"How much does it cost to build an MVP?" is the first question almost every founder asks. It is also the most uncomfortable one, because there is no single answer. But we can honestly explain what goes into the price and what ranges are considered normal.
What the price is made of
An MVP budget is the sum of four things:
- Scope — how many screens, scenarios and integrations. Fewer means cheaper.
- Design — bespoke from scratch, or a design system plus templates.
- Integrations — payments, auth, emails, analytics. Each one costs time.
- The team — a single freelancer, a small studio, or an agency. A 5x difference in hourly rate.
Timelines and infrastructure are derivatives. Tighter timelines and more complex infrastructure mean a higher cost.
Realistic ranges in 2026
- €500 — €3k — a simple MVP: one or two forms, a basic backend, one integration. Closer to "landing page plus admin panel".
- €3k — €10k — a typical MVP: 5–10 screens, auth, payments, basic analytics, deployment. Most startups land here.
- €10k — €25k — a complex MVP: multiple roles, real business logic, 2–3 integrations, mobile responsiveness. Almost a real product.
Anything below those numbers is either a landing page, or an MVP missing at least one of the critical parts (see below).
Where you can save without harm
- Scope. The most honest lever. If you can drop half the features, drop them. Whatever you do not cut at scoping will be cut later, after you have wasted time.
- Design. A ready-made design system instead of bespoke design saves 30–40% of designer time.
- Off-the-shelf integrations. Stripe, auth providers, email services — use what is ready, do not build your own.
Where you CANNOT save
- Security. A data leak in the first weeks buries the project.
- Tests. At least for the critical scenarios — otherwise the release turns into an endless pre-launch.
- Documentation and access. If the founder does not know where the product is hosted and how to log in — that is not an MVP, that is a hostage situation.
How not to overpay
- A brief that fixes the outcome. Not "we will figure it out", but a written summary: what is in, what is out, what you receive at each stage.
- Sprint-by-sprint payments. The ability to stop after any two-week sprint is a powerful quality lever.
- Open code from day one. Repository and staging access from the start. If a contractor refuses — that is a red flag.
What absolutely NOT to do
- Pay 100% upfront.
- Agree to "we will work it out as we go" — that is always more expensive.
- Pick up an "MVP for €200" — none of the critical points above are in there, and in a month you will need an MVP again.
If you want to walk through your specific case — see our MVP development service page and book a free 45-minute consultation. On the call we will show you the price range, timeline and risks — no strings attached.