The verdict in three sentences
In 2026, a solid B2B SaaS MVP costs €50,000 to €120,000 with a Berlin agency, versus €35,000 to €70,000 excl. VAT in Paris, for 10 to 14 weeks of development. On a €300,000 raise, that is 12 to 40 % of your capital, so the choice of partner directly shapes your runway. Public grants such as EXIST in Germany or the Bourse French Tech in France can cover part of the cost if you apply before spending.
What a credible B2B SaaS MVP contains
A B2B MVP is not a clickable prototype. Your first customers pay, invite colleagues and upload data. The technical foundation must be clean from version 1, even if the functional scope is deliberately narrowed to a single promise.
| Building block | Content | Estimated days | Indicative cost (day rate €650) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authentication and roles | Email, Google/Microsoft SSO, invitations, MFA | 6 to 9 d | €3,900 to €5,850 |
| Multi-tenancy | Data isolation per organisation, plans | 5 to 8 d | €3,250 to €5,200 |
| Stripe billing | Subscriptions, free trial, invoices, webhooks | 6 to 10 d | €3,900 to €6,500 |
| Core feature | The value the customer buys | 20 to 40 d | €13,000 to €26,000 |
| Dashboard | Key metrics, CSV exports | 6 to 10 d | €3,900 to €6,500 |
| UX/UI design | Journeys, mock-ups, light design system | 8 to 12 d | €5,200 to €7,800 |
| Infra, CI/CD, monitoring | EU hosting, backups, alerts | 3 to 5 d | €1,950 to €3,250 |
The total comes to 54 to 94 days. At a Paris day rate of €550 to €750, that means €35,000 to €70,000. Berlin agencies typically charge €800 to €1,200 a day in 2026 and add a product discovery phase, which pushes the range to €50,000 to €120,000.
Agency, freelancers or salaried CTO: 12-month comparison
| Option | 12-month cost | Time to first customer | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin agency | €50,000 to €120,000 + €2,500 to €4,000/month support | 3 to 4 months | Dependency without documentation |
| Paris agency | €35,000 to €70,000 + €1,500 to €3,000/month | 3 to 4 months | Same, slightly cheaper |
| Remote studio (Dakar, Lisbon) | €22,000 to €45,000 + €800 to €1,500/month | 3 to 4 months | Coordination, time zones |
| Two freelancers | €30,000 to €60,000 | 4 to 6 months | Availability, code consistency |
| Salaried CTO in Berlin | €85,000 to €100,000 gross, about €105,000 to €120,000 loaded | 6 to 9 months (incl. hiring) | Long search, equity dilution |
| No-code (Bubble, Softr) | €5,000 to €20,000 | 1 to 2 months | Technical limits beyond 50 customers |
A salaried CTO remains essential for a tech startup in the medium term. Hiring one before validating the market is expensive, though: over €100,000 a year loaded, plus 3 to 6 months of search. Many founders have an agency build the MVP, then hire a CTO to take over documented code.
Grants and funding to offset the build
In France, the Bourse French Tech from Bpifrance can reach €30,000 and cover up to 70 % of eligible costs, including external development. In Germany, the EXIST Business Start-up Grant funds founder salaries and material costs for university spin-offs, and regional programmes such as Berlin's Pro FIT can co-fund development. These amounts are 2026 estimates: check current terms with the relevant agency, and always apply before committing the spend.
Mini case study
Thomas, a non-technical founder of a compliance-training SaaS for industrial SMEs, raised €300,000 and is comparing options.
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- Berlin agency quote: €85,000 for 12 weeks, plus €3,000 a month support over 9 months = €112,000 in year one.
- Remote studio quote: €40,000, plus €1,200 a month over 9 months = €50,800 in year one.
- Saving with the remote studio: €61,200, about 5.5 extra months of runway at an €11,000 monthly burn.
- Salaried CTO comparison: about €110,000 loaded in year one, with a likely 4-month delay before the first release.
FAQ
What budget should I plan for a B2B SaaS MVP in Berlin in 2026?
Plan on €50,000 to €120,000 with a Berlin agency over 10 to 14 weeks. A Paris agency or a remote studio can deliver the same scope for €22,000 to €70,000.
What day rates do agencies charge?
Roughly €800 to €1,200 in Berlin and €550 to €750 in Paris in 2026. Above €1,200 you are often paying for the brand rather than seniority.
Can public grants pay for an agency?
Often yes: the Bourse French Tech covers external services up to about 70 % and €30,000, and some German regional programmes co-fund development. Apply before spending.
Will I own the code?
You must: require assignment of IP rights in the contract and access to the Git repository from day one.
When should I hire a CTO?
Usually after 10 to 20 paying customers or a seed round. Well-documented agency code cuts their onboarding to 2 to 4 weeks.
Let's scope your project. Describe your SaaS's single promise and your first target customers, and we will propose an MVP scope, an indicative budget and a 10 to 14 week plan. 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.
