Published ranges, October 2026
| First version of | Traditional agency | AI-native studio |
|---|---|---|
| Internal tool or dashboard | $50k–$140k · 2–5 months | $10k–$60k · 3–8 weeks |
| Web app or new product | $35k–$130k · 2–6 months | $5k–$80k · 2–12 weeks |
| iPhone app | $45k–$130k · 3–6 months | $15k–$80k · 4–10 weeks |
| AI agent for one workflow | $30k–$150k · 2–3 months | $5k–$40k · 2–6 weeks |
Compiled from agencies' and studios' published pricing pages and cost guides, Clutch's pricing data and published rates for forward-deployed AI engineering. A focused first version, not a finished platform.
What moves the number
- Scope. A first version that does one job well costs a fraction of one that does everything.
- Systems to connect. Each integration adds design, edge cases and testing.
- Data sensitivity. Health, financial and legal data need stricter access and review.
- Platforms. Web only is cheapest; a native iPhone app adds a large share again.
- Running it. Hosting, updates and improvements usually cost 15 to 25 percent of the build each year.
What AI changes
Writing code is much faster than it was, which is why studio prices have fallen. Understanding the business, design, testing and running the software take as long as they always did, and that is where a good team now spends most of its time.