Laptop Leasing vs Buying for Malaysian Startups: 2026 Cost Comparison

Laptop Leasing vs Buying for Malaysian Startups: 2026 Cost Comparison

For a bootstrapped Malaysian startup, every ringgit allocation decision carries weight. Laptops are unavoidable — even the leanest software or services business needs reliable hardware for every team member. The question is not whether to spend money on laptops, but how to structure that spend to preserve cash flow while keeping your team productively equipped.

This guide gives you an honest, numbers-based comparison between leasing, buying outright, and the increasingly popular third option: buying plus a structured maintenance and repair agreement.

The Three Models Explained

Model 1: Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) / Leasing

You pay a monthly fee per device. The leasing company owns the hardware. At the end of the lease term (typically 2-3 years), you return the devices, refresh to the latest models, or buy out at residual value.

Main providers operating in Malaysia:

• Dell DaaS Malaysia — ProSupport Plus with Pro Flex leasing, available through Dell direct and authorised partners
• HP Device as a Service — HP Sure Click security included, available through HP channel partners
• Lenovo DaaS — Premier Support with on-site coverage, available through Lenovo Malaysia distributors
• Ingram Micro / TD SYNNEX — Multi-brand DaaS programs for SME

Typical DaaS pricing (Malaysia, 2026):

Model 2: Buying Outright

You purchase devices, own them from day one, and manage maintenance and support yourself or through a third-party partner.

Current market prices (2026):

Model 3: Buy + TechFix Fleet Maintenance

Purchase devices outright (new or certified refurbished), then enrol in a structured fleet maintenance programme. This model captures ownership benefits while removing the maintenance risk that makes buying feel unpredictable.

What our fleet maintenance programme includes:

• Priority repair turnaround (24-hour SLA for business clients)
• Proactive maintenance visits (thermal paste refresh, storage health check, battery assessment) every 18-24 months
• Discounted repair pricing (15-20% below retail) across the entire enrolled fleet
• Loaner device provision for same-day returns when devices need multi-day repair
• Detailed asset register and repair history for each device

Total Cost of Ownership: 3-Year Comparison

The only fair comparison is Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over the same period. Here we model costs for a team of 20 employees using business-tier Windows laptops (ThinkPad L/E tier equivalent).

20-Employee Fleet, Business-Tier Windows Laptops, 3 Years

Assumptions:

• Purchase price: RM 3,500 per unit
• DaaS monthly rate: RM 180 per unit
• Average repair cost without maintenance plan: RM 400 per device over 3 years
• TechFix fleet maintenance: RM 600 per device over 3 years (includes proactive maintenance + repair discount value)
• Battery replacement at 2.5 years: RM 220 per device (already included in maintenance plan cost)

Key finding: For a 20-person team over 3 years, buying with a maintenance plan costs approximately RM 73,600 less than DaaS leasing. The Buy Only scenario is close, but unplanned repair costs and lower residual value make it slightly less favourable than the maintained fleet.

Cash Flow Comparison

This is where leasing makes its strongest case — not total cost, but cash flow.

For seed-stage startups with limited capital, the RM 43,200 Year 1 outlay of DaaS versus RM 74,000 for buy-plus-maintain represents a RM 30,800 difference — money that could fund 1-2 additional months of runway. This is the legitimate case for leasing.

However: If you have secured Series A funding or have consistent monthly revenue exceeding RM 50,000, the long-term cost penalty of leasing is rarely justified.

Tax Deductions: Leasing vs Buying in Malaysia

Leasing / DaaS: Fully Deductible Operating Expense

Lease payments are treated as operating expenses under the Income Tax Act 1967 and are fully deductible in the year of payment. This means:

• RM 43,200 in Year 1 lease payments = RM 43,200 deductible against business income
• At a 17% SME tax rate: RM 7,344 in tax savings in Year 1 alone
• No capital allowance schedule to manage

Buying: Capital Allowance (Depreciation)

Purchasing laptops and computing equipment qualifies for capital allowance:

• Initial allowance: 20% of cost in the year of purchase
• Annual allowance: 20% per year thereafter
• Full cost recovered over 5 years

For 20 laptops purchased at RM 70,000:

• Year 1 deduction: RM 28,000 (20% initial + 20% annual = 40% of RM 70,000)
• Years 2-5: RM 14,000 per year (20% annual)

Repair and maintenance costs (including your TechFix fleet plan) are opex and 100% deductible in the year incurred.

Which Is Better for Tax?

For a pre-revenue or loss-making startup: capital allowances may not be immediately useful if you have no taxable income to offset. Leasing's opex treatment is more flexible.

For a profitable startup: buying gives you a significant upfront deduction (40% Year 1) on a larger absolute spend, which typically delivers greater total tax savings over the asset lifetime compared to the leasing equivalent.

Best Approach by Company Size

5 Employees — Early Stage Startup

Recommended: Certified Refurbished Buy + TechFix Support

At 5 people, the absolute spend is small enough that cash flow risk is manageable. Buy certified refurbished MacBook Air M2 or ThinkPad E-series at 20-30% below new price. Enrol in TechFix fleet maintenance from day one. Total Year 1 cost: approximately RM 18,000 – RM 22,000 versus RM 10,800 for DaaS. The RM 7,200 difference buys you assets worth RM 13,000+ at resale.

20 Employees — Growth Stage Startup

Recommended: Buy New (Business Tier) + TechFix Fleet Plan

As shown in the TCO model above, buying with a maintenance plan costs approximately RM 73,600 less over 3 years than DaaS at this scale. Unless you are pre-revenue and preserving cash is existential, the buy model wins decisively at 20 employees.

For MacBook-heavy teams (common in tech and design), the even longer lifespan of Apple Silicon MacBooks (5-7 years versus 4-5 years for Windows) makes buying particularly advantageous.

50 Employees — Scaling Startup / SME

Recommended: Mixed fleet — Buy MacBooks, DaaS for standard Windows units

At 50 employees, role differentiation typically matters. Power users (engineers, designers, executives) on owned MacBooks or premium Windows devices. Support, admin, and customer success roles on DaaS Windows units where predictable monthly cost and easy swap-out suits high staff turnover.

Centralise fleet maintenance for the owned devices through a single partner like TechFix for predictable costs.

100 Employees — Series B+ or Established SME

Recommended: Buy with enterprise fleet management + dedicated repair SLA

At 100 employees, you have the scale to negotiate meaningful corporate pricing on both hardware and support. Purchase devices in bulk from brand-direct programmes (Dell, Lenovo, Apple Business) which typically offer 5-15% volume discounts.

Engage TechFix on a formal fleet services agreement with:

• Dedicated account manager
• On-site technician visits for quarterly maintenance
• 4-hour emergency response for critical device failures
• Detailed monthly fleet health reporting

Contact us at corporate repair solutions to structure an agreement for your scale.

The Hidden Costs Most Startups Overlook

DaaS Hidden Costs

• Damage charges at return: Anything beyond normal wear and tear — screen cracks, keyboard damage, chassis dents — triggers charges at lease-end. For a 20-person team over 3 years, budget RM 3,000 – RM 8,000 for end-of-lease damage assessments.
• Early termination fees: Scaling down headcount mid-lease can result in 3-6 months of remaining payments as penalties.
• Upgrade friction: Mid-lease upgrades typically involve starting a new lease at a higher rate rather than crediting previous payments.
• Data handling at return: Ensuring PDPA-compliant data wiping before returning leased devices requires a documented procedure many startups skip.

Buy-Only Hidden Costs

• Unexpected repair spikes: Without a maintenance plan, repair costs are unpredictable. A month where three devices fail simultaneously can create a RM 3,000 – RM 5,000 unplanned expense.
• Productivity loss: Unplanned downtime while waiting for repairs without a loaner provision.
• No proactive maintenance: Battery degradation, thermal throttling, and storage issues quietly reduce productivity before they cause failure.

The TechFix Fleet Plan Advantage

The Buy + TechFix model converts the unpredictable repair cost of buying into a fixed, budgetable annual expense. You capture the full long-term cost advantage of ownership while removing the variance that makes some finance teams prefer leasing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can a Malaysian startup deduct laptop purchases from business income in Year 1? Laptops and computing equipment are capital expenditure eligible for capital allowance under Schedule 3 of the Income Tax Act 1967. In Year 1, you can claim an initial allowance of 20% plus an annual allowance of 20%, giving a total 40% deduction in the year of purchase. The remaining 60% is deducted over subsequent years. This is different from opex items (repairs, maintenance, leases) which are 100% deductible in the year incurred. Consult your accountant for your specific tax position.

Q: Is it worth buying refurbished laptops for a startup to reduce upfront costs? Certified refurbished laptops from reputable sources — Apple Certified Refurbished, Dell Certified Refurbished, or quality third-party refurbishers — offer 15-30% savings over new while typically carrying a 12-month warranty. For non-critical roles, this is an excellent option. TechFix can assess refurbished devices before purchase to confirm quality, and our fleet maintenance plan covers refurbished devices on the same terms as new. For engineering or design roles where performance is critical, buying new (or the latest generation refurbished) is recommended.

Q: What happens to leased devices when an employee leaves the company? Under most DaaS agreements, the lease is with the company rather than the individual employee. When an employee leaves, the device can be reassigned to a new hire with no change to the lease terms. Some providers charge a device reimage or redeployment fee of RM 50-150 per unit. Factor this in for high-churn roles.

Q: How do I negotiate better pricing on corporate laptop purchases in Malaysia? For orders of 10 or more units, contact Dell, Lenovo, HP, or Apple Business directly or through an authorised business reseller rather than retail. Request a formal quotation specifying: unit quantity, model configuration, and your company registration number. Volume discounts of 5-15% are common for 10+ units. For 50+ units, you can typically negotiate extended warranty, deployment services, and dedicated account management at no additional cost.