Most published estimates put a simple MVP at roughly $10,000 to $20,000 and a mid-complexity one at $20,000 to $45,000. Complex products start around $45,000 and climb past $100,000. This guide explains what moves the number, what founders forget to budget, and how to get a quote you can trust. It is written for founders and small teams planning a first build.
TL;DR
- Published ranges vary a lot: about $5,000 to $20,000 for simple MVPs, $15,000 to $45,000 for mid-range, and $45,000+ for complex ones.
- Scope, platform (web only vs. web plus mobile) and team location move the price more than anything else.
- Budget beyond the build: discovery, QA, hosting, monitoring and post-launch fixes.
- Most of these numbers come from agencies that sell MVPs. Treat them as ranges, not quotes.
- Cutting scope is the cheapest way to cut cost. Cutting QA is not.
What the published numbers say
Two agency guides give a useful picture. RaftLabs lists a simple MVP at $10,000 to $20,000, a medium one at $20,000 to $40,000, and a complex one at $50,000 or more. SoftTeco lists $5,000 to $15,000 for simple, $15,000 to $45,000 for average, and $45,000 to $150,000+ for complex.
| Tier | RaftLabs | SoftTeco | Typical scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | $10,000-$20,000 | $5,000-$15,000 | 1-2 core features, one platform |
| Medium | $20,000-$40,000 | $15,000-$45,000 | Several features, integrations, custom design |
| Complex | $50,000+ | $45,000-$150,000+ | Custom architecture, AI, multiple platforms |
The sources do not agree with each other, and neither explains its method. Both are vendors with something to sell. Use the overlap, roughly $10,000 to $45,000 for a typical first version, as a planning range rather than a promise. Be especially cautious with any single phase-by-phase table: in the RaftLabs article, for example, the per-phase ranges do not add up to the stated total.
What drives the cost
1. Scope
Every feature adds design, build, test and maintenance work. The highest-leverage decision is what you leave out. Our free one-hour consult is built around exactly that question.
2. Platform
RaftLabs says web-only MVPs cost 30 to 40 percent less than web plus mobile, and cross-platform mobile 20 to 30 percent less than native. If you can validate the idea in a browser, start there.
3. Team location and type
Hourly rates differ by region. SoftTeco gives $50 to $200 per hour for North America and Western Europe, $30 to $100 for Eastern Europe and Latin America, and $15 to $60 for Asia and Africa. Lower rates can mean more coordination effort, so compare total cost and communication, not rate alone.
4. Compliance and integrations
Regulated products such as health or finance carry extra security and legal work; RaftLabs estimates roughly 15 to 25 percent more. Payments, email, maps and AI APIs each add integration and testing time.
5. AI features
RaftLabs lists $3,000 to $8,000 for a basic LLM integration and $8,000 to $20,000 for a retrieval pipeline. These are vendor figures; actual cost depends on data quality and accuracy needs.
Costs founders forget
| Item | Rough figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and scoping | $2,000-$5,000 (one guide); lower in others | RaftLabs |
| QA and testing | $3,000-$8,000 (one guide) | RaftLabs |
| Post-launch stabilization | 15-20% of build cost | RaftLabs |
| Hosting under 1,000 users | $100-$500 per month | RaftLabs |
| Apple Developer Program | $99 per year | Apple |
Skipping discovery is the classic false economy: RaftLabs claims teams that skip it spend $20,000 to $60,000 building the wrong feature set. That is a vendor claim, but the logic holds. A week of scoping is cheaper than a rebuilt feature.
Three ways to build, compared
| Route | Typical cost | Best for | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-code or AI builder | Lowest (RaftLabs cites $5,000-$12,000 for no-code agency builds) | Validating demand fast | Hits limits; hard to extend |
| Freelancer or small team | Mid-range | Well-scoped products | Single point of failure |
| Agency | Higher | Founders who need a managed team | Cost and handover quality |
If you build with AI coding tools yourself, the build bill shrinks but the hardening bill does not disappear. Security checks, tests and deployment still need to happen before real users arrive.
How to get a quote you can compare
- Write a one-page scope: users, the 3 to 5 core actions, and what is explicitly out.
- Ask every vendor for the same breakdown: discovery, design, build, QA, deployment, and first-month support.
- Ask what is included after launch and who owns the code and accounts.
- Prefer a phased contract with a working demo at each milestone.
- Keep 15 to 20 percent of the budget for post-launch fixes.
See what we do on the services page, or look at past work in the portfolio.
Common mistakes
- Treating a first estimate as a fixed price without a written scope.
- Choosing the cheapest quote without checking what QA and support it includes.
- Building mobile and web at once before any user has asked for either.
- Forgetting running costs: hosting, monitoring, domains and app store fees.
- Adding features during the build with no change process.
FAQ
Can I build an MVP for under $5,000?
Sometimes, if you use no-code tools or build it yourself, and keep scope tiny. Expect trade-offs in flexibility and long-term maintainability.
How long does an MVP take?
RaftLabs says most take 6 to 12 weeks, while SoftTeco quotes 2 to 6 months for simple to average builds. Scope again decides.
Is the MVP cost a one-time cost?
No. Plan for hosting, fixes and iterations after launch, which RaftLabs puts at several hundred to a few thousand dollars per month depending on traction.
Next step
If you have a rough idea and want to know what a lean first version looks like, book the free one-hour technical consult and bring your one-page scope.
Figures in this article come from the vendor guides linked above and were checked on 2026-10-26. They are estimates, not quotes.