The verdict in three sentences
A B2B SaaS MVP costs 40,000 to 100,000 EUR with a Berlin agency in 2026, 25,000 to 60,000 EUR excl. VAT with an agency in Lyon for 10 to 14 weeks, versus 15,000 to 35,000 EUR with a freelancer and an equity share with a co-founding CTO. The non-negotiable foundation has three blocks: Stripe subscriptions, multi-tenant architecture and an admin back office, with hosting of 50 to 300 EUR a month at launch. The goal is not a complete product but 10 to 30 first paying customers who validate the price and the core feature.
What a B2B SaaS MVP must include in 2026
A B2B MVP is not a demo: your first customers pay, trust you with data and expect a reliable service. You need a clean technical base, but only one business feature pushed all the way. Everything else (advanced reporting, multiple integrations, mobile app) waits for proof that the market pays.
| Block | Content | Share of budget | Lyon agency cost (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping and mockups | Workshops, user flows, clickable mockups | 8 to 10% | 2,500 to 5,000 |
| Authentication and multi-tenancy | Company accounts, roles, data isolation | 12 to 15% | 3,500 to 8,000 |
| Core business feature | The product's core value | 35 to 45% | 9,000 to 26,000 |
| Stripe subscriptions | Plans, free trial, invoices, EU VAT | 8 to 12% | 2,500 to 6,500 |
| Admin back office | Customer management, support, metrics | 8 to 10% | 2,500 to 5,500 |
| Onboarding and emails | Sign-up, activation, nudges | 5 to 8% | 1,500 to 4,000 |
| QA, security, go-live | Testing, backups, monitoring | 8 to 10% | 2,500 to 5,000 |
A sensible MVP sits around 35,000 to 45,000 EUR in Lyon; above 60,000 EUR, the scope probably exceeds what a first market test requires.
Agency, freelancer, co-founding CTO or nearshore
The choice of delivery model depends less on price than on the risk you are willing to carry: continuity, code quality, availability after delivery.
| Option | MVP cost | Timeline | Strengths | Risks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon agency | 25,000 to 60,000 EUR | 10 to 14 weeks | Full team, fixed price, warranty | Higher cost |
| Senior freelancer | 15,000 to 35,000 EUR | 12 to 18 weeks | Flexibility, cost | Single-person dependency |
| Co-founding CTO | 0 to 10,000 EUR + 10 to 30% equity | 12 to 24 weeks | Long-term commitment | Dilution, hard to recruit |
| Nearshore team in Dakar | 15,000 to 36,000 EUR | 10 to 14 weeks | Day rate 250 to 400 EUR, close time zone | Requires solid scoping |
| Berlin agency (benchmark) | 40,000 to 100,000 EUR | 12 to 16 weeks | Dense startup ecosystem | Highest cost |
In every case, require ownership of the source code upon payment, a Git repository in your name and deployment documentation: that is what lets you switch vendors or hire a CTO later.
Costs after launch
A SaaS does not stop at delivery. Plan for 50 to 300 EUR a month of hosting and services (managed database, transactional email, monitoring), Stripe fees of 1.5% + 0.25 EUR per European card payment, and an iteration budget of 3,000 to 8,000 EUR a month for the following six months to absorb feedback from early customers.
Mini case study
Thomas, a former quality manager in food processing, launches a SaaS in Lyon to manage HACCP plans for processing SMEs. He hires an agency to build the MVP for 38,000 EUR in 12 weeks, plus 120 EUR a month of hosting.
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His plan is priced at 149 EUR per month per site. After 6 months of selling, he has 22 customers, i.e. 3,278 EUR of monthly recurring revenue and about 39,300 EUR annualized. The MVP is covered by less than a year of subscriptions, and these 22 paying customers become his proof to raise 400,000 EUR in seed funding and hire his first in-house developer. In Berlin, the same build would likely have cost him 40,000 to 100,000 EUR.
FAQ
What budget should I plan for a B2B SaaS MVP in Berlin in 2026?
Roughly 40,000 to 100,000 EUR with a Berlin agency, 25,000 to 60,000 EUR in Lyon and 15,000 to 36,000 EUR with a nearshore team in Dakar, for 10 to 14 weeks.
Is multi-tenancy essential from the MVP?
Yes for a B2B SaaS: retrofitting data isolation often costs 30 to 50% of the initial budget. Building it in from the start adds only 3,500 to 8,000 EUR.
How much does Stripe cost for subscriptions?
About 1.5% + 0.25 EUR per European card payment, plus 0.7% for Stripe Billing on billed volume. For 3,000 EUR of monthly revenue, expect around 75 EUR in fees.
Should I take a co-founding CTO instead of an agency?
A co-founding CTO costs little in cash but 10 to 30% of equity, and finding one often takes 6 months. Many founders build the MVP with an agency, then hire a CTO once the first customers are signed.
Can I cut the budget with a team in Senegal?
Yes, a nearshore team in Dakar bills 250 to 400 EUR a day versus 600 to 900 EUR in Western Europe. The same MVP costs 15,000 to 36,000 EUR, provided the specification is precise.
Let's scope your project. Describe your core feature, target customers and intended subscription price: we price an MVP between 25,000 and 60,000 EUR, delivered in 10 to 14 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
