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MVP cost and timeline

Plan your startup’s minimum viable product: list the features, prioritize them with MoSCoW and RICE scores and see how much the first version costs and how long it takes. Also work out how many users you need to validate the main hypothesis with confidence.

Educational simulation. Not investment advice. Results are estimates based on the data you enter and do not replace advice from a qualified professional.

Reviewed on Oct 31, 2026

Features

Example: a booking app. Reach: users per month who use the feature; impact from 0.25 (minimal) to 3 (massive); confidence in the estimate; effort in hours.

Team and costs
Validation

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MVPCost of the first version
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Priority by RICE score

Score = reach × impact × confidence ÷ effort. Colors follow the MoSCoW group. The higher the score, the more value per hour of work.

Tap the chart to see the values.

Cumulative cost and time

Features in priority order (MoSCoW, then RICE). The line marks where the MVP ends.

Tap the chart to see the values.

MVP plan

The summary lists your inputs, results, formulas, assumptions and sources. The full report also includes the charts and interpretations, in color. In the print dialog, choose Save as PDF.

Method, assumptions and sources

Formulas

RICE score = reach × impact × confidence ÷ effort
MVP hours = Σ effort of “Must have” features (and “Should have”, if ticked) × (1 + contingency)
Timeline (weeks) = hours ÷ hours per week; cost = hours × hourly cost + fixed costs × weeks ÷ 4.33
Users to validate = 1.96² × p × (1 − p) ÷ margin of error² (95% confidence)

Assumptions and limits

  • Educational simulation. MoSCoW: Must have (required for the MVP), Should have, Could have and Won’t have now. RICE (Intercom).
  • Development hour estimates usually run low; the contingency buffer helps but does not remove the risk.

Official sources and references

Frequently asked questions

What is an MVP?

A minimum viable product: the smallest version of the product that lets you test with real customers whether the problem exists and whether they will pay for the solution.

What is the MoSCoW method?

A way to prioritize features into four groups: must have, should have, could have and won’t have now.

How do I calculate a RICE score?

Reach × impact × confidence ÷ effort. The higher the score, the more value the feature delivers per unit of work.

How do I read the default example?

The MVP includes the 4 “Must have” features (sign-up, booking, reminders and provider dashboard): 351 hours with a 30% buffer, about $27,300 and 3 weeks at 120 hours a week. The full product would cost about $56,100 and take 7 weeks. To validate 8% conversion within ±2 points you need 707 users, about $2,800 in ads.

How many users do I need to validate an MVP?

It depends on the expected conversion and the margin of error. For an 8% conversion with a ±2-point margin at 95% confidence, about 707 users.

Where do I get reach, effort and hourly cost?

Reach comes from surveys, a waitlist or usage data from similar products. Effort should be estimated by the development team itself, feature by feature. Hourly cost includes salaries with payroll costs, or what freelancers and agencies charge, divided by hours worked.

What are the limits of this math?

Development hour estimates usually run low; the contingency buffer helps but does not remove the risk. The user calculation assumes a random sample and a single metric. For regulated products, such as health or finance, also consult an expert on the industry’s rules.

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How to plan an MVP: prioritization, cost and validation

An MVP (minimum viable product) is the smallest version of a product that can test with real customers whether the problem exists and whether they would pay for the solution. The goal is not to launch an unfinished product but to learn as quickly and cheaply as possible before investing in the whole thing.

MoSCoW prioritization

  • Must have: without it, the product does not solve the core problem.
  • Should have: important, but the test works without it.
  • Could have: improves the experience; it can wait.
  • Won’t have now: out of this version.

RICE score

To rank features within each group, use RICE = reach × impact × confidence ÷ effort. A feature that reaches 2,000 users, with medium impact (1), 80% confidence and 40 hours of effort, scores 40. The higher the score, the more value per hour of work.

Cost and timeline

Add up the hours of the MVP features, add a contingency buffer (20% to 40% is common in software) and multiply by the team’s hourly cost. In the calculator’s example, the MVP with 4 of the 8 features costs about $27,000 and takes 3 weeks, against about $56,000 and 7 weeks for the full product.

The example uses the calculator’s default values; replace them with your own.

How many users to validate

To measure a conversion rate with an acceptable margin of error you need a minimum number of users. To estimate an 8% conversion within ±2 points at 95% confidence, you need about 707 users. The calculator also shows what it costs to bring them in through ads.

Define the hypothesis before building

Write down what must be true for the business to work, such as “8% of visitors subscribe to the paid plan”, and decide before the test what you will do if the result comes in lower. Sometimes a pre-sale landing page or a manual process validates the idea before any code is written.