:: Services / MVP development
MVP development that gets you to real users in weeks, not months
An MVP is not a cheaper version of your full product. It is the smallest version that proves people want it. We help founders cut the scope to what matters, build it properly, launch it and learn from real users before spending more.
Launch in 8 to 12 weeks
Fixed scope and price
Built to grow, not to throw away
:: What we do
What our MVP development includes
Everything you need to go from idea to paying users.
01
Scope workshop
We turn your idea into a short list of features that test the riskiest assumption, and cut the rest.
02
Clickable prototype
A prototype you can show investors and early users before any code is written.
03
Web or mobile MVP
A working product on web, iOS, Android or all three, with logins, payments and an admin panel.
04
AI features
Where AI is the product, we build a focused first version and measure whether it is good enough.
05
Analytics and feedback
Product analytics and simple feedback loops so you know what users actually do.
06
Next releases
Once you have data, we plan and build version two, or hand over to your own team.
:: MVP vs prototype
Prototype, proof of concept or MVP?
Each one answers a different question. Picking the right one saves months and a lot of money.
Can people use it?
Clickable prototype
Designed screens linked together, with no real code behind them. Built in one to three weeks to test the idea with users and investors.
Can it be built?
Proof of concept
A small piece of working code that proves a risky part works, such as an AI feature or an integration. Not meant for users.
Will people pay?
Minimum viable product
A real, working product with only the core features, used by real customers so you can learn what to build next.
:: MVP features
What belongs in an MVP, and what does not
The hardest part of an MVP is saying no. This is the line we help founders draw.
Include in version one
Sign-up and login
The one workflow that delivers the core value
Payments, if you are testing willingness to pay
A basic admin view for you
Analytics on the key actions
A simple way for users to send feedback
Leave for later
Every user role you might have one day
Settings and preferences pages
Native apps when a web app will do
Complex reporting and exports
Integrations nobody has asked for yet
:: How it works
From idea to launch
A typical MVP launches 8 to 12 weeks after the first workshop.
Week 1
Scope
Workshop, feature list, user flows and a fixed price for the MVP.
Weeks 2 to 3
Prototype
Clickable design tested with a few target users.
Weeks 3 to 10
Build
Development in sprints with a working build you can try every week.
Weeks 10 to 12
Launch
Store or web launch, analytics live, and a review of what to build next.
:: MVP examples
MVPs we have planned, start to finish
Each blueprint shows how we would scope, build and launch an MVP in a specific market.
Education
School management SaaS MVP
Attendance, grades and parent messages for small private schools, scoped for about ten weeks.
Read the blueprint
Marketplace
Equipment rental marketplace
Listings, bookings and deposits between owners and renters, with the smallest feature set that proves demand.
Read the blueprint
Hospitality
Restaurant loyalty app
A points and rewards app that tests whether guests come back more often.
Read the blueprint
:: Cost and timeline
How much does MVP development cost?
Typical prices for our MVPs, based on a senior team at $25 to $35 an hour. You get a fixed price after a scope workshop.
Clickable prototype
$3k – $8k
1 to 3 weeks
Designed and linked screens to test with users and show investors, with no code behind them.
Web MVP
$5k – $25k
6 to 10 weeks
A working web product with logins, the core workflow, payments if needed, an admin view and analytics.
Mobile or AI MVP
$20k – $50k
8 to 12 weeks
iOS and Android from one codebase, or an MVP built around an AI feature, launched to real users.
What it costs to run
Most MVPs run on $20 to $200 a month of hosting and services at launch. AI features add model usage, which we estimate per user before the build.
What moves the price
Web, mobile or both
Payments and subscriptions
AI features and their running cost
Number of user types
Integrations with other tools
:: Why Sterling
Why founders work with us
A fixed price, agreed before build
Code you own, on a stack that scales
Honest advice on what to cut
A team that can keep building after launch
350+ projects delivered since 2019
:: Tools we use
React
Next.js
Flutter
React Native
Node.js
Supabase
Firebase
Stripe
OpenAI
4.9
Average rating on Clutch · 350+ projects since 2019
:: Questions
Questions about MVPs
How much does MVP development cost?
How long does it take to build an MVP?
What should be in an MVP?
Will we have to rebuild after the MVP?
Do you work with non-technical founders?
What is the difference between an MVP and a prototype?
How do you build an MVP?
Can you build an MVP with AI features?
Do you help with investor demos?
What happens after the MVP launches?
:: App cost calculator
What would your MVP cost?
Choose the features your first release needs and see a price range, timeline and team size in two minutes. No email needed.
Estimate your app cost
:: Related services
Other ways we can help
Send us your brief. We’ll help turn it into reality
A senior engineer replies within one business day with questions or a first plan: approach, team, timeline and estimate.