How much does it cost to hire a development team?

Development team costs depend on team size, expertise, and location. A typical startup development team of 2-4 people costs $15,000-$40,000/month for senior talent. On REWORK, you save significantly with our near-zero platform fees vs 10-20% on Upwork/Fiverr, and access to verified developers across 35+ countries at competitive rates.

Should I build an MVP first or a full product?

Always start with an MVP. An MVP costs 60-80% less than a full product, launches 3-5x faster, and validates your idea with real users before committing $100,000+. Build the core feature that solves the primary problem, get users, gather feedback, then iterate. Most successful SaaS companies started with MVPs costing $10,000-$30,000.

What is the cheapest way to build a startup app?

The cheapest path: (1) Validate with a landing page ($500-$2,000). (2) Build a no-code MVP ($5,000-$15,000). (3) If validated, build a coded MVP ($15,000-$35,000). (4) Iterate based on user feedback. On REWORK, our verified teams specialize in lean MVP development with milestone-based delivery and escrow protection.

How long does it take to build a SaaS application?

SaaS development timelines: Basic SaaS MVP: 8-12 weeks. Mid-level SaaS: 12-20 weeks. Enterprise SaaS: 20-40+ weeks. Timeline depends on feature complexity, integration requirements, and team size. REWORK teams deliver milestone-based results with weekly progress updates.

What factors affect software development cost the most?

The top cost factors: (1) Feature complexity and number of screens. (2) Custom design vs templates. (3) Third-party integrations. (4) Backend architecture (serverless vs microservices). (5) Real-time features. (6) Compliance requirements (HIPAA, SOC2, GDPR). (7) Team location and experience level. (8) Timeline urgency.

Is it cheaper to hire freelancers or a development agency?

Freelancers are typically 30-50% cheaper than agencies but require more management overhead. REWORK offers the best of both: hire individual verified developers or assemble full teams at freelancer rates with agency-level project management. Our near-zero fees vs Upwork's 10-20% means more budget goes to actual development.

Development Cost Calculator

How much does it cost
to build your app?

Detailed pricing breakdowns for SaaS, AI apps, marketplaces, mobile apps, and MVPs. Get accurate estimates and hire verified development teams at industry-lowest fees.

Software development cost by project type

Click any category for a detailed cost breakdown with pricing tiers, timelines, and key factors.

Cost to Build a SaaS Application

SaaS development costs range from $15,000 to $250,000+ depending on complexity, features, and team size.

$15,000 — $250,000+

Cost to Build an AI Application

AI application development costs range from $20,000 to $300,000+ depending on model complexity and training data.

$20,000 — $300,000+

Cost to Build a Marketplace

Marketplace development costs range from $25,000 to $250,000+ depending on features, payment complexity, and scale.

$25,000 — $250,000+

Cost to Build a Mobile App

Mobile app development costs range from $10,000 to $200,000+ depending on platform, features, and complexity.

$10,000 — $200,000+

Cost to Build a Web Application

Web application development costs range from $5,000 to $150,000+ depending on features, design, and backend complexity.

$5,000 — $150,000+

Cost to Build an MVP

MVP development costs range from $5,000 to $50,000 depending on product type, features, and validation approach.

$5,000 — $50,000+

Cost comparison: REWORK vs agencies vs Upwork

Project Type	Dev Agency	Upwork (20% fee)	REWORK (Near-zero fee)
SaaS MVP	$40K-$80K	$20K-$50K	$15K-$40K
AI Application	$80K-$200K	$30K-$100K	$20K-$80K
Marketplace	$60K-$180K	$30K-$80K	$25K-$60K
Mobile App	$40K-$120K	$15K-$60K	$10K-$50K
MVP	$20K-$60K	$10K-$30K	$5K-$25K
Platform Fee	Markup-based	10-20%	Near-zero

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How much does it costto build your app?