How much does an MVP cost?
A lean first version starts at $7,500 with us and most land between $9,000 and $11,000, design and build included, at a fixed price. An MVP is the smallest product that a real customer will use and pay for, not a demo. Lean means one core workflow, one main user type, sign-in, and only the screens needed to prove the idea. The work is mostly deciding what to leave out. Below you will find exactly what our lean tier includes and excludes, three worked examples priced from the same table we use on calls, and the most common reasons an MVP budget grows, so you can plan a launch that fits your runway.
What lean includes
- Product design for every screen, clickable on your phone before build starts.
- Sign-up, sign-in, password reset, and a basic profile.
- One core workflow built properly, end to end, with real data.
- Email notifications for the moments that matter.
- Basic analytics so you can see what people actually do.
- Deployment to your cloud account, store submission for mobile, and code in your repository.
What lean leaves out
Leaving things out is the point. A lean build does not include a separate admin panel (you manage data through simple tools at first), multiple user roles, payments, AI features, outside integrations, multi-language support, or advanced reporting. Each can be added to the quote as an extra, or after launch once real users show you which ones they need.
A rule we use: if a feature does not change whether someone signs up or comes back in the first month, it waits.
Worked example: a booking app
A studio owner wants clients to book and pay for classes on their phones. That is a lean mobile app at $11,000 plus payments at $2,500. Clients browse a schedule, book, pay, and get a reminder. The owner manages classes from a simple screen inside the app. If the owner later wants a full back office with staff schedules and payouts, the admin panel adds $3,500.
Worked example: a marketplace
A founder wants to connect local tutors with parents. Two user types and payments push this to standard. On web, standard is $16,000; add payments at $2,500 and an admin panel at $3,500 for vetting tutors. Starting web-only keeps it under one budget and lets the founder test demand on both sides before paying for store releases.
To keep it lean instead, launch the parent side only and onboard tutors by hand. That brings it back to $9,000 plus payments.
Worked example: an internal tool
An operations lead wants to replace a set of spreadsheets that track field jobs. One user type, one workflow, desktop use: a lean web app at $9,000. Connecting it to the company's accounting tool adds $3,000. Internal tools are often the best value MVPs because the users are already there on day one.
Why MVP budgets grow
Budgets grow for three reasons: a second user type sneaks in, the founder asks for an admin panel before there is anything to administer, or an integration turns out to be harder than expected. We name these risks in the signed plan and price them before work starts, so nothing grows without your written yes.
How you pay
Every fixed-price build is paid in four equal milestones, each tied to something you can see and use:
- Plan signed. Scope, screens, and the delivery calendar are agreed in writing. The first payment starts design.
- Design approved. You click through the full design on your phone before a line of production code is written.
- Working build. The app runs on your devices with real data, and you test it against the agreed scope.
- Launch. The app is live in the stores or on your domain, the code is in your repository, and handover is done.
If a milestone slips because of us, the next payment waits. You never pay ahead of the work.
Before your first call
You get a firmer number faster if you bring three things: who the first users are, the one job they must be able to do on day one, and any outside system the app has to talk to. Sketches, screenshots of apps you like, or a spreadsheet you want to replace all help. On the call we place your idea in the table above, name the extras it needs, and tell you what we would leave out. You leave with a written range the same day and a fixed quote within two business days.
Questions founders ask
What is the cheapest way to build an MVP?
Launch one workflow for one user type on one platform. With us that is a lean web app at $9,000, design and build included, in about 5 weeks.
Is a no-code MVP enough?
For testing interest, sometimes. When you need real payments, data you own, or performance at scale, a coded first version saves a rebuild later.
How long does a lean MVP take?
About 5 weeks from signed plan to launch, including design approval and testing.
Do I own the code?
Yes. The code lives in your repository and the app runs in your cloud accounts from day one.
Are the prices on this page final?
They are the table we quote from. Your fixed quote comes after a call, in writing, within two business days, and it does not change unless you approve a change in scope.
What is not included in the price?
Third-party running costs such as hosting, app store fees, email sending, and AI usage. We estimate them in the plan so there are no surprises after launch.
The Idea Lab turns a two-sentence idea into a build plan: why it could work, what to get right first, the first version worth building and its price. Two minutes, from our published rates.