.
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ScalaHosting Pros
- Outstanding hosting uptime and speed performance
- Affordable pricing
- Anytime unconditional Money-back Guarantee
- Automated backup with 7 restore points
- Generous offer in server resources – Even the lowest shared plan gets unmetered bandwidth and unlimited emails
- NVMe SSD storage for all shared hosting plans
- Innovative technology – SPanel, SShield, SWordPress
ScalaHosting Cons
- Price increase during the renewal
Chemicloud
A relatively new player in the web hosting scene, Chemicloud first emerged in 2016. Since then, they’ve been growing slowly but steadily. Part of that is their focus on increasing their capabilities alongside their customer base.
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Chemicloud Pros
- Excellent reliability and speed
- Dev-friendly packages available
- Well-priced
- Impressive customer support
Chemicloud Cons
- Lack of other business services
- Limited knowledge base
Nexcess
Capitalizing on the fully managed services market, Nexcess offers a relatively high-end range of application-specific hosting. That narrows down the field somewhat and enables them to survive in a highly competitive industry.
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Nexcess Pros
- Powerful hosting plans
- Application-centric hosting
- Outstanding documentation
- Outstanding documentation
Nexcess Cons
- Too expensive for most newbies
Fastcomet
While the brand may not be globally recognized, Fastcomet comes up aces when considering performance. It tacks along sterling support to bring it up to par with the best in the industry. If reliability is what you seek, look no further.
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Fastcomet Pros
- High-speed and reliable hosting
- Decent range of hosting plans
- Comprehensive support
- Excellent reputation
Fastcomet Cons
- Limited features on lower-priced plans
GoDaddy
One of the most outstanding and longstanding names in the hosting industry, GoDaddy is recognized worldwide. They truly know what it means by “it helps if you speak their language.” The brand is a safe choice, especially for beginners.
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GoDaddy Pros
- Easily navigable product range
- Relatively good pricing
- Some business-oriented service
- Good localization
GoDaddy Cons
- Cheap plans are skimpy on resources
- Limited knowledge base
Popular Malaysian Host to Avoid
Web hosting as a whole is a very wide industry and where pearls exist, so too do swine. You will find that most web hosts will put up a fairly professional front. However, once you’ve signed up, things will go downhill pretty quickly.
One strong example of this is Shinjiru, a web host that has plans specifically catering to the Malaysian market. On paper it all sounds good – local data center, all the right specs, and local currency.
When it comes to performance though, Shinjiru falls pretty flat. I hosted a number of sites with them for a couple of years and it was a horrific experience. The only reason I didn’t move away from them more quickly was that the sites I ran there were basically just burner sites for testing.
Now some of you may think it was due to the way I set up my sites, bad design, and so on. Let me show you something:
At the time I hosted with Shinjiru I was getting response times of over 4,000 ms (as you can see from the image, it occasionally stretched to an unbelievable high of 20,680ms). Once I shifted out, response times dropped to around 400ms.
I had spoken to the support staff at Shinjiru multiple times about the matter and received many responses. Almost all of them were on the gist of “our servers are fine, you need to upgrade your plan.”
If you have any other choice, avoid this hosting company like the plague.
Which Web Host is Right for Malaysian Websites?
Web hosting for Malaysia is at the moment something that is quite pivotal. As the country advances in digitization, it is quickly becoming a top regional competitor to neighbors like Singapore and Thailand. This applies to both service and infrastructure.
For those who actually live in the country or somewhere in the surrounding, it can also be difficult to look past the strong marketing of local web hosting companies. Hosting providers like Exabytes are especially aggressive in their quest for market share.
However, unless you have specific reasons to opt for a local web host, you will find that casting your net wider can reveal much better choices. HostScore actively keeps track of how well the servers of key web hosting providers perform and oftentimes, local hosting just isn’t worth it here.
Localization at What Cost?
Perhaps the biggest reason that many who decide to host locally have is pricing. There is a mindset that because local web hosting companies are charging in Malaysian Ringgit, they are bound to be cheaper than their US-dollar competitors.
This, however, isn’t really true.
There have always been a large number of web hosts around the world that offer varying costs of entry. For example, Hostinger, where you can get shared hosting for as little as $2.49/mo on an entry level plan. In contrast, the cheapest business hosting at Shinjiru starts at around $7.00/mo.
The problems with hosting locally don’t even end there. There are many other factors which need to be taken into account as well (we’ll discuss these further on). Suffice to say, if price is your biggest consideration, hosting locally isn’t always the ideal solution.
What Else to Look for in a Web Hosting Provider for Malaysia?
Unless there is a specific reason why you need your data to stay in Malaysia, there is only one other real reason to do so. The Malaysian government is offering to subsidize local companies that host locally as part of their efforts to support local players.
Perhaps the biggest appeal for digitization is the increased capacity to serve an international client base. This means perhaps working out of your comfort zone and looking at international service providers as well.
Once you do that you’ll find that in many cases, you will be able to get not just better speeds but sometimes even see advantages in features and support. All of this at rates comparable to local service providers or in some cases – cheaper.
Conclusion
While governments may be looking for ways to boost local economies, the Internet doesn’t quite work that way. Placing greater focus on performance and other factors will likely matter more. After all – Google doesn’t care where your data is, as long as your site is fast.
About Malaysia
Malaysia, established in September 16, 1963, is a Southeast Asian country comprised the territories of the Malay Peninsula, the island of Singapore, and the island of Borneo today. In August 1965 Singapore seceded from the federation and became an independent republic. Malaysia’s population in 2020 is estimated at 32.7 million with Selangor as the most poplous state (source).
Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, is home to the iconic, 451m-tall Petronas Twin Towers. Other major cities include Petaling Jaya (Selangor), George Town (Penang), and Johor Bahru (Johor).
Web Hosting Buyers FAQs
What makes a good web host?
Performance, security, customer support, and cost are the four main factors to consider when it comes to choosing a web host. Server response speed, reliability, scalability, backup and recovery capability, and website migration support are some key consideration factors.
What are the different web hosting types available in market?
Technically, there are four main types of web hosting: Shared, VPS, Cloud, and Dedicated Hosting. As user needs have evolved, hosting companies have adjusted their offers to meet specific user needs. Some common specialized hosting plans available in today’s market such as: Managed WordPress , WooCommerce, and Minecraft Hosting.
Which type of web hosting plan is right for me?
If you are unsure about your website requirements, it’s recommended to start with an affordable shared hosting plan. If you have outgrown your hosting, you can always upgrade to a higher plan, such as VPS or cloud hosting, later with same provider.
How do I choose the right web hosting provider?
Choosing the right web hosting provider depends on several factors, including: Performance requirements, server security, scalability, customer support, and budget. To learn more, please read our choose-a-host guide.
Can I switch web hosting providers later?
Yes, it is possible to switch web hosting providers if you find that your current provider does not meet your needs or if you find a better deal elsewhere. The process typically involves purchasing a new hosting plan, transferring your website’s files and database to the new server, and updating your domain’s DNS settings to point to the new host. Most reputable hosting providers offer migration services to assist with this process.
What is a domain name, and do I get one with my web hosting service?
A domain name is the address that people use to access your website on the internet, such as “www.example.com.” Many web hosting providers offer a free domain name registration as part of their hosting packages for the first year. After the first year, you will need to renew your domain registration annually at the market rate.
What is data transfer and storage space in web hosting?
Storage space is the amount of server space available to store your web files. Data transfer, is the amount of data allowed to be transferred between your hosting account and users.
