Prototype, proof of concept or MVP?
Three ways to test an idea; each one answers a different question.
| A prototype | A proof of concept | An MVP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The question it answers | How will it look and feel? | Can the hardest part be built at all? | Does your riskiest assumption hold? |
| What it is | Clickable screens with no database behind them; the data and the features come in the build. | A small technical test of one part, often with no screens at all. | Working software with a database, kept private behind a login. |
| Who tries it | You, signed in to your project page. | The people who build it. | The people you invite. |
| What you learn | Whether the screens and the way through them are right. | Whether the technical idea works. | Whether your assumption reaches the threshold you set. |
| What you have at the end | Screens you can click through, and a clear picture of what to build. | An answer, and code that is often not meant to be kept. | Working software behind a login, and a clear result: pivot, persevere or stop. |
| What comes next | An MVP, or the full build. | A prototype, an MVP or the full build. | If the answer is yes, the full product, built as custom web software. |
| With us | A way to start, and part of every project before we build. | Not one of the ways to start with us. | A way to start. |
The differences that matter.
How it looks, or whether it can be built.
A prototype shows how your software will look and feel. A proof of concept answers a technical question: whether the hardest part can be built at all.
Clickable screens, or working software.
A prototype has no database behind it: it shows how your software will look and how it is used. An MVP is working software with a database, and we test it thoroughly before your users get access.
Who tries it: you, or real users.
You try a prototype yourself and tell us what to change. An MVP is used by the people you invite, and how they use it shows whether your assumption holds.
What each option covers.
A prototype
Clickable screens that show how your software will look and feel, with no database behind them. You open it from your project page, try it and tell us what to change. How far it goes is decided at the start.
A proof of concept
A small technical test of the part you are least sure can be built, such as a connection to another system. It answers a question for the people who build, and users rarely see it. It is not one of the ways to start with us.
An MVP
Working software with a database, kept private behind a login and used only by the people you invite. Before any design or code, the riskiest assumption is written down, with one metric and its threshold. Minimum scope, never minimum quality.
Which fits your situation?
A prototype shows your idea, a proof of concept checks it can be built, and an MVP tests it with real users.
See custom web software
Frequently asked questions.
Can a prototype become the MVP?
Not as it is: a prototype has no database behind it. The MVP is built as working software, starting from the screens you have already tried and changed.
Do we need all three?
No. Each one answers a different question, so you need only those whose question is still open. With us, a prototype comes before every build.
What does each cost?
It depends on what it has to do. Once that is written down, you get a fixed price in a written offer, and nothing is built until you agree to it.
Tell us about your project. Send us a message and we will get back to you.