A focused MVP typically takes 8-16 weeks; a full production app runs 3-9 months. Complex categories (fintech, healthcare, marketplaces) run longer — commonly 11-24 weeks even for an MVP, because of compliance and testing overhead.
The actual breakdown
- Simple MVP (4-8 weeks): a handful of screens, one core workflow, no complex backend.
- Standard MVP (8-16 weeks): accounts, payments, one or two real-time features, an admin panel.
- Regulated MVP — fintech/healthcare (11-24 weeks): the extra time is compliance, security review and audit logging, not more screens.
- Full production app (3-9+ months): multiple roles, deeper integrations, infrastructure built to scale past a few thousand users.
What actually blows up a timeline
Not coding speed — unclear scope and slow client-side decisions, consistently, across every source we checked. A written spec with a defined process for handling mid-project changes is what keeps a timeline real. Cross-platform frameworks (Flutter, React Native) also commonly cut 30-40% off a two-native-app timeline, since one codebase ships to both platforms.
Want a timeline against your actual scope rather than a general range? Start with our $200 Starter Sprint — it's scoped and estimated before you commit to anything bigger.