MVP cost calculator

How the estimate works

Most startup MVPs land between $15,000 and $100,000. The spread is wide because an MVP is not one thing. The first question sets the band: 1 core workflow, several workflows, or a product with AI or compliance in the core.

The other 3 answers move you inside that band. Each extra integration brings its own testing and failure cases. Design built from scratch costs more upfront and saves money on every screen after it. More than 1 type of user means roles, permissions and more states to test.

The calculator rounds to the nearest $500 on purpose. Anyone who gives you an exact MVP price before writing a scope is guessing.

What moves the real number

• Scope. The number of distinct user journeys that must work on day 1. Cut this and the cost drops faster than with any other change.
• Integrations. Payments, calendars, CRMs and email each add edge cases. Founders almost always underestimate this line.
• AI in the core. An agent that classifies, decides and acts is engineering work with evaluation and monitoring, not a plugin.
• Who builds it. A freelancer, an agency and a studio price the same brief differently because the risk they carry is different.

Why the cheapest quote often ends up the most expensive

A low quote usually scopes the happy path only. Error states, edge cases, deployment and handoff come back later as change orders. We have seen a $12,000 project finish at $45,000 and 3 months late for exactly this reason.

The fix is a written scope before any code: what is in version 1, what waits for version 2. That is also how a focused MVP ships in 6 weeks.