MVP Development: What Does It Really Cost? (Pricing, Timeline, Examples)
Honest cost breakdown for MVP development: From €5,000 to €100,000. With examples, timelines, and tips on how to save budget.
Jonas Höttler
MVP Development: What Does It Really Cost? (Pricing, Timeline, Examples)
"What does an MVP cost?" - the most common question from founders. The honest answer: It depends. But here you'll get concrete numbers.
Table of Contents
- What Is an MVP (Really)?
- Cost Overview by MVP Type
- Timeline: How Long Does It Take?
- 3 Real MVP Examples with Prices
- How to Save Budget
- Build vs. Buy vs. No-Code
- Checklist Before Starting
What Is an MVP (Really)?
The Definition
MVP = Minimum Viable Product
The simplest version of your product that allows you to:
- Test your core hypothesis
- Acquire first users
- Get feedback for further development
What an MVP Is NOT
❌ A half-finished product ❌ A demo without real function ❌ Your complete vision in v1 ❌ A prototype just for investors
What an MVP IS
✅ The most important function - perfectly implemented ✅ Usable for real customers ✅ Measurable (you can learn) ✅ Quickly built (weeks, not months)
The MVP Spectrum
| Type | Effort | Learning Effect | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing Page | €500-€2,000 | Test interest | "Pre-order now" |
| Concierge MVP | €0-€5,000 | Test process | Deliver manually |
| No-Code MVP | €2,000-€15,000 | Test product | Bubble, Webflow |
| Code MVP | €15,000-€80,000 | Test scaling | Custom Development |
Cost Overview by MVP Type
Type 1: Landing Page MVP (€500-€2,000)
What you get:
- Professional landing page
- Email collection / waitlist
- Basic analytics
When useful:
- Validate idea before development
- Measure interest
- Build email list
Example:
Costs:
- Webflow Template: €50
- Customization: €500
- Mailchimp Setup: €0
- Domain: €15/year
Total: ~€600
Time: 1-2 weeks
Type 2: No-Code MVP (€5,000-€20,000)
What you get:
- Working web app
- User login
- Core function
- Basic UI
When useful:
- Test product idea
- First paying customers
- Quick iteration
Example:
Costs:
- Bubble Development: €8,000
- Design: €2,000
- Bubble Pro Plan: €134/mo
- Domain + SSL: €100
Total: ~€11,000 + €134/mo
Time: 4-8 weeks
Type 3: Code MVP - Simple (€15,000-€35,000)
What you get:
- Web app with custom code
- Responsive design
- 3-5 core features
- Admin panel
- Basic integrations
When useful:
- No-code limits reached
- Scaling planned
- Investor pitch
Example:
Costs:
- Discovery: €3,000
- Design: €5,000
- Frontend: €10,000
- Backend: €8,000
- Testing: €2,000
- Hosting Setup: €500
Total: ~€28,500
Time: 8-12 weeks
Type 4: Code MVP - Complex (€40,000-€80,000)
What you get:
- Complete web app
- Mobile-optimized or native app
- 8-12 features
- Complex integrations
- Payment processing
- Multi-user / roles
When useful:
- B2B SaaS
- Marketplace
- Fintech / Healthtech
Example:
Costs:
- Discovery: €5,000
- UX/UI Design: €12,000
- Frontend: €20,000
- Backend: €18,000
- Integrations: €8,000
- Testing: €5,000
- DevOps: €3,000
Total: ~€71,000
Time: 3-5 months
Cost Matrix
| MVP Type | Cost | Duration | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing Page | €500-€2k | 1-2 wk | Very low |
| Concierge | €0-€5k | 1-4 wk | Low |
| No-Code | €5k-€20k | 4-8 wk | Medium |
| Code (simple) | €15k-€35k | 8-12 wk | Medium |
| Code (complex) | €40k-€80k | 3-5 mo | Higher |
Timeline: How Long Does It Take?
Realistic Timelines
| Phase | Duration | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | 1-2 weeks | Requirements, concept |
| Design | 2-4 weeks | UI/UX, prototype |
| Development | 4-12 weeks | Code, integration |
| Testing | 1-2 weeks | QA, bug fixing |
| Launch | 1 week | Deployment, monitoring |
What Affects the Timeline
Extends the timeline:
- Unclear requirements (+2-4 weeks)
- Scope creep (+20-50%)
- Complex integrations (+1-3 weeks)
- Changes during development (+10-30%)
Shortens the timeline:
- Clear scope document (-10-20%)
- Experienced team (-20-30%)
- Existing components (-10-20%)
- Decisive client (-10-20%)
The Golden Rule
MVP timeline should be < 3 months.
If longer → You're not building an MVP, but a full product.
3 Real MVP Examples with Prices
Example 1: B2B Appointment Booking
The idea: Customers can book and pay for appointments online.
Scope:
- Calendar integration
- Online payment
- Confirmation emails
- Admin dashboard
Implementation:
- Tech: Webflow + Calendly + Stripe
- Effort: 3 weeks
- Cost: €4,500
Example 2: Freelancer Marketplace
The idea: Matching between freelancers and clients.
Scope:
- Freelancer profiles
- Project listings
- Matching algorithm
- Chat function
- Reviews
Implementation:
- Tech: React + Node.js + PostgreSQL
- Effort: 10 weeks
- Cost: €38,000
Example 3: SaaS Dashboard for E-Commerce
The idea: Analytics dashboard for Shopify shops.
Scope:
- Shopify integration
- KPI calculation
- Automatic reports
- Multi-shop support
- Subscription management
Implementation:
- Tech: Next.js + Python + Stripe
- Effort: 14 weeks
- Cost: €62,000
How to Save Budget
1. Brutally Reduce Scope
Instead of: 10 features Better: 1-2 features, perfectly implemented
Rule of thumb: 50% of what you think is necessary is enough.
2. No-Code for V1
Instead of: Custom development from the start Better: Bubble/Webflow for validation, then custom
Savings: 60-80% of initial costs
3. Use Ready-Made Components
Instead of: Building login yourself Better: Auth0, Supabase Auth, Firebase
Instead of: Building payment yourself Better: Stripe, Lemonsqueezy
Savings: €5,000-€15,000 per component
4. Design System Instead of Custom Design
Instead of: Designing every page individually Better: Tailwind UI, Chakra UI, shadcn
Savings: 50% of design costs
5. Agency vs. Freelancer
| Option | Hourly Rate | Pro | Con |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Freelancer | €40-€60 | Cheap | Quality? |
| Senior Freelancer | €80-€120 | Flexible | Availability |
| Agency (DE/UK) | €100-€150 | Processes | More expensive |
| Nearshore | €40-€80 | Cheap | Communication |
Build vs. Buy vs. No-Code
Decision Tree
Is there an existing solution?
│
├─ Yes → Can it do 80% of your requirements?
│ │
│ ├─ Yes → BUY (use SaaS)
│ │
│ └─ No → Can it be customized?
│ │
│ ├─ Yes → BUY + CUSTOMIZE
│ │
│ └─ No → BUILD
│
└─ No → Is scaling critical?
│
├─ No → NO-CODE
│
└─ Yes → CUSTOM BUILD
Comparison
| Criterion | Buy | No-Code | Custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost (Start) | €€ | € | €€€ |
| Cost (5 Years) | €€€ | €€ | €€ |
| Time-to-Market | Immediate | Weeks | Months |
| Flexibility | Low | Medium | High |
| Scalability | Depends | Limited | Unlimited |
| Differentiation | None | Low | High |
Checklist Before Starting
Before Development
- Core hypothesis formulated
- Target audience defined
- Competitor analysis done
- MVP scope reduced to 1-2 features
- Budget + 30% buffer planned
When Finding Partners
- References checked
- Similar projects seen
- Communication tested
- Contract with clear scope
- IP rights clarified
During Development
- Weekly updates
- Demo after each phase
- Scope changes documented
- Launch criteria defined
Conclusion
A good MVP costs:
- No-Code: €5,000-€20,000
- Custom (simple): €15,000-€35,000
- Custom (complex): €40,000-€80,000
A good MVP takes:
- No-Code: 4-8 weeks
- Custom: 8-16 weeks
The most important rule: Start as small as possible. You can always expand - but you won't get time and money back.
Next Steps
Planning an MVP?
At Balane Tech, we develop MVPs for startups and companies - from first idea to launch. We help you find the right scope and save budget. Free consultation
