Rupak Amin
Founder & Lead Engineer, RAITHub
Updated 5 min read
“How much does an MVP cost?” is the most common question we get. Here's an honest breakdown of general market ranges in 2026. These are not RAITHub quotes: we publish no rates, and every estimate we give is written for your scope, with its assumptions (see how RAITHub pricing works).
The Short Answer
Across the market, a production-grade SaaS MVP typically costs $15,000 – $50,000. A tightly scoped MVP takes 4 – 6 weeks; integrations, real-time features and compliance work push it past that. The range depends on complexity, not on “premium features.”
What's Included
- Authentication & user management — Sign up, login, password reset, role-based access
- Core product flow — The 3-5 screens that deliver your value proposition
- Payment integration — Stripe or equivalent, subscription management
- Admin dashboard — Content management, user management, analytics
- Deployment & CI/CD — Production hosting, automated testing, monitoring
Cost Breakdown by Category
| Category | % of Budget | Typical Market Range |
|---|---|---|
| Frontend Development | 30% | $4,500 – $15,000 |
| Backend & APIs | 35% | $5,250 – $17,500 |
| QA & Testing | 15% | $2,250 – $7,500 |
| DevOps & Infrastructure | 10% | $1,500 – $5,000 |
| Project Management | 10% | $1,500 – $5,000 |
What Drives Cost Up
- 1Third-party integrations — Each API integration adds 1-2 weeks
- 2Real-time features — WebSockets, live updates, notifications
- 3Complex data models — Multi-tenant, role-based permissions
- 4Regulatory compliance — HIPAA, SOC 2, PCI-DSS requirements
What Keeps Cost Down
- 1Clear scope document — Know exactly what you're building before day 1
- 2Proven tech stack — Next.js + PostgreSQL, not experimental frameworks
- 3Feature discipline — Ship the core, iterate on everything else
- 4QA-first development — A bug caught before release costs far less than one fixed in production
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