What does it cost to build a SaaS MVP?
Draft outline — do not publish as-is. Section map for a partner to fill with first-hand expertise and only real, published figures. No invented metrics, clients, or testimonials. Flip
drafttofalseonce the prose is written and verified.
”MVP” is not a price — the scope is
One honest framing line: two quotes for “an MVP” can differ by an order of magnitude and both be fair. The word hides the only variable that matters — how much is in the first release.
What actually drives the cost
Expand as prose: the breadth of the release boundary; number and complexity of core flows; auth and roles; billing; third-party integrations; the infrastructure, monitoring, and handover that make it operable, not just demo-able.
What a fixed-fee first release includes
Mirror the published SaaS inclusions — product brief and first-release scope, core flows and interface system, a TypeScript + Postgres foundation, auth and roles, billing or workflow integration, monitoring and a release checklist, QA, written handover and 30-day support.
Why fixed-fee, not hourly, for a product
Argue the model: hourly pushes estimation risk onto a founder who can least afford it mid-build. A fixed fee against a written scope moves that risk to us — see what fixed-fee actually means.
So what should you budget?
Cite the real published figure: our SaaS and web-app builds start at $15,000, scoped to a first release you can actually ship. Close by inviting the reader to tell us the first useful release.
Up-link: /services/saas (+ the relatedService aside). Lateral: /services/business-website, /services/ecommerce. Proof / convert: /journal/what-fixed-fee-actually-means, /contact.