Answer
What is a fair price for MVP development?
Short answer
A fair price is one where the scope is written down, the total is known before you commit, and the risk of the build taking longer sits with the developer rather than you. In Australia that is roughly $3,000 to $15,000 for a three-to-five feature MVP from a solo developer. Be sceptical of open-ended hourly quotes with no scope document.
Price is the wrong thing to compare first. Two quotes for 'an MVP' can differ by a factor of ten and both be reasonable, because they describe different products. Compare the scope documents, then compare the prices.
The structure of the quote tells you more than the number. A fixed price with a written scope means the developer has thought about the work and is carrying the risk of getting it wrong. An hourly estimate with no scope document means you are carrying that risk.
Things that should appear in a fair quote: exactly what is being built, what is explicitly excluded, the delivery date, who owns the code, what happens if it runs over, and what support is included afterwards. If any of those are missing, ask — the answer, or the reluctance, is informative.
Being wary of the very cheapest quote is also reasonable. A $500 MVP is either a template with your logo on it or a project that will be abandoned. Neither is a bargain.
The numbers
- Solo developer, fixed price
- $3,000–$15,000 for 3–5 features
- Australian hourly contract rate
- $80–$180 per hour
- Agency MVP
- $50,000–$150,000
- Must be in the quote
- Written scope, exclusions, delivery date, IP ownership, overrun terms, support window
- Red flag
- No scope document, or a price quoted before anyone asked what the product does
- Red flag
- Ownership of the code left unstated
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Fixed $3,500 AUD. Scope agreed in writing before anything is built.