MVP cost checker.
See what drives the cost of your first version before you talk to anyone. The MVP cost checker asks what app estimators ask: how far the idea has got, where it runs, who signs in, what it must do, what it connects to and which rules it must meet. It shows the weeks each stage takes and what adds the most time. For the dollar range, email your scope to us: a founder replies with an indicative range within 4 business hours.
- Weeks for each stage, from audit to first users
- What adds the most time to your scope
- A dollar range from a founder within 4 business hours
A worked example
- Building
- A web app
- Who signs in
- Buyers and sellers
- Beyond sign-up
- Admin dashboard to run it, Email or push notifications
- Rules
- Privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA)
10 to 13 weeks
From the first call to real users
5 to 8 weeks
Of build
typical first version
Size of scope
Made-up answers, to show what the tool returns. Use your own below.
Your first version, feature by feature.
1The idea
Where is the idea today?
An idea not yet tested gets an extra week of discovery; a rebuild carries the old product’s features and data.
How the weeks are worked out.
The checker starts from the plan on our MVP development page, about ten weeks for a typical first version, and moves each stage with your answers. The week weights are our own rough sizing; the audit replaces them with a dated plan.
Audit
A week to agree on the first users and the smallest version that proves the idea. An idea not yet tested with customers gets a second week of discovery.
Prototype
Two weeks of clickable screens with a clean, standard design; three for a custom look.
Build
Three weeks for sign-up and the core job, plus each kind of user and feature, scaled by platform (a phone app about a fifth longer than a web app, both about three fifths). Integrations, compliance, a large launch and rebuilding an existing product each add time on top.
Launch
Two weeks with the first users, fixing what they find; a third when the app goes through public app store review or a compliance or security review.
The range
The build is shown as a range, from a little under our sizing to a quarter over it, because a first version always meets some surprises.
Start with a free first step.
Bring the deck, the idea or the first attempt. On day five you know who the first users are, the smallest version worth building for them and what that costs.
What you hold when it ends
Free, 5 days
- Who the first users are, and the job the MVP does for them
- The smallest first version worth putting in front of them
- A fixed price and a timeline for it
Take the plan to your investors or to another team. It is yours either way.
MVP cost questions.
What people ask before and after using it.
How much does an MVP cost?
It depends on where it runs, who signs in, what it must do, what it connects to and which rules it must meet, which is why the checker asks about them. Time is the main cost, so the weeks it shows are the best guide to the budget. For a dollar range, send your scope from the checker and a founder replies with an indicative range within 4 business hours.
Why does the checker show weeks and not a price?
The same feature can cost very different amounts depending on what sits behind it, so we price a scope in writing rather than from a list. The weeks show you what drives the cost now, and a founder turns your scope into an indicative range by email.
How long does it take to build an MVP?
Our plan for a typical first version is about ten weeks: one of audit, two of prototype, about five of build and two with the first users. A lean scope can be quicker and a broad one takes longer. The checker shows where your scope lands.
How can I make my MVP cheaper and faster?
Cut it to the one job your first users need done, and leave the rest for version two. The checker lists the features that add the most time; each one you hold back shortens the build. A clean, standard design instead of a custom one also saves a week.
Free project estimate
Turn the estimate into a plan.
Send a few lines on what you want to build. A founder replies within 4 business hours with a realistic scope, timeline and price range.
What you get back
- An indicative budget range
- A realistic timeline
- What moves the cost up or down
- A reply within 4 business hours
- Answered by a founder
- NDA on request, before you share details
Don't take our word for it
Ask your AI about these free tools.
Tell us what you need
A few lines is plenty. You get a number before any call.