The Real Cost of Building an MVP in 2026 — With Actual Numbers
Source: Dev.to
Introduction
Most articles about MVP costs give you useless ranges like “anywhere from $5,000 to $500,000.” That’s not helpful. Below is a practical breakdown based on 30+ MVPs we’ve shipped across fintech, healthtech, SaaS, marketplaces, and internal tools.
MVP Categories
Validation MVP
What you get: One core flow, functional but minimal. Enough to put in front of users and learn if your idea has legs.
Timeline: 2‑4 weeks
Typical scope
- Single user type (no admin panel)
- One core workflow
- Basic authentication
- Simple, clean UI (not custom design)
- Deployed and working
Real example: A compliance‑checking tool where a user uploads a document → AI extracts data → user reviews results. No dashboard, no team features, no billing. Total: £7,500, delivered in 3 weeks.
Who this is for: You have an idea but aren’t sure it’ll work. You want to test before committing £20K+.
Standard MVP
What you get: A real product with core features needed to acquire and retain early users. This is what most people mean when they say “MVP.”
Timeline: 4‑8 weeks
Typical scope
- User authentication (email, Google, magic links)
- 3‑5 core features
- Basic admin panel
- Payment integration (Stripe)
- Responsive design
- Analytics setup
- CI/CD pipeline
Real example: B2B SaaS for recruitment – sign‑up, connect CRM, dashboard with insights, paid upgrade, admin panel for metrics. Total: £14,000, delivered in 6 weeks. They raised a seed round 4 months later.
Advanced MVP
What you get: Complex business logic, multiple user types, integrations.
Timeline: 8‑12 weeks
Typical scope
- Multiple user roles (customers, vendors, admins)
- Complex workflows
- Third‑party integrations
- Real‑time features (chat, notifications)
- Multi‑tenant architecture
- More sophisticated UI/UX
Real example: Marketplace connecting freelancers with clients – onboarding, profiles, search/matching, messaging, booking, escrow payments, reviews, admin panel. Total: £28,000, delivered in 10 weeks.
Cost‑Increasing Factors
| Factor | Impact | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple user types | +30‑50% | Each role needs its own flows, permissions, UI |
| Real‑time features | +20‑40% | WebSockets, state sync, edge cases |
| Third‑party integrations | +10‑30% each | APIs are never as clean as documented |
| Custom design | +15‑25% | Off‑the‑shelf UI is fast; bespoke isn’t |
| Regulatory compliance | +20‑40% | HIPAA, GDPR, PCI‑DSS add overhead |
| Native mobile apps | +50‑100% | Two platforms, app‑store review, device testing |
Cost‑Reducing Factors
| Factor | Impact | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Clear scope upfront | -10‑20% | Less back‑and‑forth |
| Existing wireframes | -10‑15% | Not starting from scratch |
| Flexible on tech stack | -5‑10% | We use what’s fastest |
| Prioritized feature list | -15‑25% | Build what matters, cut what doesn’t |
Ongoing Expenses
- Hosting, database, CDN, email service, monitoring: typically £50‑150/month for an MVP.
- Stripe fees (2.9 % + 30p per transaction), analytics, error tracking, email marketing.
- Expect 2‑4 weeks of post‑launch iteration. Even with a dev team, you’ll spend 5‑10 hours/week on feedback, decisions, and testing.
Location‑Based Cost Comparison
| Location | Standard MVP cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| US (Bay Area) | $80,000‑150,000 | High salaries, expensive everything |
| UK (London) | £40,000‑80,000 | Less than SF, still expensive |
| Western Europe | €35,000‑70,000 | Germany, Netherlands, France |
| Poland | £10,000‑20,000 | Strong talent, lower cost of living |
| India/Pakistan | £5,000‑12,000 | Lower cost, often quality/communication trade‑offs |
Pricing Guidelines by Funding Stage
- Pre‑seed / Bootstrapped: £5,000‑10,000
- Seed‑funded: £15,000‑25,000
- Series A / Well‑funded: £25,000‑50,000+
If someone quotes you significantly below these ranges, ask:
- Who’s actually doing the work? (Junior devs? Outsourced further?)
- What’s included? (Design? Testing? Deployment? Post‑launch support?)
- What’s the revision policy?
- Who owns the code? (You should. Always.)
- What happens after launch?
Cheap quotes often become expensive projects when you have to rebuild 6 months later.
How to Get an Accurate Estimate
When you reach out to a dev shop, come prepared with:
- One paragraph describing the product — what does it do? who is it for?
- The core user flow — what’s the main thing a user does?
- A rough feature list — even bullet points help
- Your timeline — when do you need it?
- Your budget range — they’ll tell you what’s realistic within it
The more clarity you provide, the more accurate the estimate.
Building an MVP in 2026 (Typical Cost Ranges)
| MVP type | Cost range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Validation MVP | £5,000‑10,000 | 2‑4 weeks |
| Standard MVP | £10,000‑20,000 | 4‑8 weeks |
| Advanced MVP | £20,000‑35,000+ | 8‑12 weeks |
Add a 20‑30 % buffer for post‑launch iteration and hidden costs.
Don’t pay Bay Area prices for work that can be done at equal quality in Europe. Don’t chase bottom‑dollar rates and end up with code you’ll have to throw away.