How Much Does It Cost to Build an MVP Software Product?

Most startups fail to budget their MVP development costs and end up overspending before the final launch. The result? An overpriced MVP with unclear user validation and market fit. While most companies ignore this factor, others struggle to pin down an exact number.

Honestly, the cost of MVP development isn’t the same for every company, as it varies by your industry, product type, and the features you want to include.

In fact, a simple MVP can cost between $10,000 to $80,000+, depending on the complexity. However, having a comprehensive breakdown is crucial to save on unnecessary spending and decide the best way to move forward with the development process.

If you are a CEO, CIO, or CTO of an emerging company and don’t know how to plan your MVP software development cost, this guide provides an in-depth cost analysis with zero guesswork and a clear development roadmap.

And if you are new to this concept and struggling to get a grasp on it, let's explore the core of MVP development first.

What is MVP in Software Development?

MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product, a foundational version of your digital product designed to help you validate user needs and iterate toward a final solution. This version isn’t meant to be your full, market-ready application. Instead, it focuses on the core value proposition, including only the essential features required to power basic functionality.

Once launched, your in-house or outsourced MVP developers collect relevant user data to understand user behaviors and preferences. As a result, it becomes easy to build a refined solution that prevents major failures and ensures the product is future-ready.

In short, MVP in software development focuses on:

• Core functionality only
• Speed to market
• Learning from real users
• Minimizing risk and unnecessary spend

And yes, the Cost of MVP Software Development depends heavily on how disciplined you are about keeping it “minimum.”

Before breaking down the cost to build an MVP, let's first explore why your business needs MVP software.

Why You Need MVP Software?

Here’s the short, honest answer to your question about the need for MVP development.

An MVP helps you:

• De-Risk Your Vision
• Accelerate Time-to-Market
• Focus on Core Value
• Establish a Feedback Loop
• Maximize Resource Efficiency
• Reduce Cost Wastage

In 2026, competition is brutal, and user expectations are reaching sky-high. An MVP becomes important not just for scale but survive in the market.

Things to Keep in Mind Before Moving Forward with MVP Development

Just knowing the development cost isn't enough; understanding the importance and leverage of an MVP is also critical. Here they are:

Brings Financial Clarity Before Technical Decisions

The cost to build an MVP is equally as important as choosing a suitable tech stack or hiring the right developers. You must set a realistic development budget that prevents overcommitting to unnecessary technologies, tools, or integrations. In short, more focus on better capital efficiency.

Improves Vendor and Hiring Decisions

A clear budget makes it easier to evaluate a potential MVP software development company to handle the project from ground zero. Furthermore, it allows you to avoid making emotional decisions and negotiate from a position of clarity.

Ensures a Strong Product Foundation

Surely, a highly-skilled team makes a strong MVP foundation. A well-allocated budget invested in clean architecture and scalable backend systems ensures technical stability from day one. It cuts down on early issues like bugs and performance lags, and technical debt for rapid product growth and a satisfied user experience.

Balances Functionality with User Experience

A perfect balance of basic functionalities and UI/UX designs indicates the success of the MVP. Getting a fixed MVP development cost ensures you don’t treat this critical phase as an afterthought. Instead, your MVP set a new benchmark in parameters, including usability, credibility, and early adoption.

Note:- Surprisingly, not every MVP looks the same. That is where most startup founders get confused while finalizing the cost to develop the MVP software. Refer to this blog on “what is MVP development” to explore the types of MVPs and more.

Key Factors Affecting MVP Development Cost You Must Know

Calculating the cost of building MVP software can feel unpredictable. Multiple factors affect the overall MVP costing; let’s uncover them:

Platform Choice (Web, Mobile, or Cross-Platform)

The cost of MVP development for web, mobile, or native platforms varies. For example, a single web-based MVP usually costs less than building separate iOS and Android apps. In contrast, native mobile app development costs more and demands more development hours.

Product Complexity & Feature Scope

The more features you add, the more hours it will take to complete the overall MVP development. Whether you hire an MVP development company or use in-house development, a simple MVP with login, dashboard, and one core feature may take 400–600 hours. Moreover, advanced features like AI chatbots and payment integrations will easily stretch the time to more than 1,500+ hours.

UI/UX Design

An intuitive UI/UX design plays a crucial role in generating successful MVP feedback. While the product should function with its features, attractive wireframes and interfaces enhance the overall appeal of your product. The result? A more engaging user experience to build trust in the product and gather user feedback in abundance.

Technology Stack & Integrations

In 2026, modern solutions shouldn't just solve current market problems; they must also ensure scalability for future growth with an advanced tech stack. Moreover, each integration adds development and testing hours, significantly increasing the cost of MVP software development.

Development Team Structure & Location

Who’s building your MVP matters the most while estimating the MVP development cost. For example, in-house teams require higher salaries, benefits, and long-term commitments. Whereas, availing MVP development services from freelancers has varying charges based on experience and region.

Timeline & Speed Requirements

Creating urgency to deliver an MVP project in 6 weeks rather than a 3-month timeframe requires a larger team. That means more pressure and, of course, a higher cost to develop MVP software. Doing this often leads to a rushed MVP that might not deliver a satisfactory user experience the first time.

Complexity-Based MVP Development Cost Breakdown

Your MVP complexity determines the development hours required and the final cost of building an MVP software. Let’s break it down realistically so you can estimate where your product stands.

1. Simple MVP (Basic Validation Product)

This is the perfect MVP if you’re planning to solve one core problem for a specific user group without heavy investment. It allows you to test the idea and gather relevant feedback without exceeding the development budget. Note: It’s ideal for early-stage founders.

Key Highlights:

• Fast development cycle
• Low technical complexity
• Minimal integrations
• Focused on a single workflow
• Ideal for early validation

Feature Scope:

• User registration & login
• Basic dashboard
• One core feature (primary problem-solving function)
• Simple admin panel
• Basic database setup

Estimated Development Hours: 300 – 600 hours
Typical Cost to build an MVP: $8,000 – $18,000

2. Medium Complexity MVP

Not just real user validation, but early revenue generation is also targeted through a medium-complexity MVP. It typically includes multiple workflows, integrations, and refined UI/UX designs. Moreover, the broader functionality and future-proof planning are the reasons why MVP development costs increase at this stage.

Key Highlights:

• Multi-feature functionality
• Payment or third-party integrations
• Improved user experience
• Scalable backend structure
• Ready for public launch

Feature Scope:

• Multi-role user system
• Payment gateway integration
• Advanced dashboard with analytics
• Notifications (email/push)
• API integrations
• Enhanced admin controls

Estimated Development Hours: 700 – 1,500 hours

Typical Cost to build an MVP: $20,000 – $45,000

3. Complex MVP

Industries like AI, FinTech, and HealthTech often use complex MVP development to understand what users actually want and develop a market-ready product accordingly. With advanced features, automation, or compliance-heavy systems, it becomes crucial to estimate the maximum cost to build an MVP of this complexity.

Key Highlights:

• Advanced system architecture
• High scalability requirements
• Complex business logic
• Security & compliance layers
• Multi-platform or AI integration

Feature Scope:

• AI/ML or data-driven modules
• Multi-tenant architecture
• Real-time processing features
• Advanced security protocols
• Complex database structure
• Multiple third-party integrations

MVP Cost Breakdown Based on Product Type (SaaS, Mobile App, Marketplace, etc.)

Not just complexity, your product type also impacts the overall MVP development cost for startups and large enterprises. Let’s break it down by the most common product types.

SaaS MVP Development

The concept of building an MVP for SaaS (Software as a Service) is set to top the requirement charts in 2026. Whether it is a CRM or an ERP system, both consist of different modules and features like HR, finance, client relations, and analytics dashboards. That’s why the overall cost to build a SaaS MVP depends heavily on complexities, integrations, and future planning.

SaaS MVP Cost Breakdown
 

Total Estimated Hours: 800 – 1,500 hours
Typical MVP development cost: $20,000 – $40,000

Mobile App MVP Cost (iOS / Android / Native)

Mobile app MVPs need device compatibility, UI responsiveness, and app store requirements. All of this combined increases the development cost, which could be prohibitive if not planned strategically. Specifically, native apps on iOS and Android cost more than cross-platform builds because of the need for two separate codebases.

Mobile App MVP Cost Breakdown
 

Total Estimated Hours:

• Cross-Platform: 900 – 1,500 hours
• Native (iOS + Android): 1,500 – 2,200 hours
• Typical Cost to Build an MVP: $25,000 – $55,000

AI-Powered MVP Cost

Artificial Intelligence is the need of every business and industry. That’s why AI-based MVPs cost more than standard software solutions. As a startup founder, you must include predictive analytics, recommendation engines, or NLP systems to ensure the MVP delivers high-value user insights.

AI-Powered MVP Cost Breakdown
 

Total Estimated Hours: 1,800 – 3,500+ hours
Typical Cost to Build an MVP: $50,000 – $120,000+

Marketplace MVP Cost

Marketplace MVPs target both buyers and sellers as users. As a result, they become more complex and cost more to build. This means dual dashboards, payment systems, listing management, and transaction logic will be developed based on providing two distinct user experiences within one platform. In short, a very tough one to budget for MVP development.

Marketplace MVP Cost Breakdown
 

Total Estimated Hours: 1,200 – 2,500 hours

Typical Cost to Build an MVP: $35,000 – $70,000

MVP Cost Breakdown by Development Stage

Every startup, business, and enterprise should explore the cost to develop MVP software based on different development stages. Here is a breakdown:

MVP Cost Breakdown Based on Development Type

Choosing the right development approach is one of the biggest challenges for any founder. The same product can cost an entirely different amount depending on the development model you choose. Let’s break down each type to better estimate the MVP development cost.

In-House Development Team

Leveraging an in-house team can be very effective as it gives you full control and quick communication. However, it is the most expensive development model, especially for startups.

To build even a basic MVP, you typically need:

• 1 Frontend Developer
• 1 Backend Developer
• 1 UI/UX Designer
• 1 QA Engineer
• 1 Project Manager

Estimated Monthly Salaries

Estimated Monthly Team Cost: $18,000 – $33,000

If your MVP takes 3–4 months:

Total Estimated Cost to build an MVP (In-House): $60,000 – $120,000+

Freelance Developers

Hiring freelancers for MVP development services can be a highly flexible option. It reduces overhead; however, you might encounter coordination and reliability issues in rare cases.

Typical Charges of Freelance MVP Developers
 

If your MVP requires 1,000 development hours:

• At $30/hr → $30,000
• At $60/hr → $60,000
• At $100/hr → $100,000

Estimated Cost of MVP Development (Freelance Model): $20,000 – $70,000 (depending on rates & scope)

Outsourcing to an MVP Development Company

Partnering with a third-party MVP development company offers structured delivery, consistent approvals, and on-time completion, while ensuring your idea is transformed exactly the way you want it to be.

Most agencies provide:

• Dedicated development team
• Project management
• QA support
• UI/UX design
• Deployment & post-launch support

Typical Agency Pricing Model

For a medium-complexity MVP:

Estimated MVP Development Cost: $25,000 – $60,000

Hidden Costs Included in the MVP Development Process

Spending hours calculating the cost of MVP development is easy, but it's just as easy to overlook specific expenses. Here are six hidden costs that directly impact your budget:

1. DevOps Setup & CI/CD Configuration

Setting up deployment pipelines and service verifications often doesn't come into the limelight as a major MVP development cost, but it frequently impacts your overall development budget.

2. Security Implementation & Compliance

MVP development cost isn't the only thing you have to worry about before moving forward with the development process. It requires compliance and security measures, including SSL certificates, data encryption setup, GDPR compliance adjustments, and more.

3. App Store & Deployment Fees

If you’re building an MVP as a mobile application, you have to pay the annual fees for Apple Developer and Google Play Console accounts. Moreover, app interaction and deployment adjustments also increase the team’s efforts.

4. Licensing & SaaS Tool Subscriptions

Project management tools, design software (Figma, Adobe XD), testing tools, and database tools often require paid plans. These monthly subscriptions quietly add to your overall MVP software development cost.

Why Choose CodeAegis as Your MVP Development Company?

At CodeAegis, we build MVPs to support your visionary ideas, get the most honest user feedback, and iterate on the solutions accordingly.

What sets us apart:

• Transparent MVP Development Cost
• Hour-based + milestone pricing clarity
• Startup-focused MVP Development Services
• Scalable architecture from day one
• Proven experience across SaaS, AI, and mobile

Conclusion

Estimating the cost to develop MVP software is a challenging task. However, you can get a rough figure by breaking down the costs into different parameters and influential factors. Remember, the development of an MVP lays the foundation for successful solutions and mobile applications. The gathered user feedback acts as a rulebook for developers to modify the product accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How to estimate mobile app development cost?

Here are the total steps you should follow to estimate the MVP development cost:

• Step 1: Define Your Core Value Proposition and Essential Features
• Step 2: Choose Your Technology Stack and Infrastructure
• Step 3: Evaluate User Experience (UX) and Interface Complexity
• Step 4: Estimate Total Development Hours
• Step 5: Research Market Development Rates
• Step 6: Account for Hidden Technical Expenses

What are the most common MVP development mistakes?

The biggest mistake is over-complicating the feature set. Instead of solving one core problem exceptionally well, many teams try to include "nice-to-have" features, which exhaust the budget and complicate the user experience.

What things should we consider before hiring an MVP Development company?

Here are some key factors we should consider before hiring an MVP Software development company:

1. Relevant Portfolio and Industry Experience
2. Technology Stack Expertise and Alignment
3. Agile Development and Communication Process
4. Client Testimonials and Proven Track Record
5. Post-Launch Support and Maintenance Plans
6. Clear IP Ownership and Data Security Protocols
7. Budget Transparency and Scalability Potential

How to measure the success of MVP development?

The success of an MVP is measured by how well it validates your core business assumptions using real-world data. User engagement rate, customer reviews, and conversion rates for your primary call-to-action are some key metrics to evaluate the MVP's success. It should provide enough insights to help you decide whether to "pivot" your strategy or "persevere" with full-scale development.