MVP Scope and Cost Estimator

Scope your v1. See what it costs.

Five questions about what you're building and who's building it. You leave with a v1 feature list, what can wait for later, and a time and cost range with every assumption behind it.

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    Your v1 estimate

    Estimated cost

    $

    Your v1 scope

    Features that can usually wait start in Later, each with a stand-in for now. Move anything back and the estimate updates.

      In v1

        Later

          What this assumes

          A proposal checks each of these. If one doesn't hold for you, that's where the number moves.

            What would push it up

            The usual reasons a v1 runs past the top of its range.

              Ways to bring it down

              Before cutting quality, cut or delay these.

                After launch

                Not in the estimate above. Budget for these separately.

                Running costs

                  From estimate to proposal

                  Want us to build it?

                  We design and build first versions. Send us this scope and we'll go through the list and the assumptions with you, then send a proposal built from it. Your scope comes with you to the contact form, so there's nothing to retype.

                  Get a proposal

                  MVP cost and scope, briefly

                  What the estimate above is built on, if you want to check it or adjust it.

                  How much does an MVP cost?

                  For a focused v1 built by a freelancer or small studio, often somewhere between $25,000 and $150,000. Three things move it most: how many features are in v1, whether the screens are designed before building starts, and how sure you are that the features are the right ones. No-code tools can bring it well under that, at the cost of flexibility later.

                  How long does it take to build an MVP?

                  Two to four months of work is common for a focused v1 built by an experienced developer. A studio can shorten the calendar time by running people in parallel, but not the total hours you pay for.

                  What should an MVP include?

                  What someone needs to get the main result once, and to pay you if you charge. Admin panels, dashboards, search and team permissions make a product easier to run at scale, and can usually be handled by hand or with an off-the-shelf tool until you have the customers who need them.

                  Why a range and not a price?

                  Because the features haven't been designed yet, and a single number would hide that. The range narrows as the details settle: finished designs and evidence from customers both bring the top end down. If you haven't talked to customers yet, the Customer Interview Script Builder writes the questions.