How much does an MVP cost? What changes the number

Why two MVPs can cost very different amounts

Two apps can both be MVPs and be very different sizes. A first version that lets customers browse a list and send an enquiry and a first version that runs customers, staff and an operations team are both MVPs. The second one is several products sharing a database, and it is priced that way.

So start from what your scope contains. Once the scope is written down, the price follows from a handful of drivers. Deciding what to cut is a separate exercise, covered in my post on how to scope an MVP. This post is about what each remaining piece does to the number.

The six things that move the price

These are the questions I ask first when I price a scope, roughly in order of how much they change it.

• Screens: every screen is designed, built, connected to data and tested on real devices. It is the most visible driver, which is why each package has a screen limit.
• Own backend or existing APIs: if your data already lives in a system with an API, the app can connect to it. If it does not, the app needs its own backend and database, which is a second piece of software to build.
• Roles: a customer, a staff member and an admin each see different screens and have different permissions. Each extra role adds screens, rules and test cases.
• Admin dashboard: a place for your team to manage users, orders or bookings. Basic admin tools are much smaller than a dashboard built around your daily operations.
• Integrations: maps, messaging, notifications, accounting or booking systems. Each one is a connection to build, test and handle when it fails.
• Payments and design depth: a payment link is small; a complex payment flow is quoted separately. A clean, focused interface costs less than a custom design system across app and dashboard.

Which package fits which MVP shape

My app packages are fixed-scope offers, so the drivers above decide which one fits. This table maps common MVP shapes to the package whose stated scope covers them.

What is quoted separately

Some features are large or specialised enough that they do not fit a fixed package, whatever the screen count. I quote these separately, and I say so in the written scope before work starts:

• Custom AI systems.
• Complex payment gateways.
• Real-time streaming.
• Hardware integrations.
• Complex ERP modules.
• Specialised compliance work.

A worked example: pricing a sample MVP

Here is a hypothetical scope, not a past project, to show how the drivers turn into a package. A founder wants an app where customers book home cleaning, and the business wants to see and manage bookings.

First pass: customer screens for welcome, sign up, login, choose a service, choose a time, address, confirm, my bookings, booking details, profile and settings come to about 11. Bookings have to be stored somewhere, and there is no existing system, so the app needs its own backend. The business wants to view, reschedule and cancel bookings. Payment is pay on arrival for now.

Against the packages: 11 screens is just over Launch's 10, and the own backend rules Launch out anyway, because Launch connects to APIs you already have. Growth covers up to 25 screens, its own Node.js backend and PostgreSQL database, and admin tools to manage the basics, which is enough to view and change bookings. So this scope fits Growth at $1,699.

What would move it to Scale: adding a cleaner app with its own login and job list, a dashboard that assigns jobs by area, and push notifications for new bookings. That is a second role, a dashboard scoped to operations and an integration, which is what Scale's stated scope is for. Adding card payments with a complex flow, such as split payouts to cleaners, would be quoted separately on top.

What is not in the price at all

The build price covers design, development, testing and store submission help. Third-party fees, hosting and ongoing maintenance are not included, because they depend on your usage and run for as long as the app does. I list the ones your app will need in the scope, and my post on running costs after launch covers them in detail.

How I price your MVP

Send me the scope, or even a rough list of screens and roles, and I will tell you which package it fits: Launch at $999 for up to 10 screens on APIs you already have, Growth at $1,699 for up to 25 screens with your own backend, or Scale at $2,500 for up to 50 screens with an admin dashboard, integrations and push notifications. Anything from the separately quoted list is priced on its own, and the exact scope is agreed in writing before work starts.