SaaS development cost at a glance
Every range below comes from the same estimate model we use for client projects: base hours for the project type, an hour range per feature, 20 percent for design, 15 percent for QA, 10 percent for project management, and $89 per hour of team time, rounded to the nearest $500. Nothing here is a sales number. You can reproduce each one in the estimate form by ticking the same features.
- Lean SaaS MVP
- FeaturesAccounts, subscriptions, email
- Hours389 to 476
- Cost$34,500 to $42,500
- Timeline7 to 8 weeks
- SaaS MVP with teams
- FeaturesAccounts, team accounts, subscriptions, email, admin panel
- Hours481 to 650
- Cost$43,000 to $58,000
- Timeline6 to 8 weeks
- First full version
- FeaturesAccounts, roles, teams, subscriptions, invoices, admin, dashboard, email
- Hours748 to 1,009
- Cost$66,500 to $90,000
- Timeline9 to 12 weeks
- First full version with AI
- FeaturesThe same plus an AI assistant on customer data
- Hours818 to 1,148
- Cost$73,000 to $102,000
- Timeline10 to 13 weeks
- B2B SaaS with integrations
- FeaturesFull version plus public API, reports, CRM and one more integration
- Hours864 to 1,299
- Cost$77,000 to $115,500
- Timeline8 to 11 weeks
| Version | Features | Hours | Cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lean SaaS MVP | Accounts, subscriptions, email | 389 to 476 | $34,500 to $42,500 | 7 to 8 weeks |
| SaaS MVP with teams | Accounts, team accounts, subscriptions, email, admin panel | 481 to 650 | $43,000 to $58,000 | 6 to 8 weeks |
| First full version | Accounts, roles, teams, subscriptions, invoices, admin, dashboard, email | 748 to 1,009 | $66,500 to $90,000 | 9 to 12 weeks |
| First full version with AI | The same plus an AI assistant on customer data | 818 to 1,148 | $73,000 to $102,000 | 10 to 13 weeks |
| B2B SaaS with integrations | Full version plus public API, reports, CRM and one more integration | 864 to 1,299 | $77,000 to $115,500 | 8 to 11 weeks |
The B2B version is shorter than the AI version even though it costs more, because the larger scope is planned on three developers instead of two.
What makes SaaS different from other software
A SaaS product is a business system as much as an app. Before the first customer pays, it needs a few things a one-off internal tool can skip, and each one has a line in the estimate.
- Self-serve signup and login, 24 to 40 hours
- Subscriptions and payments, 32 to 64 hours, because plans, trials, upgrades, downgrades and failed cards all need handling
- Team accounts, 24 to 40 hours, as soon as you sell to companies rather than individuals
- An admin panel, 40 to 80 hours, so you can support customers without opening the database
- Invoices, 16 to 32 hours, once business buyers need them for their accounts payable process
Skip team accounts and invoices in the first release if you sell to individuals. Keep subscriptions. A SaaS that cannot charge on day one is a demo.
How much does it cost to build a SaaS MVP?
A SaaS MVP costs $34,500 to $58,000 in our model and takes 6 to 8 weeks with one or two developers plus part-time design, QA and project management. The lean version has one core workflow, accounts, subscriptions and email. Adding team accounts and an admin panel moves it to the upper half of that range.
The core workflow is the part that varies most. A tool that turns uploaded documents into structured data needs AI document extraction, 40 to 80 hours. A scheduling product needs a calendar and booking, 32 to 64 hours. Pick the one feature that is the reason someone pays, and give it the hours it needs instead of spreading them across ten nice-to-haves. Our MVP development cost guide shows what fits into 8, 12 and 16 weeks.
How much does a full SaaS platform cost?
A first full version of a B2B SaaS costs $66,500 to $90,000 in our model, and $77,000 to $115,500 once it has a public API, reports and two integrations. Larger platforms with marketplaces, several user types or heavy compliance work go beyond that, which is why we price them only after Discovery confirms the scope.
The jump from MVP to full version is mostly roles and permissions, invoices and a dashboard. These are the features buyers in mid-size companies ask about in their first sales call: who can see what, whether finance gets a proper invoice, and where the numbers live.
What drives SaaS development cost up
- Multi-tenancy rules. If every customer needs separate data, settings and branding, the data model gets more complex.
- Integrations. Each connection to a CRM, accounting system or other tool costs 16 to 48 hours, and buyers often ask for two or three.
- Real-time features. Chat costs 40 to 80 hours, live dashboards sit at the top of the 32 to 64 hour range.
- Native mobile apps. A SaaS rarely needs one in version one. A mobile companion is usually a separate, later project.
- A short deadline. When the scope needs more weeks than you have, the model adds 15 percent for a larger team.
- No designs. Bringing finished designs removes the 20 percent design overhead.
What SaaS costs after launch
The build is a one-time cost. Running a SaaS is not. Plan for hosting and third-party services in your own accounts, payment processing fees, email delivery and error monitoring. As those bills multiply, it pays to track cloud and SaaS spend in one place before it drifts.
You also need someone to keep the product secure and up to date. Our software maintenance and support plans cost $990, $2,490 or $4,990 a month with 10, 30 or 65 hours included. If you plan to ship features every month, a dedicated developer at $4,900 part-time or $8,900 full-time is often the better fit.
Agency, freelancers or an in-house team for a SaaS build
An in-house team gives you the most control, but hiring two senior engineers in the US takes months and costs more per year than most first versions. Freelancers are cheaper per hour, but you become the project manager, QA lead and architect. An agency costs more per hour than a freelancer and less than a hiring cycle, and you get a team that has shipped subscriptions, roles and admin panels many times.
What matters more than the model is how you pay. We price the whole product up front, then you pay one stage at a time: Discovery and scope at 10 percent of the estimate with a minimum of $1,900, then design, build and launch at prices fixed in Discovery. You can stop after any stage and keep what was delivered. The trade-offs are covered in hire developers vs agency and fixed price vs time and materials.
How long does it take to develop a SaaS application?
In our model, a SaaS MVP takes 6 to 8 weeks and a first full version 9 to 12 weeks, with two developers and part-time design, QA and project management. Add a week or two before that for Discovery and scope. Timelines come from the same hours as the price, planned in two week sprints.
How to keep your SaaS development cost under control
- Write down the one sentence your first paying customer would use to describe the product
- Build that workflow plus accounts and subscriptions, and nothing else
- Move team accounts, invoices and integrations to the version you build with revenue
- Bring designs if you have them, it saves 20 percent
- Get a priced, itemized estimate before any call, so you can remove features and see the effect
Our SaaS development company page explains how we build subscription products. For business software that is not sold as SaaS, such as internal tools and portals, see the custom software development cost examples.
Get your own SaaS development cost
Pick Web app or MVP in the estimate form, tick your features and integrations, set a deadline, and you will see hours, team, sprints and a price range in about a minute.