OCTIS vs a traditional company secretary — summary
A traditional company secretary covers one part of running a Sdn Bhd. OCTIS runs the whole company: it covers that part and adds a built-in CRM, workflow automation, Otty AI agents, one workspace, and FX, a corporate card, an international business account and payments via licensed partners, for 10–30% below your current bill or their quote. 3E Accounting, the third column below, resells accounting software and Microsoft Dynamics CRM but has no automation, AI agents, payments, FX or card of its own. A traditional company secretary wins on the headline price for a dormant or ultra-simple company (basic retainers start from around RM60/month) and on genuine human judgement for messy, non-standard corporate matters. But that headline is misleading: per-event fees, plus the separate accountant, tax agent and (if not exempt) auditor you must hire alongside, push real all-in Sdn Bhd upkeep to roughly RM3,200–RM11,500/year, spread across multiple vendors, with no AI and no integration. OCTIS wins on value-for-money as human-verified AI accounting and bookkeeping, audit and tax, checked by licensed professionals, with the same licensed-secretary compliance included (10–30% less than what you pay now, send us your current bill) alongside banking, invoicing and CRM, usually a lower total cost of ownership once the manual model's hidden and multi-vendor costs are added up. A statutory audit stays with an independent licensed auditor, OCTIS doesn't replace that. The reason OCTIS can price lower is structural: AI and automation handle the repetitive work, filings, reminders, data entry and document prep, so we run lean with far less manual labour, and pass that lower cost straight to you.
- Runs the whole company, not one service: built-in CRM, workflow automation, Otty AI agents and one workspace, plus FX, corporate card, international account and payments via licensed partners.
- AI and automation handle the repetitive work, so we run lean and pass the savings on, lower price, same outcomes.
- Real licensed secretaries, backed by software, not replaced by a bot.
- 10–30% less than what you pay now or their quote, flat, no surprise per-resolution or per-change fees. Send us your current bill.
- Accounting and bookkeeping, audit and tax checked by licensed professionals, with cosec, banking, invoicing and CRM together.
- Incorporation at least 10% below the published price, no padded mark-up.
- Self-service records, e-signature and AI deadline reminders so an SSM filing is never quietly missed.
Is OCTIS really cheaper than a traditional company secretary?
It depends on what you compare. A basic retainer for a dormant company (from ~RM60/month) can look cheaper on the headline than a full platform plan. But once you add per-event fees and the separate accountant, tax agent and auditor a Sdn Bhd needs, real all-in upkeep commonly runs RM3,200–RM11,500/year. OCTIS folds the licensed secretary, banking, invoicing and CRM into one platform, priced 10–30% below what you pay now or their quote (send us your current bill), one fewer vendor with its own paperwork and fees, which is usually a lower total cost of ownership. Figures are typical 2026 ranges, not an official price list.
How does OCTIS compare with A traditional company secretary and 3E Accounting?
A traditional company secretary and 3E Accounting each cover the company-secretary and compliance side. OCTIS covers that too, and adds a built-in CRM, workflow automation, Otty AI agents, one workspace, and FX, a corporate card, an international business account and payments via licensed partners. It is priced 10–30% below your current bill or their quote, so send us the bill for a like-for-like quote. A statutory audit is signed by an independent licensed auditor, which OCTIS coordinates.
Is OCTIS a real licensed company secretary?
Yes. OCTIS provides a named, licensed company secretary who performs the same statutory work a traditional firm does and satisfies the Companies Act 2016 requirement. The difference is the software around them, flat pricing, e-signature, self-service records and AI reminders, and that the secretary comes with human-verified AI accounting and bookkeeping, audit and tax, rather than being the whole product.
Why is the traditional cost often higher than quoted?
Because the headline retainer usually covers only a named secretary and registers. Every resolution (RM20–RM500), share transfer (RM200–RM600), director change (RM100–RM300) and the annual return (RM200–RM500) is billed separately, and the cosec is just one vendor, you still hire an accountant, tax agent and, if not exempt, an auditor. 2026 fee guides describe the real cost as often two to three times the advertised retainer. OCTIS folds standard work into one flat plan.
Does OCTIS replace my statutory audit?
No. A statutory audit by an independent licensed auditor remains a legal requirement unless your company qualifies for audit exemption. OCTIS does your company secretary, accounting and bookkeeping, tax, and audit work with licensed auditors, but it never replaces the statutory audit itself: the auditor stays an independent, licensed professional, and we never claim to replace them.
How do I switch my company secretary to OCTIS?
OCTIS manages the transfer for you, taking over your statutory registers, resolutions and SSM filings, and sets up your records and compliance calendar inside the platform. The handover is handled so you don't face a compliance gap during the move. Note that your outgoing firm may charge its own resignation or transfer-out file fee (commonly RM300–RM500), which is set by them, not OCTIS.
Is OCTIS more than just a company secretary?
Yes. OCTIS is human-verified AI accounting and bookkeeping, audit and tax, prepared by AI and checked by licensed professionals, and the licensed company secretary is included. The same service also handles your business account, payments, invoicing, CRM, e-sign and documents, so your compliance data and your day-to-day records finally live in one place with one AI connecting them. A statutory audit stays with an independent licensed auditor.