MVP app development for startups

MVP App Development for Startups. Idea to App Store in 8 to 12 weeks.

Apps Value is a mobile agency offering fixed price MVP app development for startups. We build iOS and Android MVPs in Flutter or React Native for founders who need to move fast without burning runway. Scoped upfront, no surprises.

Fixed price, no hourly billing 19+ projects delivered US ready operations

30 minute call. No commitment. No sales pressure.

Trusted by
Loopy Jobs Copped Evesport Time Fix
8 to 12Weeks to App Store
19+Projects delivered
6 yearsBuilding mobile products
100%Fixed price delivery
The short answer

MVP app development is building the smallest version of a product that lets real users do the core thing it exists for, then shipping it to the App Store and Google Play so you learn from usage rather than from opinions.

How long it takes. A focused first version reaches both stores in 8 to 12 weeks. Marketplaces, booking systems and field tools run 12 to 22 weeks and are scoped in stages.

What moves the price. Not the number of screens. The number of user roles, whether money moves through the app, and the one integration the business model depends on. Bands for each shape are on our pricing page, and what a budget buys in general is in what an app development budget actually buys.

  • Who builds itApps Value, a Flutter and React Native agency based in Kraków, Poland, with 19 or more projects delivered over 6 years.
  • PlatformsiOS and Android from a single codebase, plus a web admin where the product needs one.
  • Typical stackFlutter or React Native on the client, NestJS or Supabase on the backend, Stripe or store billing for payments.
  • Commercial modelOne fixed price agreed after scoping, billed against delivered milestones, closed with a signed acceptance protocol.
  • OwnershipCode, repositories, store accounts and infrastructure are in the client's name from day one.
  • Where clients areMostly the United States and the European Union, worked with live overlap on the US East Coast afternoon.

Page updated September 4, 2026.

Speed, clarity, and no wasted budget

Most startups do not fail because of bad ideas. They fail because they build too much too slow and run out of runway before they learn anything. Focused MVP app development for startups fixes that: ship the core, learn from real users, then decide what to build next.

Ship in weeks, not months

A focused MVP is in users' hands in 8 to 12 weeks. That is real feedback from real people, not assumptions. The faster you learn, the less you burn.

Fixed price, no surprises

We scope everything upfront. You sign off on a fixed number before we write a single line of code. If scope stays the same, the price stays the same.

iOS and Android, both

One codebase covers both platforms. No choosing between iOS and Android users, and no paying for two separate builds. Which framework fits is in Flutter or React Native.

Built to scale

MVPs that need to be thrown away and rebuilt from scratch are not MVPs, they are expensive experiments. We build foundations that hold when you grow.

Everything you need to launch and learn

Our MVP app development covers the full product, not just the app. Backend, infrastructure, App Store submission, everything.

Mobile app

iOS and Android from one codebase. Native performance, production ready code.

Backend API

NestJS or Supabase depending on your needs. Authentication, database, business logic.

User authentication

Email, social login, or phone auth. Secure from day one, not bolted on later.

Payment integration

Stripe or in app purchases if your MVP needs them, scoped and priced upfront. What the stores take is in in app purchase fees.

Admin panel

Web based dashboard so you can manage users and content without touching the database.

App Store launch

Full submission to App Store and Google Play. We handle certificates, provisioning, and review.

What actually goes into version one

The hardest part of an MVP is not building it, it is deciding what not to build. Here is roughly where the line falls on a typical first release, using a two sided booking product as the example.

In scope for version one
  • One core flow, end to end, working on real devices
  • Both user roles, with only the permissions each genuinely needs
  • Authentication with a single sign in method
  • The one integration the business model depends on
  • Basic analytics and crash reporting, so you can read the result
  • Store submission on iOS and Android
Deliberately out, for now
  • A custom admin panel, which is a second application in practice
  • Push notifications, when email covers the same job at launch
  • Three or four sign in providers instead of one
  • Offline editing with conflict resolution
  • In app messaging before you know users want to talk
  • Settings screens no user has asked for yet

Every cut on the right hand side is reversible. None of them changes what you learn from the launch, which is the only thing version one is for.

MVP app development, priced by what the app does

Screens are not what moves the number. Roles, payments, and the one integration your model depends on are. Almost every first version falls into one of three shapes, and each shape has its own fixed price band on our pricing page.

Core MVP

Single flow, one role

8 weeks and up to a first release

One user role, one core flow, and the smallest question the market can answer.

  • iOS and Android from one codebase
  • Email or single social sign in
  • Backend on Supabase, basic analytics and crash reporting
  • Store submission on both platforms
Most first versions Full first version

Two roles, payments

8 to 12 weeks to App Store

Two roles, payments, and the one integration the business runs on. This is where most funded first versions land.

  • Client and provider roles with separate permissions
  • Stripe or in app purchase, scoped to the model
  • Custom backend API and a basic web admin
  • Push, deep links, and a real QA pass on devices
Beyond MVP

Marketplace, booking, field

12 to 22 weeks, scoped in stages

Marketplaces with money moving between users, booking systems with live calendars, and field tools that must work with no signal.

  • Escrow, payouts, or slot locking done as two steps
  • Offline queue and sync layer where the job needs it
  • Web admin as a second application, planned as one
  • Integration with the system your business already runs on

Every MVP is scoped before you pay anything, so the figure you approve is the figure you pay.

The hard part of a first version is not the engineering. It is agreeing what the launch is supposed to teach you, and then refusing to build anything that does not answer it.

MVPs we shipped for real founders

Not mockups. Not prototypes. Production apps used by real people.

Case study

Loopy Jobs

A two sided freelancer marketplace connecting clients with independent professionals. Real time job feeds, in app messaging, payment flows, and a web admin panel.

We scoped the full product, locked the price, and shipped it on both platforms without a single scope overrun. How we scope that shape is in marketplace app development.

FlutterNestJSSupabaseStripe
View case study
2User roles in one app
2Platforms shipped simultaneously
1Fixed price, no overruns
Case study

Copped

A streetwear marketplace app for buying and selling limited edition drops. Product listings, user profiles, real time inventory, and a checkout flow built for speed.

Scoped tight, built fast, and delivered on a fixed price agreed before the build started.

FlutterFirebase
View case study
2Platforms, one codebase
1Fixed price, no overruns

Mobile app MVP development, by the shape of the product

The same first version rules apply to every startup, but the thing that decides the price is different for each product shape. Pick yours and read how we scope it.

Two sided marketplace

Loopy Jobs

Money moves between users, so the flow of every payment has to fit on one page before we quote. Reviews, disputes, and payouts can wait. Apple's business model review cannot.

Marketplace app development

Booking product

Evesport

The calendar edges decide the scope: recurring slots, time zones, and what happens to a booking cancelled mid payment. Version one is one provider type and one payment path.

Booking app development

Field tool for a real operation

TimeFix

A technician, inspector, or driver who works with a phone in hand and often no signal. The first version is one job type, end to end, and the sync layer is scoped as its own line.

Field service app development

Anything that must work offline

Liniowiec

Offline means three different things and the price depends on which one you need. If work has to happen with no network and arrive later without conflicts, say so on the first call.

Offline first app development

Where our founders are. Most of our MVP clients are in the US, and we work with live overlap on the East Coast afternoon from a team in Kraków, Poland. If you are building from the EU, the same team ships with EU data residency and invoices in euros, described on our app development for European companies page. If you want ongoing capacity instead of a defined build, that is nearshore Flutter developers in Poland.

Book an intro call

What makes us different from other MVP shops

There are a lot of agencies that say they build MVPs. Here is what actually separates us as an MVP app development partner for startups.

Fixed price, always

We scope before we build. You approve a fixed number. If scope stays the same, the price stays the same. No hourly billing, no surprises.

Senior only team

No juniors billed as seniors. The people on your project are the people who built the portfolio you just saw, and you talk to them directly.

Honest scoping

If your idea is too large for your budget, we will tell you before you pay us anything. We would rather scope down to a strong MVP than overpromise and underdeliver.

Visible progress every two weeks

Two week sprints with live demos. You see working software at every milestone, not just a status update email.

US ready operations

Most of our clients are based in the US. EST and CST overlap, contracts in English, invoices in USD.

Full stack ownership

Mobile app, backend, database, cloud infrastructure, App Store submission. One agency, no coordination gaps.

When we are not the right partner

Fixed price only works when both sides know what is being built. These are the situations where we will say so on the first call rather than take the project and disappoint you.

You want to figure it out as you go

Exploratory work with a scope that changes every sprint is a real and legitimate way to build. It is just the opposite of a fixed price contract, and pretending otherwise ends badly for everyone.

You need someone on site

We work remotely with live overlap on your working day. If your engagement genuinely requires people in the room, a local team is the better call.

Your budget is below the smallest useful build

Below a certain point the honest answer is not a cheaper app, it is a smaller question. We will tell you what would actually fit, or that nothing does yet.

You are looking for the lowest bid

There is always someone cheaper. If price is the only criterion, we are not going to win that comparison and we will not try to.

Agency, freelancer, no code, or in house

Four realistic ways to get a first version built. Each one is right for someone, and it is worth knowing which one you are actually choosing.

Fixed price agency

  • Speed to launch8 to 12 weeks for a focused first version
  • Who carries scope riskThe agency, which is what the fixed price buys
  • Scales past version oneYes, the codebase is built to continue
  • Best forA defined product and a budget you cannot exceed

Freelancer on hourly

  • Speed to launchVaries widely with the individual
  • Who carries scope riskYou
  • Scales past version oneDepends entirely on who you hired
  • Best forSmall defined tasks, or when you can manage the work yourself

No code tools

  • Speed to launchDays to weeks
  • Who carries scope riskYou
  • Scales past version oneUsually a rebuild, described in our migration guide
  • Best forTesting demand before you have a product at all

Hiring in house

  • Speed to launchMonths before code starts
  • Who carries scope riskYou
  • Scales past version oneYes, once the team exists
  • Best forFunded companies where the app is the whole business

If you want ongoing engineering capacity rather than a defined build, that is a different engagement and we run it differently. You can hire dedicated Flutter developers from the same team on a monthly basis instead, or read how that works when you already have engineers in hiring for an existing team.

From first call to App Store

A straightforward process with no ambiguity at any stage. You know what is happening and why at all times.

Step 01

Discovery call, 30 minutes

You walk us through the product idea and your constraints. We ask the right questions and tell you what is realistic. No pitch, no pressure. If we are not the right fit, we will say so.

Step 02

Scoping and fixed price proposal

We break the full product down into a detailed spec, then give you a fixed price and timeline. You review everything and only move forward when you are comfortable. If you want that step on its own, it is our app discovery workshop.

Step 03

Two week development sprints

We build in two week cycles. At the end of every sprint you get a live demo of working software. You stay informed without being pulled into day to day decisions. Where the weeks actually go is in our app development timeline.

Step 04

QA, launch, and handoff

We run full QA across real devices before submission. We handle the App Store and Google Play process, on accounts that stay in your company's name, and the full list of what that needs is in app publishing requirements. After launch, you own everything: code, credentials, infrastructure.

What we need from you

Fixed price delivery works because both sides hold up their end. This is the whole list, and none of it takes much of your week.

One decision maker

Someone who can approve scope and sign off on a sprint without waiting for a committee. This is the single biggest predictor of whether a project lands on time.

Availability, not hours

A sprint demo every two weeks and answers when a question blocks us. It is less about a fixed time commitment and more about being reachable when a decision is needed.

Access, early

Store accounts and API credentials for anything we need to integrate with. Waiting on a third party login is the most common avoidable delay.

Honesty about the deadline

If there is an investor meeting or a launch date driving this, tell us on the first call. We will scope to the date rather than discover it in week six.

The commercial details, upfront

The questions serious buyers ask before a call, answered before you have to ask them.

Who owns the code

You do, in full. Repositories, credentials, and infrastructure accounts are in your name from the start of the project rather than handed over at the end. We do not use proprietary frameworks that would tie the app to us.

How you pay

Milestone payments tied to shipped work, not a lump sum upfront. You pay as things get delivered and demonstrated.

What happens if scope changes

We price the addition separately and you decide whether to take it now, defer it, or trade it against something already in scope. Nothing gets added silently, and the agreed price does not move on its own.

What happens if we underestimate

That is what fixed price means. If we misjudged our own work, the cost of that sits with us, not with you. It is the whole reason the model changes the incentives, and you can read more about how fixed price delivery works.

How delivery is closed

With a signed acceptance protocol, so both sides agree the thing is finished rather than letting a project trail off. On larger contracts we back the software with a one year warranty.

Confidentiality

We sign your NDA before the discovery call if you want one, and we will not name you as a client or show your product without written permission.

After launch

You can continue with us on a monthly basis, move to your own team with a documented handover, or simply stop. There is no lock in period and no retainer you have to accept to get the app built. Ongoing work is described under app maintenance services.

Common questions from founders

Everything we hear before the first call.

What is MVP app development?
MVP app development is building the smallest version of a product that lets real users complete the core thing it exists for, then releasing it to the App Store and Google Play so the next decisions are based on usage rather than opinion. It is a working product, not a prototype or a mockup.
How much for an MVP mobile app?
It depends on which of the three shapes above your product is: a single flow for one role, a full first version with two roles and payments, or a marketplace, booking, or field tool. We lock the scope before you pay anything, so the figure you approve is the figure you pay. The band for each shape is on our pricing page.
How long does MVP app development take?
A focused MVP is typically 8 to 12 weeks from kickoff to App Store. This assumes a tight scope, which is something we help with. Scope creep is the number one reason MVPs take longer than they should. We prevent it upfront by locking the spec before we start, and the week by week breakdown is in our mobile app development timeline.
What decides the price of an MVP?
Three things, in order: how many user roles the app needs on day one, whether money moves inside the app, and which external system it has to integrate with. Extra screens inside a flow that already exists are comparatively cheap, which is why counting features is a poor way to estimate anything.
What does fixed price mean in practice?
We scope the project upfront and give you a firm number. If scope stays the same, the price stays the same. No hourly billing, no surprises. If you want to add features mid project, we price those separately in a change order you approve before we touch anything.
Flutter or React Native, which is better for an MVP?
Whichever your future maintainers can read. Both deliver iOS and Android from one codebase and both are fast enough for a first version, so let your hiring plan and your existing stack decide. The full reasoning is in Flutter or React Native, and we build in both.
Do we need our own Apple and Google developer accounts?
Yes, and they should be in your company's name rather than ours. An organization account on each store needs a D-U-N-S number registered to the legal entity, and EU distribution needs a declared trader status. It is the one task that runs on someone else's clock, so we ask for it in week one. The full list is in app publishing requirements.
Do Apple and Google take a cut of what my app earns?
Only on digital goods and services bought inside the app, such as subscriptions or unlocks. Physical goods and real world services are normally settled outside store billing through a provider like Stripe. If your model depends on either, decide which before the build starts, because it changes the scope. The current rates are in in app purchase fees.
Do you work with pre seed or bootstrapped founders?
Yes. Most of our startup clients are pre seed or bootstrapped. Fixed price models work well for founders managing limited runway because you know the exact cost before committing. We also scope down aggressively to fit real budgets without cutting corners on quality.
What happens after the MVP launches?
You receive the full codebase, all credentials, and documentation. The code is yours. If you want to continue building with us, we can scope the next phase. If you want to take it in house, everything is structured for a clean handoff.
Should I build web first or mobile first?
Build web first if your users will find you through search and use the product at a desk. Build mobile first if the product depends on the phone itself: camera, location, offline use, push, or something people reach for while standing up. If the honest answer is both, one codebase gives you iOS and Android, which removes the usual reason to choose.
Do you sign an NDA before we talk?
Yes, if you want one. We will sign your NDA before the discovery call, and we do not name clients or show products publicly without written permission.
Can you take over an MVP someone else built?
Often, yes. We start with a code audit and give you an honest read on the state of the codebase within two weeks, including whether anything genuinely needs rebuilding. Usually it does not, and anyone who promises a rewrite before reading the code is selling one. That work is app rescue.
Where is your team based, and does it matter?
Our engineering team is in Kraków, Poland, and works with live overlap on the US East Coast afternoon, which is enough for standups, code review, and demos to happen with people talking rather than trading messages overnight. If you are in New York, we wrote up how that works for NYC businesses, and if you are in the EU, see app development for European companies.
What if my idea needs a marketplace or a booking system?
Those are the two shapes we build most often, and both have their own cost profile because of user roles and payments. We have dedicated breakdowns for marketplace app development and booking app development.
Who is Apps Value?
A Flutter and React Native mobile app development agency based in Kraków, Poland, working with startups and businesses in the United States and the European Union. Six years, more than 19 delivered projects, every one of them on a fixed price agreed before the build started.

Before you commit a budget

The rest of what we have written on scoping, pricing, and picking a partner.

Thomas Siudut, Co-Founder and CEO of Apps Value

Ready to build your MVP?

Book a free 30 minute call. We will tell you what is realistic, what it costs, and whether we are the right fit.

30 minutes with Thomas Siudut, Co-Founder and CEO