10 Best Website Builders for Your Indonesian E-Commerce Store
Website builders like Wix, Shopify, SIRCLO, and WooCommerce, can be a great way to expand your e-commerce operations in Indonesia. Learn more about some of the best options in 2023, including the free online store builders, in this article.
Paid or free website builders can be a major upgrade to your online business if you’re used to selling through Indonesian online marketplaces. But should you choose major global players such as Wix and Shopify or Indonesian ones such as Sirclo and Majoo? Here we highlight the pros and cons of what the most popular online store builders have to offer, including HitPay.
Nowadays, having an online store can be more important than having a physical one. Worldwide, customers are getting more used to shopping online, and the same applies in Indonesia as well.
While primarily Indonesians tend to prefer online marketplaces such as Tokopedia or Shopee to shop for everything from toothpaste to gold bars, some brands thrive better outside of these platforms.
These brands usually have a strong social media following, offering unique and premium product value and competing beyond racing to be the cheapest. If you’re one of these brands (or want to become one), having an online store is one of the best investments to expand and streamline your business.
However, as you may know, the cost of having a good, e-commerce website isn't cheap.
That’s where website builders come in. These services require no coding experience and come with e-commerce functionalities straight out of the box. Most of them are far more affordable than building an entire website from scratch, and many of them are also designed to allow customers to pay directly through your website, securely.
There are many available selections in the market, including paid and free website builders, and we’ll discuss some of them in greater detail in this article. We’ll be focusing on Indonesia's most popular website builders, including some of the major local and international service providers.
1) Magento
Magento is one of the few platforms on this list that is built specifically for the needs of an e-commerce business. Today’s Magento comes in two versions: an open-source and a licensed version called Adobe Commerce, as Magento was acquired by Adobe in 2018.
Pros:
✅ Magento is built to scale; you can transition from its open-source version to a licensed one in the future as your business continues to expand
✅ Adobe Commerce offers powerful e-commerce website builder features that include centralized store management for multiple outlets and even on-site remarketing based on customer segmentation
Cons:
❌ The fee for Magento Commerce is the most expensive on this list, starting at USD 22,000 or IDR 330,000,000* for an annual running cost
❌ Magento doesn’t have as many template design and theme options compared to other e-commerce website builders on this list
*Note: All currency conversions in this article follow the exchange rate of USD 1 = IDR 15,000.
2) WooCommerce
Unlike the other selections on this list, WooCommerce is an e-commerce web plug-in; not a standalone platform. It is installed on WordPress, the world’s most commonly used CMS and website builder. That doesn’t mean that it’s any less powerful, however—just like Magento and Shopify, it is possible to sell digital products by using this service.
Pros:
✅ Because it is hosted on WordPress, your website won’t be an e-commerce first operation. This could make WooCommerce a good option for you if you’re running a service-based business where selling products is only one part of your business operations
✅ WooCommerce is open-source and does not cost anything to run
Cons:
❌ Does not support Indonesian payment methods (e.g. bank transfer, QR-code payment systems) natively; requires add-ons that require extra fees
❌ Extra transaction fees are incurred for each transaction that uses non-U.S. debit or credit cards
3) SIRCLO
SIRCLO is best known as Indonesia’s integrated e-commerce solution provider, but aside from their main service, SIRCLO also offers an online store builder platform through SIRCLO Store. Their service is similar to Magento, as it is an e-commerce platform first.
Pros:
✅ Lifetime free website builder available, although with limited features (e.g. no custom domain). Higher service tiers begin at IDR 375,000
✅ Designed for omnichannel e-commerce platform management, meaning that you can manage even your other online stores through SIRCLO Store, such as those in marketplaces like Tokopedia or Blibli
Cons:
❌ As it’s a pretty niche website builder, SIRCLO doesn’t offer many template and theme selections
❌ May not be suitable for businesses that do cross-border transactions, as the e-commerce experience is optimized for the Indonesian market only
4) Shopify
When it comes to website builders for e-commerce businesses, Shopify continues to be one of the top choices. It provides a comprehensive range of features and tools that make it easy to set up and manage an online store, including inventory management, payment processing, and marketing tools. Shopify uses a subscription model that starts at USD 25 (IDR 375,000*) per month or USD 228 (IDR 3,420,000*) paid yearly.
Pros:
✅ Provides a streamlined POS system that also tracks your offline transactions
✅ Supports Indonesian payment methods through third-party service providers (e.g. HitPay, iPay88, Doku, and Xendit)
Cons:
❌ Expensive subscription model that may not suit growing businesses
❌ Migrating from Shopify to other platforms isn’t as easy as it is with most
❌ Has its own coding language which is Ruby-based; which isn’t a common framework used by most Indonesian web developers, and might cause problems when you want to further customize it
5) Majoo
Majoo is a POS software first, but it also provides an online store that you can customize by yourself. This feature is available when you subscribe to their higher service tiers, which start at IDR 299,000 per month or IDR 2,988,000 paid per year.
Pros:
✅ Already integrated with a POS software that also tracks your offline transactions
✅ Supports all types of Indonesian payment methods, from bank transfers to credit cards
Cons:
❌ No website plug-ins and limited templates and themes
❌ Further website customization would require hiring a web developer
6) HitPay
HitPay is an all-in-one payment solution that gives you a free online store builder as part of its offerings. Unlike the other options on this list, HitPay uses a pay-per-transaction model, not a subscription-based one. HitPay’s website builder is simple to set up and requires no technical or coding experience. Also, there’s no need to pay extra for website hosting and domain management, as HitPay will manage these for you as well.
With HitPay, you can accept payment methods that are popular in Indonesia and other countries where we operate, including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Australia.
Pros:
✅ Free online website builder that comes with a built-in payment gateway
✅ Accepts Indonesian and international payment methods, from e-wallets (e.g. OVO and WeChat Pay) to BNPLs (e.g. Kredivo and AkuLaku)
✅ No monthly subscriptions and setup fees, only pay when you make a sale
✅ Free business software, including POS application, to help your business scale up
✅ Offers robust e-commerce features including the ability to add multiple discounts, and more
Cons:
❌ Currently, credit card terminals and Tap to Pay are not yet supported for payments in Indonesia
❌ The number of templates and themes available right now are limited compared to website builders like Wix or Squarespace
7) Wix
Wix is one of the world’s most popular website builders and has been around since 2006. Additionally, it is one of the few services on this list that allows you to build a website for free — hosting included, but not domain — which gives you a chance to get a taste of the basic features they offer before having to pay a subscription fee.
Pros:
✅ Wix’s e-commerce functionalities come at a very affordable price for an international website builder: around USD 17 per month or roughly IDR 255,000*
✅ Wix offers the widest range of third-party integrations and apps in this list, second only to WordPress overall
Cons:
❌ Wix does not yet accept Indonesian-specific payment methods (aside from Visa/Mastercard debit or credit card), such as bank transfer or QR Code payments
❌ Wix has its own coding language, which can make it difficult (and pricey) to find a developer if you want to customize your website further
8) Milkshake
Milkshake is a niche website builder that serves mostly Indonesian online stores that primarily use Instagram as their storefront. It is the most basic and easy website builder on this list but functions well as a counterpart to Instagram Shopping. If you’re looking for Shopify’s linkpop alternative—Milkshake can be a great choice.
Pros:
✅ Mobile-first; any website designed on Milkshake is intended to be viewed through mobile phones
✅ Lifetime free website builder available
Cons:
❌ Milkshake is not e-commerce optimized; it does not come integrated with any payment methods, Indonesian or otherwise, and has no POS system
❌ Very limited features, including a limit on the number of web pages that you could make
9) Olsera
Just like Majoo, Olsera is an Indonesian POS application that also offers an online store for their higher service tier customers. For Olsera, this feature is available starting at IDR 218,000 per month or IDR 1,688,000 per year.
Pros:
✅ Olsera’s POS system is available on all platforms, from desktop computers running Windows and Mac, as well as mobile platforms on iOS or Android, which means that it is already optimized for transactions through mobile as well for visitors to your website
✅ Accepts all Indonesian payment methods (e.g. GoPay, OVO, bank transfer)
Cons:
❌ Limited support for its website features, as it is a POS system first, not a website builder
❌ Does not accept international payment methods outside of debit or credit cards
10) Squarespace
Squarespace is a highly popular website builder, especially among the creatives. Just like Wix, it also comes with an e-commerce option and online store themes that come with features such as inventory management and payment processing. Prices for their e-commerce-optimized service start at USD 23 (IDR 345,000*) per month.
Pros:
✅ Premium award-winning templates and themes already included in the subscription
✅ 0% transaction fees available at higher service tiers
Cons:
❌ Does not support non-debit or credit card Indonesian-based payment methods
❌ Does not come integrated with merchandising features unless you subscribe to higher service tiers
Introducing HitPay — an all-in-one payment solution that comes included with a free website builder
Get a free online store builder when you use HitPay, a payment solution that doesn't require you to pay any setup or monthly subscription fees. HitPay’s website builder is simple to set up and requires no technical or coding experience. Also, there’s no need to pay extra for website hosting and domain management, as HitPay will manage these for you as well.
Unlike all the website builder options on this list, be it WooCommerce or Olsera, with HitPay you don't have to choose between accommodating the local market versus the international one. You can sell to Indonesian and overseas customers using our all-in-one payment solution, and accept payment methods that are popular in Indonesia and other countries where we operate, including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Australia.
Pros:
✅ Free online website builder that comes with a built-in payment gateway
✅ Accepts Indonesian and international payment methods, from e-wallets (e.g. OVO and WeChat Pay) to BNPLs (e.g. Kredivo and AkuLaku)
✅ No monthly subscriptions and setup fees, only pay when you make a sale
✅ Free business software, including POS application, to help your business scale up
✅ Offers robust e-commerce features including the ability to add multiple discounts, and more
Cons:
❌ The number of templates and themes available are currently limited compared to other website builders, but are in development
Widely used by small and medium-sized businesses throughout Southeast Asia, HitPay uses a pay-per-transaction model, which provides you greater flexibility in managing your business expenses. Developed with small business owners in mind, HitPay empowers entrepreneurs to sell their products or services in-person and online, while also facilitating business expansion across geographical boundaries.
See firsthand how HitPay can help your business. Schedule a free demo with HitPay today.