Free Estimate — No Signup RequiredApp development cost calculator
— your MVP estimate in 3 minutes.
Answer a few quick questions — get your project scope, timeline, and cost estimate instantly. No signup, no sales call.
What's your industry?
Select the domain your product is in
Software for medical devices, patient portals, telemedicine apps, EHR/EMR, mobile medical apps.
Fintech apps, banking & payment solutions, trading platforms, lending, insurance tech.
Online stores, B2B/B2C marketplaces, mobile commerce platforms, CRM systems, auction platforms.
Restaurant management, food delivery, POS systems, menu platforms, reservation & ordering apps.
Dealership management, vehicle tracking, fleet management, auto marketplace, car service apps.
HRIS for personnel tracking, payroll, benefits, recruiting, onboarding, career planning.
Travel portals, hotel management, mobile hospitality apps, booking systems, tour platforms.
Logistics & transportation management, warehouse management, asset tracking, route optimization.
eLearning apps, LMS/LCMS, education portals, virtual classrooms, school management systems.
Commercial & rental property management, CRM/ERP, listing platforms, tenant portals.
DApps, cryptocurrency exchanges, smart contracts, crypto mining services, NFT platforms.
Don't see your industry? No problem — we build custom solutions for any domain.
Trusted by founders building real products
Free software development cost calculator for startup founders
This calculator helps non-technical founders get a realistic cost range for their first product version. Whether you're building a SaaS platform, a marketplace, a mobile app, or an AI-powered tool — answer 8 quick questions and get an instant estimate with a recommended scope, timeline, and tech stack. No signup, no sales call, no commitment.
The estimate is a planning range, not a final quote. It's designed to help you understand what a focused V1 looks like and how much budget to allocate before you talk to a development team.
How this estimate works
The calculator considers several factors to produce your cost range: product type (SaaS, marketplace, mobile, AI tool, dashboard), selected features (authentication, payments, admin panel, integrations, AI, real-time, analytics), platform choice, design readiness, and your timeline. Each factor adjusts the base cost up or down based on real project data from 20+ products we've shipped.
After the quiz, you get a result screen with your cost range, recommended plan, V1 scope checklist, tech stack, and a week-by-week timeline. You can also request a detailed PDF plan sent to your email.
What affects MVP cost the most
- Product type — marketplaces and AI tools are more complex than simple dashboards or landing pages. A two-sided marketplace involves matching logic, multiple user roles, and transaction flows.
- Features — payment processing, admin panels, third-party integrations, and AI/automation each add significant scope. The more features in V1, the higher the cost.
- Platform — building for web only is cheaper than cross-platform (iOS + Android + web). Hybrid frameworks help reduce cost but still add complexity.
- Design readiness — if you already have designs or a prototype, we skip the design phase. Starting from zero adds 1–2 weeks and $1,500–$3,000.
- Timeline — rush projects (ASAP) carry a 10–15% surcharge due to resource prioritization. A comfortable 1–3 month window keeps costs lower.
Typical cost ranges by product type
SaaS Platform
$5,000 – $15,000
User auth, core workflow, subscription billing, admin dashboard. Typical V1 ships in 4–6 weeks.
Marketplace
$7,000 – $20,000
Buyer & seller flows, listing management, matching system, payments, reviews. 4–6 weeks for V1.
Mobile App
$6,000 – $18,000
Cross-platform or native, push notifications, user profiles, core feature set. 4–6 weeks for V1.
AI-Powered Tool
$7,000 – $22,000
AI integration, results dashboard, user onboarding, API connections. 4–6 weeks for V1.
Ranges based on a focused V1 scope with standard feature set. Final cost depends on specific requirements, integrations, and design complexity.
What's included in every estimate
- Scope direction — what to build in V1 and what to defer
- Budget range — realistic min/max based on your inputs
- Recommended tech stack — chosen for speed, cost, and scalability
- V1 feature checklist — prioritized list of what ships first
- Week-by-week timeline — when each deliverable lands
- Recommended plan — a full build, or the same build phased
What this estimate is — and what it isn't
This estimate is:
- A realistic planning range based on real project data
- A starting point for budget conversations with your team
- A way to compare scope vs. budget before committing
- Instant and free — no signup, no call needed
This estimate is not:
- A binding contract or fixed-price guarantee
- A substitute for a detailed requirements review
- A final scope — V1 scope is refined during kickoff
- Applicable to ongoing maintenance or post-launch work
Sample estimates
On-demand service marketplace
Auth, payments, matching, notifications, admin
AI writing assistant (SaaS)
Auth, AI integration, usage billing, analytics
Fitness tracking mobile app
Auth, push notifications, analytics, integrations
Trusted by Clients
Real client experiences that speak to the strength of our work.
“I spent months looking for a team that could handle our domain — US customs, auto parts catalogs, complex logistics. Most developers ran away after the first call. Shipkit jumped in, figured out the customs integration in days, built the entire FMCP marketplace, and shipped internal tools we actually use every day. Honestly — I didn't think it was possible this fast.”
Mohammad Hussein
CEO
Findmycarpart
“We needed an AI content engine that could produce 30+ SEO articles per month on autopilot — keyword research, competitor analysis, fact-checking, publishing. Shipkit built the entire multi-agent pipeline from scratch. Now UPgrid runs autonomously, and our clients see real organic traffic growth within weeks.”
Dmitry Volkov
Founder
UPgrid
“Our 3D wall panel configurator needed to work in real-time — drag panels, change colors, preview finishes, calculate quantities, and integrate with our order system. Shipkit delivered a production-ready 3D constructor that our customers actually love using. Sales through the configurator exceeded our projections in the first month.”
Alexey Petrov
Head of Digital
Zavod Relyef
“What stood out was the clarity. We always knew what was in scope, what was being built next, and what we would receive at handoff. Shipkit structured our analytics platform from a messy prototype into something our operations team relies on daily.”
Elena Kozlova
Operations Director
Genome AI
“Shipkit brought structure to a project that had too many moving parts. They rebuilt our internal ops platform, integrated real-time data feeds, and the final product felt thought through, stable, and ready for day-to-day use by a non-technical team.”
Daniel Reeves
CTO
Hotto
“We approached Alex to build a complete user management and licensing system, and he implemented it end-to-end: authentication, payments, license generation and delivery, plugin activation, seat management, and offline activation. The solution is reliable, well-structured, and production-ready. We highly recommend working with Alex.”
Kevin Andersen
Tapechild
Frequently asked questions about us.
Have a question?
Let's discuss it now!
I'm not technical. Can I still work with you?
That's exactly who we built Shipkit for. You describe what your product should do — we handle all the technical decisions, architecture, and code. You'll get weekly video updates in plain English, not developer jargon.
Do I own everything you build?
100% yes. The code, the design, the infrastructure — it's all yours from day one. After launch, you can hire your own team, keep working with us, or hand it to any developer. No lock-in.
Why fixed price instead of hourly?
Because you deserve to know the exact cost before we start. Hourly billing rewards slow work. We commit to a fixed price, a clear scope, and a delivery date — so there are no surprises on your invoice.
What if I just have an idea and nothing else?
That's a great place to start. Book a free call and we'll help you figure out what to build first, what can wait, and which plan makes sense.
What if my project is bigger than the standard tiers?
We scope custom projects individually. Tell us what you need and we'll put together a proposal with a fixed price and clear timeline. Most custom builds land in the 6–9 week range.
What happens after launch?
You get post-launch bug support (14 or 30 days depending on your plan), a walkthrough session so you know how everything works, and full documentation. We can also discuss ongoing support if you need it.
Ready to turn your
idea into a real
product?
Book a free founder call. We'll help you figure out what to build first, what it'll cost, and how fast we can launch it.
Limited availability — email alex@shipkit.us or use the contact page to start the conversation.