How much does an MVP cost? A fixed-price answer
Published
At Choie, a one-week coded prototype costs a fixed $4,900, and a full first version of a web or mobile product starts at $19,000 and takes four to six weeks. Any other quote you get for an MVP will land wherever the scope does. This guide explains what moves the number, what is usually left out of it, and how to get a price that does not change after you say yes.
The honest answer: fix the scope, then the price is fixed
“MVP” is not a scope. It can mean one workflow on the web or three platforms with payments, identity, and an admin panel. Every quote you receive is really a quote for whatever the studio assumed the word meant. So the first job is not to ask for a price; it is to write down the smallest release that would prove the idea, then ask for a price for that.
Three things define that release: one primary user, one critical workflow they must complete, and a clear first release you would be willing to launch. If those are written down, a fixed price is possible. If they are not, every price is an estimate.
What moves the number
- Platforms. Web only is the smallest first release. Adding iOS and Android adds real screens, real testing, and store submission.
- Workflows and screens. Each critical workflow brings its own states: empty, loading, error, success. A prototype covers one workflow in up to eight screens or states; a build covers as many as the scope names.
- Integrations. Payments, identity, messaging, and third-party data each add architecture and edge cases.
- Handoffs. When a designer produces files and a separate developer interprets them, the gap is paid for twice: once in translation, once in rework. Design and code in the same hands removes that line item.
- How many decisions are already made. A team that arrives with a tested prototype and a written recommendation buys a smaller build than one that starts from a pitch deck.
Three price points and what each buys
| Engagement | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Prove it | Fixed $4,900, one week | One critical workflow, up to eight key screens or states. A coded prototype with real product behavior, not a Figma mockup. Delivered in five working days. |
| Ship it | From $19,000, four to six weeks | Designed and built by the same people. Nothing gets lost in between. A live link every Friday. You use it, not review it. Real code on the web, iOS, or Android. All of it yours. |
| Grow it | From $7,900 / month, month to month | Reserved product capacity throughout the month. One clear product priority at a time. Design and development move together. Something meaningful ships every week. |
Prices include VAT. Full inclusions, payment steps, and what is excluded are on the pricing page.
What is usually left out of an MVP quote
- User recruitment and formal usability testing.
- Third-party services and their fees: hosting, payment processing, email, app store accounts.
- Software, fonts, and libraries under their own licences.
- Changes after launch. At Choie, defects in our own work are free for 30 days; new work is a monthly engagement.
- The marketing site and measurement, unless the scope names them.
Ask any studio where each of these sits. A fixed price is only fixed if the list is written down.
Prototype first to lower the build price
The cheapest expensive mistake is building the wrong first release well. A coded prototype of the one critical workflow, with real behaviour, tells you in a week whether the idea holds and which decisions are still open. At Choie that week is a fixed $4,900, ends with a concise build recommendation, and the full fee comes off a build that starts within 60 days. The build quote is usually lower because fewer decisions are left to make while paying build rates.
How to get a fixed price for your MVP
- Write down the one primary user and the one workflow they must complete.
- Name the first release you would actually launch, and what is deliberately not in it.
- Decide platforms: web first, or web plus native.
- List the integrations you cannot launch without.
- Ask for the price, the date, and the payment split in writing, and for who owns the code when it is paid.
At Choie that conversation is a 30-minute intro call with no preparation needed; the written scope and fixed price follow within two days. See how a project runs or send a few lines about the product.
Questions about MVP cost
How much does it cost to build an MVP with Choie?
A one-week coded prototype is a fixed $4,900. A full build of a web, iOS, or Android product starts at $19,000 and takes four to six weeks. Ongoing work after launch starts at $7,900 a month. All prices include VAT and are fixed in a written scope before work starts.
Why do MVP quotes vary so much between studios?
Because the word MVP does not fix a scope. Two founders can ask for an MVP and mean one workflow on the web or three platforms with payments and identity. The price follows the scope, so the only way to compare quotes is to compare the written scopes behind them.
What is the cheapest way to find out if an idea works?
A coded prototype of the one critical workflow, tested with real behaviour rather than a static mockup. At Choie that is the one-week Prove it engagement. If a build starts within 60 days, the full prototype fee is credited against it.
Are there costs after launch?
Defects in Choie's own work are fixed at no charge for 30 days after launch. Beyond that, ongoing changes are covered by a month-to-month engagement from $7,900 a month. Third-party services such as hosting, payment processing, and app store accounts are billed by their providers.