What an MVP costs
| Type of MVP | Typical cost | Typical timeline from approved scope |
|---|---|---|
| Clickable prototype | $3,000 to $6,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Web app MVP | $6,000 to $12,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Mobile app MVP | $10,000 to $20,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| AI product MVP | $8,000 to $18,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| SaaS MVP with billing | $25,000 to $50,000 | 6 to 8 weeks |
The timeline starts once the scope is approved and we have what we need from you.
What goes into a $12,000 web app MVP
| Part | What it covers | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Scope workshop | The one job the MVP must do, and the list of what waits | $800 |
| Prototype | Clickable screens tested with five to eight target users | $1,600 |
| Core feature | The workflow that proves the idea | $5,200 |
| Accounts and sign-in | Sign-up, login, password reset | $1,200 |
| Admin view | A simple screen for you to see users and activity | $1,200 |
| Analytics | Tracking the actions that show whether the idea works | $550 |
| Testing and launch | Device testing, hosting, and release | $1,450 |
What an MVP is, and what it is not
A minimum viable product (MVP) is the smallest version of a product that real people can use to solve one real problem. Its job is to prove, or disprove, that the idea is worth more investment. It is not a cheap version of the finished product, and it is not a demo that only works in a meeting.
That distinction drives the price. A good MVP does one thing properly: it is reliable, secure, and pleasant enough that people use it without being asked. Everything else waits until usage shows what matters.
The five types of MVP
A clickable prototype is a set of designed screens people can tap through. Nothing is stored and nothing is processed, but you can put it in front of customers and investors within two weeks. It is the cheapest way to test whether people understand and want the idea.
A web app MVP is a working product in the browser. It is the right choice when your users sit at a desk, or when you want to learn fast without app store reviews.
A mobile app MVP is a working app on iPhone and Android, usually built once with a cross-platform framework. Choose it when the product only makes sense on a phone, for example when it uses location, the camera, or notifications.
An AI product MVP puts a model to work on one task, such as answering questions from your documents or sorting incoming requests. The cost depends heavily on how clean your data is.
A software as a service (SaaS) MVP adds sign-up, subscription plans, and billing, so customers can pay from day one. It costs more because the billing and account logic must be right before anyone pays.
What moves the price of an MVP
The feature list is the biggest lever. Every feature you add is built, tested, and maintained. An MVP with one core workflow costs a fraction of one with five.
Accounts and roles come next. A single type of user is simple. Separate experiences for customers, staff, and admins multiply the screens.
Integrations add cost quickly. Connecting to payments, a customer relationship management (CRM) system, or a third-party data source each adds a few thousand dollars.
Finally, polish. A prototype-level design is cheaper, but an MVP that looks unfinished can fail for the wrong reason. We aim for clean and clear, not elaborate.
Key points
- One core workflow, built properly
- As few user types as possible
- Only the integrations the core workflow needs
- Clean, clear design rather than decoration
What to leave out of a first version
Leave out anything you would build because a competitor has it. Leave out settings screens, detailed reporting, referral schemes, and multiple pricing tiers. Leave out automation for tasks you can do by hand for the first fifty customers.
Keep anything that blocks the core job, anything that protects users' data, and the analytics that tell you whether the idea works. If you cannot measure it, you cannot learn from it.
What is included in the price
Every MVP quote from us includes a scope workshop that ends with a written list of what is in and what waits. It includes a prototype tested with real people from your target audience, the build in weekly rounds, and testing on the devices your users have. Launch covers hosting, app store submission for mobile MVPs, and analytics set up to track the actions that matter. You own the code, the designs, and the accounts.
A typical timeline
Most MVPs follow the same four-week rhythm. Week one is scope and prototype. Weeks two and three are the build, with a working version to try at the end of each. Week four is testing, fixes, and launch. A clickable prototype finishes after week one or two. A SaaS MVP with billing needs six to eight weeks because payments and account logic must be tested thoroughly.
How to test the MVP once it is live
An MVP only pays for itself if you learn from it. Before launch, agree the two or three numbers that will tell you whether the idea works: how many people sign up, how many complete the core task, and how many come back a week later.
Put the MVP in front of a small group you can talk to, not a crowd of strangers. Twenty engaged users who answer your questions teach more than a thousand who never return. Watch where people stop, ask why, and fix the biggest obstacle first.
Plan a short second release from the start. Most MVPs need two to three weeks of changes after the first month of use, and budgeting for them avoids a pause just when momentum matters.
A worked example
Picture a founder with an idea for a booking tool for independent fitness coaches. The full vision includes client apps, payments, group classes, packages, a marketplace, and reporting.
The MVP focuses on one job: coaches share a booking link, and clients book and pay for single sessions. Coaches see their week in one view. There is no client app, no marketplace, and no packages. It is a web app MVP at about $12,000, live in four weeks.
After two months, usage shows that coaches mostly sell packages of ten sessions. Packages become the first feature of the next release. The founder spent money only on what customers proved they wanted.