You’re probably looking for the best online Malay course to help you learn this major Southeast Asian language.
Malay (Bahasa Melayu) is a rewarding language to study, with its Latin script, relatively approachable grammar, and close relationship to Indonesian. It’s an Austronesian language spoken across Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, and parts of Indonesia and southern Thailand.
Whether you’re planning a trip to Kuala Lumpur, connecting with Malay family and heritage, looking for a good place to base your business for tax reasons, or simply taking on a practical language challenge, the benefits of speaking Malay can’t be overstated.
Today I’m going to give you my rundown of the best - and worst - online Malay courses.
Below, you’ll find the pros and cons of each Malay course, along with pricing information and a brief summary.
Where applicable, I’ll also link to a full review of the course.
Table of contents
IMPORTANT: Some of the items listed below are probably only loosely defined as “courses” for Malay.
The reason I’ve included them is that they’re popular enough Malay tools and therefore should be included.
DISCLAIMER: The comments below are personal opinions and some affiliate links are used.
The best Malay courses online (most popular Malay resources)
1. Talk In Malay
Cost: $97 (one-time purchase)
Summary: Talk In Malay is definitely the best online course for learning Malay, with hundreds of lessons designed to take you from zero knowledge through to a B1 equivalent competency.
It’s a linear course that’ll walk you through every aspect of the language in an easy-to-understand format.
What I like:
- Very comprehensive, detailed course that covers all aspects of Malay
- Inexpensive and no subscriptions necessary
What I don’t like:
- Linear course may not be for everyone
Use the code MEZZOGUILD20 to save 20% on their Malay course.
2. LingoDeer
Cost: Subscription model ($14.99/month, $39.99/quarter, or $95.99/year)
Summary: LingoDeer is a structured app course for Malay with bite-sized lessons, clear grammar notes, and a mix of listening, reading, and speaking exercises.
It’s stronger on explanation than most gamified apps, which makes it a solid option if you want more than flashcards and phrase drills for Bahasa Melayu.
What I like:
- Clear lesson path with useful grammar explanations
- High-quality native audio
- Good variety of exercise types for Malay
What I don’t like:
- Can feel repetitive over longer study sessions
- Less flexible than working with a tutor
See this LingoDeer review.
3. Ling App
Cost: Subscription model ($14.99/month or $79.99/year)
Summary: Ling App uses gamified lessons, interactive dialogues, and mini-games to teach conversational Malay.
It focuses heavily on practical vocabulary and everyday phrases with high-quality audio recorded by native speakers - a strong fit for Southeast Asian languages that mainstream apps often ignore.
What I like:
- Excellent for Southeast Asian languages
- Interactive mini-games and quizzes
- Includes native speaker audio
What I don’t like:
- Can be repetitive
- Less focus on deep grammar explanations
4. Mango Languages
Cost: Subscription model ($7.99/month) or Free via participating libraries
Summary: Mango Languages provides conversation-based lessons that break down Malay sentences into easily digestible chunks.
The methodology relies on intuitive color-coding and algorithmic repetition to build conversational confidence and cultural awareness.
What I like:
- Free access via many public libraries
- Color-coded grammar and syntax highlights
- Focuses on practical conversation
What I don’t like:
- Course depth is relatively shallow for advanced learners
- Less engaging than highly gamified apps
See this Mango Languages review to learn more.
5. Drops
Cost: Freemium (5 mins free/day) / Subscription model
Summary: Drops is a highly visual, fast-paced vocabulary builder that uses word-association mini-games to teach Malay words and short phrases.
It completely ignores grammar, focusing entirely on expanding a learner’s practical lexicon in short daily bursts.
What I like:
- Visually stunning and engaging
- Excellent for building vocabulary quickly
- Short, 5-minute daily sessions
What I don’t like:
- Teaches zero grammar
- Only useful as a supplementary tool
6. italki
Cost: Pay per lesson (varies, typically $10-$25/hour)
Summary: italki connects learners with native Malay tutors for one-on-one video lessons.
The platform is highly flexible, allowing students to tailor their learning experience, focus heavily on speaking practice, and receive immediate, personalized feedback.
What I like:
- 1-on-1 tutoring with native speakers
- Customizable lesson plans
- Direct speaking practice
What I don’t like:
- Pricing adds up over time
- Quality depends highly on the individual tutor
Check out this italki review.
7. Udemy
Cost: One-time fee per course (varies, usually $15-$20 on sale)
Summary: Udemy hosts a variety of creator-made Malay courses ranging from beginner basics to business language.
The methodology centers around traditional, structured video lectures and supplementary worksheets for self-paced, independent study.
What I like:
- Lifetime access to purchased courses
- Structured video lectures
- Self-paced learning environment
What I don’t like:
- Course quality varies greatly by instructor
- Lack of interactive speaking exercises
8. Transparent Language
Cost: Subscription model ($24.95/month) or free via participating public libraries
Summary: Transparent Language offers a thorough, academic approach to learning Malay through structured lessons covering reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
It utilizes proprietary speech-recognition technology to help learners perfect their pronunciation.
What I like:
- Robust speech recognition technology
- Comprehensive reading, writing, and listening tracks
- Available for free through many educational institutions
What I don’t like:
- Expensive monthly subscription
- Interface feels a bit dated
Read our Transparent Language review.
9. Memrise
Cost: Free (community courses), Premium subscription available
Summary: Memrise utilizes a powerful spaced repetition system (SRS) via flashcards to help users memorize Malay vocabulary and phrases.
While lacking an official path for Malay, its expansive library of community-created decks offers highly targeted vocabulary lists.
What I like:
- Vast selection of user-generated Malay courses
- Spaced repetition system (SRS) is highly effective
- Completely free for community content
What I don’t like:
- No official Memrise Malay course
- Quality of community courses can be inconsistent
Read this review of Memrise.
10. Clozemaster
Cost: Free core features, Pro subscription available ($8.00/month)
Summary: Clozemaster helps learners master Malay vocabulary in context through mass exposure to fill-in-the-blank exercises.
By focusing on the most frequently used words in the language, it acts as a bridge between beginner tools and native media consumption.
What I like:
- Great for intermediate learners
- Learns vocabulary in context
- Retro gamified interface
What I don’t like:
- Not suitable for complete beginners
- Sentences can occasionally be unnatural
Read this Clozemaster review to learn more.
11. Cudoo
Cost: One-time fee per course (~$12.99–$24.99), or bundle options
Summary: Cudoo provides self-paced, slide-based online courses that cover Malay basics, travel phrases, and hospitality language.
The platform focuses on practical, real-world utility and provides a certificate of completion at the end of the course.
NOTE: You may need to manually search “Malay” on the site to find the course options.
What I like:
- Provides certificates of completion
- Affordable one-time fee
- Bite-sized lesson structure
What I don’t like:
- Lacks interactive speaking or writing feedback
- Basic user interface
Summary of the best online Malay courses
This pretty much sums up every decent online Malay course option currently available.
Malay is better resourced than many lesser-taught languages, but still quieter than the big European ones - so the best results usually come from combining a structured course (like Talk In Malay) with vocab tools and real conversation practice. If you already know some Indonesian, you’ll also pick up Malay faster thanks to the huge overlap.
In addition to a Malay course, make sure you’re getting regular Malay practice with native speakers - especially for pronunciation and everyday conversation patterns.
For that, italki is still the easiest way to find really inexpensive practice partners and tutors.
Just remember that even if you have all the courses on this list, you’ll still fail at Malay without the right motivation.
Even a poor Malay course can be effective in the hands of someone with the right amount of determination to succeed.
For tips on how to learn Malay and overcome various language learning struggles, subscribe below by ‘Joining the Guild’ (select Malay as your target language).
🎓 Cite article
Grab the link to this article
COMMENTS
NO ADVERTISING. Links will be automatically flagged for moderation.