Prototype cost calculator
What does a prototype of your idea cost – and how long does it take?
Describe your idea in a few key facts. The calculator shows an honest order of magnitude for the cost and time of a first testable prototype – and whether the scope fits into a focused sprint window or is better staged.
The prototype cost calculator estimates what a testable prototype or MVP of your idea costs and how long it takes – built with Beyond Prompt's AI-assisted approach. A prototype serves to validate an idea with real users, not as a finished product.
Your idea
Your result
Range as an order of magnitude – prototype estimates are deliberately broad.
Estimated cost (with Beyond Prompt)
€4,000 – €8,000one-off
Realistic timeline
2–4 weeks
What drives the effort
- Type of project31%
- Core features23%
- User interface15%
- AI component15%
- Integrations15%
Fits in a sprint
This scope fits well into a focused project window – exactly the format of the Process to Prototype Sprint.
What a prototype does – and what it doesn't
The result is a testable prototype or MVP to check your idea with real users – not a fully polished product. That's exactly what makes the step fast and low-risk: you find out early whether and how further expansion pays off, before you invest big.
Want to turn your idea into a testable prototype?
How this tool calculates
- Cost & time apply to a build with Beyond Prompt's AI-assisted approach – not to a classic agency or system-integrator engagement, which would be considerably more expensive and slower for a first prototype.
- Effort estimate: each input (type of project, features, interface, AI, integrations) contributes to a transparent effort score that classifies the scope as lean / medium / extensive. The 'What drives the effort' chart shows which part weighs how much.
- Cost bands: lean MVP €2,000–4,000, medium prototype €4,000–8,000, extensive prototype €8,000–15,000 – our own experience values from Beyond Prompt projects, deliberately as an order of magnitude, not a quote.
- Timeline: based on the sprint working style (a first prototype often takes 1–2 weeks). Larger undertakings are staged rather than forced artificially into a sprint window.
This calculator provides an estimate as a basis for a decision, not a quote. The exact scope depends on details of your idea that we clarify in a conversation.
Frequently asked questions about the calculator
Do I get a finished product for this amount?
No – and that's intentional. The calculator estimates a testable prototype or MVP that lets you validate your idea, not a fully polished product. That's exactly what keeps the first step fast and low-risk: you find out early whether and how further expansion pays off, before you invest big.
Why is this cheaper than a classic quote?
Because Beyond Prompt works with a standardized, AI-assisted development approach – instead of a classic agency or system-integrator project with a multi-person team. That noticeably lowers the effort and time for a first prototype. The calculator directly shows these already-reduced orders of magnitude.
What if my project is classified as 'extensive'?
Then it's larger than a single focused sprint – and the honest path is to stage it: first a lean core MVP that validates the most important assumption, then the expansion. That keeps the risk small and puts something testable in your hands sooner, instead of waiting months for one large first result.
How accurate is the estimate?
It's a deliberately broad order of magnitude, not point precision – a first prototype can only be estimated seriously as a range before the idea is discussed in detail. It's enough to decide whether a next step is worth it. We set the exact scope together before the start.