What agencies publish
These are figures that development companies publish about their own work. They are marketing material rather than market benchmarks, and they do not define an MVP in the same way. They were checked in November 2026. We do not publish our own prices; you get a written estimate after scoping.
- Brilworks
- Focused MVPs from about $30,000; full multi-tenant platforms from about $75,000 to $250,000 or more.
- Magora (UK)
- MVPs from £10,000; full multi-tenant platforms from £30,000; enterprise SaaS from £80,000.
Sources: Brilworks SaaS development services, Magora SaaS development
What moves the price most
Counting screens says little about cost. These factors usually matter more.
- Roles and permissions
- Each extra role multiplies the cases to build and test.
- Integrations
- Each outside system adds its own rules, errors and upkeep.
- Billing model
- Flat subscriptions are simple. Usage-based pricing and invoicing are not.
- Compliance
- Regulated data adds controls, records and reviews.
- Enterprise features
- Single sign-on, audit logs and admin controls are often a phase of their own.
- Certainty
- Unclear requirements cost more than long ones, as they lead to rework.
How long it takes
Timelines vary as widely as prices. Brilworks quotes 10 to 16 weeks for a focused MVP, while Techsy's calculator suggests 4 to 7 months for a small-business product. The gap is largely about what each one counts as a first version.
The costs people forget
The build is not the whole bill. Budget for these as well.
- Hosting and services
- Cloud hosting, email, monitoring and any AI usage.
- Payment fees
- Provider fees come out of every transaction.
- Maintenance
- Security updates, dependency upgrades and bug fixes never stop.
- Support
- Someone has to answer customers.
- Security and compliance
- Outside penetration tests and audits are usually paid separately.
How to get a useful estimate
Send every company the same brief: who the customer is, the core job, roles, integrations, your pricing idea and any compliance needs. Ask each to state what is excluded and what they assumed.
Be wary of a low fixed price given without questions. It usually means the assumptions are hidden, and they tend to resurface as change requests.
How to keep costs down
Limit the first version to one customer type and one core job. Buy standard functions instead of building them. Decide the expensive-to-change items early, and pay for scoping before committing to the full build.
Common questions
Why not just publish a price?
Two products described in the same words can differ many times over in effort. A written estimate based on your scope is more useful than a number that does not fit.
Is offshore development cheaper?
Hourly rates are often lower, but total cost depends on how well the work is managed and specified. Rework can erase the difference, so compare the whole engagement.
Fixed price or time and materials?
A fixed price suits a well-defined scope. Time and materials suits work that will change as you learn. A fixed scoping phase followed by either is a common approach.
Looking for help with this? See SaaS development.