App MVPs from $4,999
MVP App Development for Canadian Founders
MVP app development for Canadian founders. We build the smallest version of your app that real users can download and pay for, so you learn what works before you spend more. App MVPs start from $4,999 CAD, with a fixed written quote within 24 hours.
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Tell us the idea and who it is for. You get a fixed written quote within 24 hours of a short call.
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What an app MVP costs
App MVPs start from $4,999 CAD. These are the ranges we quote from, before tax.
- MVP: one core flow$5,000 to $15,0004 to 8 weeks
- Single-platform app$5,000 to $12,0004 to 8 weeks
- iOS and Android, one codebase$8,000 to $18,0006 to 10 weeks
Marketplace and on-demand MVPs are quoted individually, usually $25,000 to $50,000+. Every project gets a written, fixed-scope quote before work starts. See the full price sheet or estimate your app.
Who this service is for
MVP development fits first-time founders with an idea and a budget that has to stretch, startup teams that need something in the stores before a pitch or a pilot, and businesses testing a new product before they commit to a full build. If you already have a live app that needs fixing, see app rescue and rebuilds instead.
What's included
- A scoping call that cuts the idea down to the one flow that proves it
- A written scope, a fixed quote and a milestone plan before any work starts
- Custom screens and a clickable prototype you can tap through on your phone
- An iOS app, an Android app, or one cross-platform app for both stores
- The backend the MVP needs: accounts, data, payments or bookings
- App Store and Google Play submission under your own developer accounts
- Basic analytics so you can see what users actually do
What is not included
- Features that do not serve the core flow, which go on a later-phase list with a price next to each
- Marketing, paid ads and content
- Store developer fees, which Apple and Google charge you directly
Anything on this list can still be quoted as a separate line, so nothing is hidden inside the main price.
How the engagement runs
- Scoping call. Thirty to sixty minutes on the idea, the users and the one thing version one must prove. We tell you what to cut.
- Written scope and fixed quote. Within 24 hours of the call: screens, features, what is out of scope, milestones and one price.
- Prototype. A clickable prototype on your own phone before engineering starts, which is the cheapest time to change your mind.
- Build in weekly cycles. A working build every week through TestFlight or Google Play testing, with short release notes.
- Launch and learn. Store submission, a staged release, and a review of the first weeks of real usage to plan phase two.
Every step ends with something you can open and check: a document, a prototype or a build on your own phone. Read the full four-step process for how milestones and payments line up.
Deliverables and what you own
- The written scope and later-phase list
- Design files and the clickable prototype
- The source code repository
- The live app in your store accounts
- A short handover document
You own all of it on final payment. Nothing is licensed back to us and nothing is held on our accounts.
How we approach it
An MVP is not a cheap version of the full app. It is the full version of one idea: the single flow a user needs to get value, built properly, with nothing around it that does not help you learn. Most of our work at this stage is deciding what to leave out.
We usually recommend one cross-platform codebase for an MVP, because it reaches both stores for less than two native apps. If your users are almost all on one platform, a single native app can cost less again. Either way, the code is written to grow, so phase two builds on it rather than replacing it.
Tools we use
- React Native or Flutter for one codebase on both stores
- Swift and SwiftUI, or Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, for a single native platform
- Firebase or a Node.js backend sized to the MVP
- Stripe, Apple Pay and Google Pay for payments
- TestFlight and Google Play testing tracks
What drives the cost
Most apps we build land between $5,000 and $25,000, and these drivers decide where yours sits in that range. Your quote is fixed-scope once they are known. See our price sheet or try the app cost calculator.
| Cost driver | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Platforms | One platform is cheapest. One cross-platform app for both stores adds about a third. Two native apps cost the most. |
| User types | A customer-only app is one product. A marketplace with customers, providers and an admin is three. |
| Payments and integrations | Card payments, subscriptions and outside systems each add build and testing time. |
| Design depth | Clean platform components cost less than a custom design system with motion. |
| Deadline | A hard date means more people working in parallel, which raises the price. |
Timelines and what moves them
- Focused MVP. 4 to 8 weeks
- MVP for both stores. 6 to 10 weeks
- Marketplace or on-demand MVP. 3 to 6 months
What shortens or extends these ranges:
- How fast decisions come back from your side
- Waiting on third-party approvals such as payment or store accounts
- Scope added after the quote, which we price before it is built
Risks and how we handle them
- Building too much. Every feature has to serve the core flow or it moves to the later-phase list, with its price shown so the trade-off is clear.
- Store rejection at launch. Privacy forms, account deletion and review notes are part of the build, not an afterthought.
- An MVP that cannot grow. Real architecture and tests from day one, so phase two extends the code instead of rewriting it.
How to prepare before you ask for a quote
You do not need a specification. These five things are enough for us to scope accurately:
- Who the app is for, in one sentence
- The one thing a user must be able to do in version one
- Any system it has to connect to
- Whether you have Apple and Google developer accounts yet
- Any hard date, such as a pitch or a pilot
Why choose us
- Published prices, and a fixed quote before any work starts
- Senior engineers who also tell you what not to build
- You own the code, designs and store accounts
- A working build on your phone every week
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
With us, app MVPs start from $4,999 CAD and most land between $5,000 and $15,000. A single-platform app runs $5,000 to $12,000 and one app for both stores runs $8,000 to $18,000. Marketplaces and on-demand apps are quoted individually from about $25,000.
A focused MVP usually takes 4 to 8 weeks. An MVP for both stores takes 6 to 10 weeks, and a marketplace or on-demand MVP takes 3 to 6 months. The timeline is part of your written quote.
A prototype is a clickable design you test before code is written. An MVP is a real app in the stores that people can sign up for and use. We build a prototype first as part of every MVP.
If most of your target users are on one platform, start there. If you need both stores on one budget, one cross-platform app built with React Native or Flutter is usually the best value. We recommend one after the scoping call.
Yes. The scope and price are agreed in writing before work starts. If you want to add something later, we price the change first and you approve it before we build it.
Yes. On final payment you own the source code, design files and store accounts. You can take the app to any team.
Yes, that is most of the scoping call. The free app cost calculator on this site also emails a suggested MVP scope based on the features you pick.
Free quote
Tell us about your app
A senior engineer reads your brief and replies within 24 hours with questions and a fixed-scope estimate. No obligation and no sales sequence.
- Written, fixed-scope quote before any work starts
- You own the code, designs and accounts
- Typical apps from $4,999 CAD
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