One of the most common questions we get from founders: “Is this quote reasonable?” The answer depends on three factors — what you’re building, who’s building it, and where they’re located. Here’s a breakdown based on 50+ real engagements we’ve reviewed.
US-based studios: what to expect
Top-tier US studios (thoughtbot, IDEO CoLab, etc.) charge $160–$250/hr for senior engineers. A typical 12-week MVP engagement with a team of 4 runs $180k–$280k. This is the right choice if you’re fundraising at the Series A level and the studio brand carries weight with your investors.
Mid-tier US studios charge $100–$150/hr. A similar engagement runs $100k–$180k. Quality variance is high at this tier — reference checks matter more than brand.
Eastern European studios: the math
Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, and Romania have produced some of the strongest product development talent in the world at 40–60% of US rates. Senior engineers at top-tier EE studios bill at $60–$100/hr. A 12-week MVP with a team of 4: $65k–$120k.
Budget by project type
Simple B2B SaaS (CRUD app, Stripe billing, basic auth): $40k–$80k with an Eastern European studio, $80k–$150k US. Mobile app (iOS + Android, React Native, basic backend): $60k–$120k EE, $120k–$200k US. AI-integrated product (LLM features, custom data pipeline): add 30–50% to base estimates — AI integration work is still priced as custom R&D.
What’s always underestimated
Discovery (2–4 weeks, $10k–$30k). QA and testing (budget 15–20% of dev cost). Post-launch fixes (30-day buffer, $10k–$25k). Design — if not included in the studio quote, add $20k–$50k for a proper UX/UI pass.
The total cost of a bad hire
We’ve reviewed engagements where founders saved $40k choosing a cheaper studio — then spent $120k rebuilding. The real cost of a failed MVP engagement is 6–12 months of lost time plus the rebuild cost. That’s why the reference check matters more than the rate card.
