How much does a SaaS MVP cost in 2026?
"SaaS MVP cost" is where founder conversations get uncomfortable fast. One agency quotes €12,000, another €85,000 — for the same three-paragraph brief. The gap is real and usually explained by what each party means by "MVP." Below are the price bands we use for MVP and startup development, with an honest map of prototype vs no-code vs custom code — and what to cut before you pay for scale you do not need yet.
Price bands by build path
| Path | Cost (EUR) | Timeline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Figma prototype | €2,000 – €5,000 | 2–4 weeks | Idea validation, investor demos, user tests |
| No-code MVP (Bubble, etc.) | €8,000 – €18,000 | 4–8 weeks | Simple workflows, <500 users, fast experiments |
| Custom code MVP | €18,000 – €45,000 | 8–14 weeks | Auth, Stripe billing, one core workflow, clean IP |
| Production v1 | €45,000 – €120,000 | 4–8 months | Multi-role admin, analytics, SLA, security hardening |
What actually moves the number
- Scope clarity. "User management + dashboard + API" can mean 80 or 800 hours. Written discovery (€500–€2,000, often credited) removes guesswork.
- Billing complexity. Single Stripe Checkout: modest. Usage-based metering, seat pricing, trials, and proration: +30–50%.
- Real-time features. Live collaboration, websockets, notifications at scale — rarely needed in a true MVP.
- Mobile. Responsive web first; native iOS/Android is a separate product line, not an MVP default.
The mistake we see most often
Founders skip validation and fund a €40,000 "MVP" with admin panels, role matrices, and microservices — then discover the core workflow was wrong. A €5,000 prototype plus 15 customer calls would have changed the spec entirely.
Read also: MVP vs prototype — which fits your stage.
FAQ
How much does a SaaS MVP cost?
€8,000–€120,000 depending on prototype vs no-code vs custom vs production v1.
Cheapest validation path?
Figma prototype + customer interviews: €2,000–€5,000.
Typical timeline?
Custom MVP: 8–14 weeks with a senior team of 2–3 engineers.