The honest answer is: it depends — but not as much as most quotes suggest. A well-scoped MVP built the AI-first way usually lands between €4,500 and €15,000. Agencies quoting €40,000+ for the same idea aren't building something better; they're building something bigger than you need, with more people billing for it.
Here's what actually moves the number.
What an MVP is — and isn't
An MVP proves one thing: that people want the core of what you're building. It is not version 1.0 of the finished product. The single biggest cost driver is confusing the two.
- A real MVP has one core flow, done well, that a real user can try.
- A "small v1" has settings, admin panels, multiple user roles, billing, and a marketing site — before anyone has confirmed the idea works.
Cut everything that isn't the core flow and you've often halved the cost before writing a line of code.
The four things that set the price
- Scope — how many screens and flows. One core journey is cheap; five interconnected ones are not.
- AI and integrations — a login form is standard. An LLM feature, a payment provider, or syncing with an external system each adds real work.
- Design — working from a clear reference or a simple system is fast. Bespoke, pixel-perfect design across every state costs more.
- Data complexity — a simple record store is quick; real-time, multi-user, or heavy reporting is not.
Nothing on this list is "developer hours." It's decisions. Every one you make clearly up front is money you don't spend later.
Why AI-first changes the math
Traditional pricing is time multiplied by a team. AI compresses the repetitive 80% — scaffolding, tests, boilerplate, wiring — so a single senior developer covers ground that used to need three people. Remove the agency layers on top and the same result costs a fraction. That's why our MVP builds start at €4,500 rather than five figures.
The savings are real, but they don't come from cutting corners. AI handles the grind; a human still owns the architecture, the edge cases, and the taste. That last part is what makes the difference between a demo and a product.
A rough guide
- €500–€2,000 — a landing page, a single feature, or a small internal tool.
- €4,500–€8,000 — a focused MVP: one core flow, production-grade, ready for first users.
- €8,000–€15,000 — an MVP with an AI feature, a payment flow, or a few connected screens.
These are starting points, not a menu. The right way to price your idea is a short conversation about what it actually needs.
Why our numbers are lower — and honest
The price gap isn't a discount, it's the model. AI absorbs the repetitive hours, there are no agency layers billing you for meetings, and you work directly with the person building your product. That's how ScratLabs delivers senior-level work at freelance pricing — see the transparent starting points. And the scope is fixed up front, so the number we agree on is the number you pay: no change-request surprises at the end.
Want a clear, honest number for your project? Tell us what you're building — we usually reply within a day with a fixed scope, timeline and price.
Got a project in mind? Let’s talk it through.