An MVP usually costs $5,000 to $25,000 from a capable small team. First decide which of the three you need.
1A first version usually costs $5,000 to $25,000 for an MVP from a capable small team or a no-code studio.
2A prototype costs far less; an app ready to launch costs more.
3What your first version has to prove sets the price, so decide that first.
Source: The First Version Report 2026, October 2026.
What are the three kinds of first version?
A prototype, an MVP or an app ready to launch. Each one proves something different, and costs a different amount.
Source: The First Version Report 2026, October 2026. "A small team" means a capable studio outside the US and Western Europe. Planning ranges, not quotes.
Which one do you need?
Ask one question: what must this first version prove next?
Prototype
A prototype shows the idea. Screens and flows with sample data. For a demo, a few testers or a first investor chat.
MVP
An MVP gets real people using it. Login, real data, one core workflow done well, basic security, payments if your idea needs them. Not in the app stores yet.
Ready to launch
Ready to launch holds real users after launch. The MVP plus testing, admin tools, monitoring and the app store releases. For paying customers at small scale.
Going into the app stores? The Launch List → has the store steps.
Costs: The First Version Report 2026, October 2026. Weeks: Onekode planning figures, October 2026, for one example, a simple booking app on mobile (ready to launch: the planner's range for a mobile app of the usual size).
See the features and weeks for your own first version →Not sure which?
What can wait for version 2?
Most of what makes a first version expensive. It only matters once people use the app.
- Reviews and ratings
- Referrals and other growth features
- Push notifications
- An admin side (run it by hand at first)
- Extra kinds of user
- The app stores, for an MVP
Try this prompt. Paste it into ChatGPT or Claude with your idea:
What does MVP development cost, by who builds it?
From about $5,000 to $150,000. Quotes differ by ten times or more for two reasons: which rung they price, and who builds it.
Source: The First Version Report 2026, October 2026; planning ranges, not quotes. Rebuild: the report's rough total for a prototype then a partial rebuild (p. 8). Freelancer: posted budgets on one marketplace (Upwork, September to October 2026), not prices paid.
Building a SaaS product? What a SaaS first version costs, route by route →
Can I build an MVP myself with AI?
You can build a prototype yourself in days, in Lovable, Bolt or Replit, for tool fees from $25 a month.
Then comes a second bill: $2.5k–15k to make it ready for real users, with login, data rules, payments and tests. If part of it has to be rebuilt, about $12k–30k in total. A full rebuild costs what you've spent plus a new build.
Sources: The First Version Report 2026, October 2026 (second bill: sellers' published prices; totals: the report's AI path table); Lovable pricing, checked 17 October 2026.
What should I put in a request for a quote?
One sentence that names the rung. Put it at the top of every request, so every quote prices the same thing:
"I need an MVP: real people using it, with login, real data and one core workflow. Not in the app stores yet."
(Or a prototype, or an app ready to launch.)
If a quote is far above the others, ask which rung it prices. If it's far below, ask what's left out.
And ask what it costs to run each month once it's live.
For every step from goal to quote, read What an App Costs →.
What does Onekode charge?
There's no set price list. After a free Price and Scope Check, you get one fixed quote with a breakdown.
Questions.
How much does MVP development cost?
Usually $5,000 to $25,000 from a capable small team or no-code studio. Starting with an AI builder and paying to finish costs about $5,000 to $15,000 in total if the prototype can be kept. A team in the US or UK charges $50,000 to $150,000. Who builds it moves the price more than any feature.
How much should an MVP cost?
Enough to prove one thing: that real people use it. For most founders that means $5,000 to $25,000 from a capable small team, or less on the AI path. If a quote is far higher, check it isn't pricing an app ready to launch. If it's far lower, ask what's left out.
What's the difference between a prototype and an MVP?
A prototype shows the idea: screens and flows with sample data, for a demo or a first investor chat. It costs $0–500 built yourself or $2,000–10,000 from a team. An MVP gets real people using it, with login, real data and basic security, so it usually costs $5,000 to $25,000.
What does "ready to launch" add to an MVP?
Testing, admin tools, monitoring and the app store releases, so the app can hold paying customers at small scale. From a capable small team it usually costs $15,000 to $60,000. You only need it if you're selling to the public or launching in the app stores.
Can I build an MVP myself with AI?
Often you can build the prototype yourself in Lovable, Bolt or Replit, from $25 a month. Making it ready for real users, with login, data rules, payments and tests, usually needs a developer: sellers ask $2,500 to $15,000 for that. If part of it has to be rebuilt, expect about $12,000 to $30,000 in total.
What do I do if the quote is for the wrong rung?
Ask for it again for the rung you need. Send one sentence naming it, such as "an MVP: real people using it, not in the app stores yet", and ask for a price part by part. Then every quote you get prices the same thing, and you can compare them.
Send your brief. Get one page back, usually the same working day.
Which first version you need, what it should cost as a range, and three questions to ask anyone who bids. Done by a person on our team, subject to availability.