RaftWorks
How Much Does an MVP Cost in 2026?
Most MVPs take 3 to 6 weeks to build. What they cost depends less on hours than on six things you decide before the first line of code.
The short answer
A simple MVP typically costs $5,000 to $15,000 in 2026, and a standard one $10,000 to $50,000, according to published industry guides. Compliance-heavy fintech or healthcare products are the exception and often pass $150,000.
Time is easier to pin down than price. At RaftWorks, most MVPs ship in 3 to 6 weeks: automations in 1 to 2, web MVPs in 3 to 4, marketplaces and mobile apps in 4 to 6. What a build costs depends less on hours than on six decisions you make before the first line of code, covered below.
How long each type of MVP takes
These are the timelines we work to, from the scoping call to a product in production. A clickable version lands around day 7 on every build, with a demo every Friday after that.
| What you are building | Typical timeline | Example we shipped |
|---|---|---|
| Automation or integration | 1 to 2 weeks | Trupenny's QuickBooks sync |
| AI agent or AI feature | 2 to 3 weeks | Petran's statement extraction |
| Web MVP (SaaS, CRM, dashboard) | 3 to 4 weeks | MessageWiz, Static |
| Client portal or internal tool | 3 to 5 weeks | Trupenny, Vemente |
| Two-sided marketplace | 4 to 6 weeks | Aptavo, Rewarding Resources |
| Mobile app (iOS and Android) | 4 to 6 weeks | Selaveeta, RemindHer |
| Fintech or healthcare product | 4 to 6 weeks | Petran, Clinical Stack |
| Brand, design and product together | 5 to 8 weeks | Design + Build sprint |
Timeline is the best proxy for cost you can get before a scoping call. Longer builds have more roles, integrations and flows, and those are what you pay for.
What MVPs cost across the market
Published 2026 guides agree on the shape of the curve, even where their numbers differ. The ranges below are market averages, not our prices; we quote every build after a scoping call.
| Tier | What it usually means | Market range (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | One core feature, one user role, no payments | $5,000 to $15,000 |
| Standard | Several flows, payments or an integration or two | $10,000 to $50,000 |
| Complex | Multiple roles, many integrations, AI or real-time features | $50,000 to $150,000 |
| Regulated | Fintech or healthcare with compliance work | $50,000 to $150,000+ (fintech), higher for EHR-integrated healthcare |
Two things move a build up or down these tiers faster than anything else: compliance and the number of user roles. A fintech MVP and a consumer app with the same screen count can sit a full tier apart.
Sources: Techtic, MVP Development Cost in 2026 (August 2026). Also consulted: Metizsoft, MVP Development Cost Guide 2026 (December 2025).
The six things that set the price
An MVP is priced by what is in scope, not by the hour. These six decisions account for most of the difference between a $10,000 build and a $100,000 one.
- Number of user roles. Every role (buyer, seller, admin, broker, clinician) needs its own permissions, screens and flows. A two-sided marketplace starts with at least three.
- Integrations. Each connection to another system, such as QuickBooks, a CRM, a calendar or a construction platform, adds build and testing time. Two integrations cost far less than eight.
- The payment model. A simple checkout is straightforward. Split payouts, held deposits, subscriptions with proration or a credit system each add real work and testing.
- AI features. Reading documents, transcribing voice or answering questions from your data needs a schema, a review step, logging and an evaluation set, not just a model call.
- Compliance. HIPAA-aware data handling, KYC through a processor or audit logs on sensitive actions are scoped on day one and add time throughout.
- Platforms. Web only is the cheapest. A mobile app for iOS and Android, offline support, or device features like voice and camera all add scope.
If you want a quick estimate before talking to anyone, count your roles and integrations. Those two numbers predict the size of most builds better than the number of screens.
Low-code or custom code: which costs less?
Low-code is usually cheaper to start and custom code is usually cheaper to own. The right choice depends on what the product has to do in its second year, not its first month.
| Low-code (Bubble, Softr, FlutterFlow) | Custom code (Next.js, Postgres, React Native) | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Internal tools, portals on top of existing data, validating demand | Products you plan to raise money on, scale or sell |
| Upfront cost | Lower | Higher |
| Ongoing cost | Platform fees that grow with usage | Hosting, usually lower at scale |
| Ownership | Tied to the platform | You own the code |
| Limits | Complex logic, performance at volume, some compliance needs | Few, but every feature is built rather than configured |
We build coded products by default, written with agentic tooling and reviewed by senior developers, and use low-code when it is genuinely the fastest path. Clinical Stack, an AI scheduling tool for medical practices, runs on Bubble with GPT-4 and Twilio. Petran, a lender-matching engine, is a coded React app because its rules had to be deterministic and auditable.
Three real builds, three different cost profiles
A marketplace: Aptavo. A UK removals marketplace with an instant quote engine, Bronze, Silver and Gold provider tiers, and a 14% deposit held through Stripe Connect until the move completes. Three roles, split payments and a pricing engine put it in the standard-to-complex range. Read the Aptavo case study.
A fintech tool with AI: Petran. A broker uploads a P&L, an LLM extracts the figures, and deterministic code calculates DSCR and ranks 13 lenders. One core flow kept the scope tight, while the AI extraction and rule engine needed careful testing. A 90-minute manual assessment now takes under ten. Read the Petran case study.
A mobile app: Selaveeta. A wellness and meditation app on iOS and Android with a 30-second pulse scan using the front camera. Two platforms, a camera-based device feature and Stripe subscriptions are exactly the kind of scope that moves a mobile build up a tier. Read the Selaveeta case study.
How to keep your MVP cost down
- Scope to the first real transaction. Build only what a user needs to complete the one action that proves the business: the first booking, the first paid order, the first assessment. Everything else waits for version two.
- Cut roles before features. Launching with one user type instead of three can take weeks off the build. An admin role can start as a simple internal view.
- Use licensed rails. Stripe, Plaid and processor-native KYC carry regulated work so you do not build it yourself.
- Agree a fixed scope and a fixed price. Hourly billing rewards a project that drifts. A written scope means any change is priced before it is built.
- Pick the stack for year two. A cheaper first month on the wrong platform can cost more than the whole MVP when you have to rebuild.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an MVP cost in 2026? A simple MVP typically costs $5,000 to $15,000 and a standard one $10,000 to $50,000, according to published industry guides. Compliance-heavy fintech or healthcare products are the exception and often pass $150,000.
How long does it take to build an MVP? Most take 3 to 6 weeks with a focused team. Automations ship in 1 to 2 weeks, web MVPs in 3 to 4, and marketplaces and mobile apps in 4 to 6.
Is it cheaper to build an MVP with no-code? Usually cheaper to start, not always cheaper to own. Low-code suits internal tools and validating demand; custom code suits products you plan to scale, raise on or sell.
Why do agency quotes for the same idea differ so much? Because the scope behind them differs. Compare quotes on roles, integrations, payment model, AI features, compliance and platforms, not on the headline number.
Fixed price or hourly? Fixed price, if the scope is written down. It moves the risk of overruns to the builder and makes every change visible before it is paid for.
Get a fixed quote for your MVP
Book a free 30-minute scoping call. We map the product, recommend a stack and send a fixed-scope, fixed-price quote in writing within 48 hours. Book a scoping call or try the 60-second build planner.