The short answer
Check demand with a pre-sales MVP from $300, build a core MVP from $800, and launch a first-customers MVP with accounts and payments from $1,500. Each stage has a fixed price in writing before work starts, and you decide whether to continue after seeing the results of the previous one.
Three stages, three prices
| Stage | What you get | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-sales MVP | Landing page or clickable demo, sign-ups or pre-orders, payment link | from $300 | 1–2 weeks |
| Core MVP | Accounts, a database and one core feature working end to end | from $800 | 2–4 weeks |
| First-customers MVP | Accounts, payments, admin panel, 2–3 core features | from $1,500 | 4–8 weeks |
Stages protect your money: if the pre-sales page gets no sign-ups, you have spent $300 instead of $5,000, and you know something important about the idea.
What an MVP looks like at each price
- $300: an online course announced on a landing page with a waitlist and a pre-order button. If people pay before the course exists, it is worth recording.
- $800: a booking app for tutors — tutors sign up, publish free slots, students book. One feature, working end to end.
- $1,500: a small SaaS with sign-up, a paid plan, an admin panel and the two or three features customers asked for during pre-sales.
What makes an MVP more expensive
- Two-sided products such as marketplaces: two sets of screens, rules and support.
- Payments and subscriptions, especially with trials, refunds and invoices.
- Real-time features: chat, live updates, audio or video.
- Native mobile apps for iPhone and Android instead of a web app or a Telegram Mini App.
- AI: worth it when it is the product, expensive when it is decoration.
- Integrations with banks, government systems or legacy software.
Why some quotes are $20,000 or more
Agencies often quote tens of thousands for an MVP, and it is not always overpricing: the price includes project managers, designers, testers, separate apps for two platforms and the agency's overheads. A first version rarely needs all of that. A focused web app or Mini App, built by one developer with a fixed scope, gets you to real users for a fraction of the cost — the comparison is in freelancer or agency.
Costs after launch
Hosting for an early product is usually $5–20 a month. Paid services — payments, email, AI — charge per use. Changes cost $15 an hour, with no monthly retainer, so you pay for development only when you actually need it.
How to spend less
- Write down the one action a user must complete for the product to be worth paying for.
- Do everything else by hand at first — an admin can approve, send and check things manually.
- Sell before you build: a pre-sales page shows whether the next stage is worth it.
- Start with a web app or Mini App; build native apps only when the numbers justify them.
What you own at the end
The source code, the database, the server, the domain and every account — all registered to you. You also get short documentation, so another developer can continue the work if you ever need one. More on the process in MVP development, step by step.
Questions
How much should an MVP cost?
As little as it takes to answer your riskiest question: $300 for a pre-sales page, $800 for one working feature, $1,500 for a product that takes payments.
How much does an MVP app cost?
A web app or Telegram Mini App starts at $800–1,500. Native iPhone and Android apps usually cost several times more.
Who owns the code and the idea?
You do. I can sign an NDA, and you receive all source code and every account.
How long does an MVP take?
One to two weeks for a pre-sales MVP, two to four weeks for a core MVP and four to eight weeks for a first-customers MVP.
Will you continue after the MVP?
Yes — or hand the product over to your team with documentation.