What a SaaS MVP costs: $2.8K to $12K, scoped

"How much for our SaaS MVP?" depends on one thing: how many humans with different permissions touch it, and who bills whom. This post covers the $2,800–$12,000 range I quote, and where each line sits.

All prices below match my services page. Fixed quote before code, no hourly drift.

The three scopes inside $2.8K–$12K

Scope 1: Lean tool, $2,800–$5,000

One user type, one job done well. Typical scope:

• Auth + database (Supabase), 4–10 screens
• One core workflow (dashboard, tracker, booking flow)
• Basic admin view, analytics setup, sub-1.4s loads
• Timeline: 2–4 weeks

Best for proving someone pays for the core action. If someone quotes under $2k for "full SaaS," ask what gets cut: usually roles, billing, or warranty.

Scope 2: Multi-role product with billing, $6,500–$9,000

The real MVP for most founders. Typical scope:

• Roles + permissions (admin, member, client), team seats
• Payments and billing (plans, invoices, trials)
• Third-party integrations (email, CRM, one API that matters)
• Onboarding that shows value before the signup wall
• Timeline: ~5 weeks

See live examples of auth, payments, and dashboards in work: realtime persistence, live-data pipelines with fallbacks, full-stack checkout flows. Those are self-initiated concept builds with Lighthouse mobile scores measured 2026-10-15 and no client affiliation implied, useful as scope references.

Scope 3: Platform, $9,000–$12,000

Multiple teams, realtime collaboration, or serious data. Typical scope:

• Multi-tenant architecture, realtime data and websockets
• Full admin + analytics, audit trails, API for mobile or partners
• Performance budget enforced (memoized charts, paginated tables)
• Timeline: 5–6 weeks

What pushes you past each line

• Roles. Every extra permission level is data modeling, UI gating, and testing. Two roles roughly doubles auth work versus one.
• Billing complexity. One flat plan is days. Trials, seats, proration, and invoices are weeks. Say the model in the brief.
• Integrations. Each third-party API is auth, webhooks, failure states, and retries. Name them upfront or they become change orders.
• Realtime. "Live" means sockets, presence, and conflict handling: never free, always worth naming.
• Mobile companion. A React Native app sharing the same API adds roughly $2,500–$9,000 depending on stores, push, and offline needs. Say so early and the API gets designed for it.

How to scope yours in 60 seconds

Check the published tiers: they break down by "Idea → paying users," screen count, features (auth, payments, database, AI), and design status. I confirm the exact quote on a 15-min call before code.

Starting from zero? Run the instant grader first, then request a qualified triage if you want a human fit check. Any custom scope is agreed before work.