How Much Does MVP Design Cost in 2025?

If you've Googled this question, you've probably seen answers ranging from “free!” to “$50,000+”. Both are technically true, which is to say: neither is helpful. Here's an honest breakdown based on real projects.

The four options (and what they actually cost)

Option 1: DIY with no-code tools, €0 to 500

Tools like Figma (free tier), Framer, or even Canva let you mock up screens yourself. Some founders do a decent job. Most spend 80+ hours and end up with something that looks... homemade.

When it works: You have a design eye, you're pre-pre-seed, and you just need something to put in front of 5 beta users. When it doesn't:You're showing investors or trying to look credible.

Option 2: Freelance designer, €500 to 5,000

You can find designers on Upwork, Contra, or Dribbble for anywhere from €25/hr to €150/hr. The range is enormous because quality varies enormously.

When it works: You find a great freelancer with startup experience who understands your vision. When it doesn't: You spend 3 weeks vetting candidates, hire someone cheap, get mediocre work, and have to start over. Most founders we talk to have been through this cycle at least once.

Option 3: Design agency, €10,000 to 50,000+

Agencies deliver polished work, but the model is built for enterprises, not startups. You get a project manager, a junior designer doing the actual work, a 6-week timeline, and a contract that locks you in.

When it works: You're a funded Series A+ company with budget to spare. When it doesn't:You're pre-seed, need to move fast, and can't afford to burn €15k on a process that takes 6 weeks.

Option 4: Design subscription, €2,099/month

This is the model we pioneered. You subscribe, submit requests, and a senior designer delivers work in 2 to 4 days per task. No contracts, no minimums. Pause or cancel anytime.

When it works: You want senior-level quality without the agency overhead. Your first month covers the entire MVP design, prototype, landing page, design system, for the cost of a single agency deliverable. When it doesn't: You need a full product team, not just design.

What's included in each price tier?

Here's what €2,099 gets you at each option:

• DIY: 80 hours of your time + Figma subscription
• Freelancer: 20 to 40 hours of work (2 to 4 screens, if you're lucky)
• Agency: A kickoff meeting and a moodboard
• Subscription: A complete clickable prototype + landing page + unlimited revisions for the full month

The hidden costs nobody talks about

The sticker price is only half the story. The real cost of design is time to market. Every week you spend waiting for designs is a week you're not testing with users, not raising money, not launching.

A €500 freelancer who takes 3 weeks to deliver a mediocre prototype costs you more than a €2,099 subscription that delivers something investor-ready in 4 days, because those 17 extra days cost you momentum, and momentum is the scarcest resource a startup has.

Our recommendation

If you're a non-technical founder at the idea or pre-seed stage: start with a design subscription. It's the only option that gives you senior-quality output at a startup-compatible speed and price. You can always scale up to an agency later, but you can't get back the months you wasted on the wrong approach.