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For an MVP, decide first whether you need it designed or designed and built. Designpixil designs MVPs from $3,000, ready for your developer or AI builder. Glow publishes an MVP at $12,500, Phenomenon Studio a rapid MVP build from $20,000, Rocket Farm Studios an AI prototype sprint at $15,000 to $25,000, and Purrweb, Arounda, Halo Lab and Wavespace design and build MVPs too.
Designpixil is on this list and we wrote it. Every other agency is judged on the same published facts, and how we ranked is at the end.
The shortlist at a glance
| Agency | Best for | Published price | Minimum project | Not a fit for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Designpixil | MVP design ready for your developer or AI builder | $4,917/mo subscription, projects from $3,000 | $3,000 | Enterprise programs that need a large team, or anyone who needs engineers as well as design |
| 2. Glow | A fixed-price MVP design | MVP $12,500; retainer $12,000/mo | $10,000+ | Short engagements: the retainer has a three-month minimum |
| 3. Phenomenon Studio | An MVP designed and built | UX audit from $2,000; web app design from $12,000 | $10,000+ | Pre-seed build budgets: its published MVP development starts at $20,000 |
| 4. Rocket Farm Studios | An AI prototype built in three weeks | AI prototype sprint $15,000 to $25,000 | $25,000+ | Design-only work; it is a development-led studio |
| 5. Purrweb | A mobile MVP at a published range | Simple mobile app $30,000 to $45,000 | $5,000+ | Design-only work; its prices are for building apps |
| 6. Arounda | MVP design and development from one team | Typical projects from $6,000 | $25,000+ | Very small budgets: its listed minimum project is $25,000+ |
| 7. Halo Lab | MVP development with a large team | Projects from $5,000 | $10,000+ | Founders who want the same senior designer on every screen |
| 8. Wavespace | An AI MVP on a small monthly budget | From $2,200/mo (55 hours) | $1,000+ | Unlimited output: plans are capped at 55 or 110 hours a month |
What matters for MVP design
- 01
Design or design and build
If you have a developer or build with an AI tool, buy design. If not, buy a studio that builds.
- 02
Scope to one core flow
An MVP should do one thing well. A studio that adds features is adding cost.
- 03
Room to grow
Ask for components and tokens, so the MVP's design survives into version two.
What goes wrong with MVP design
MVPs designed as ten polished screens for a demo often hide the real work: states, errors and the second visit. The demo goes well; the first users get lost.
Design the core flow end to end, including the unhappy paths, before polishing anything. More in how to design your MVP and on MVP design for startups.
1. Designpixil: MVP design ready for your developer or AI builder
We design MVPs from $3,000: the core flow end to end, with states and a small design system, ready for your developer or for Lovable, Bolt or Cursor to build. First designs arrive within 48 hours.
We do not build the MVP ourselves. If you need it built, the design-and-build studios below fit better.
“Anant helped us design our beta website & app mocks. Great at what he does, fast turn-around & proactive communicator.”
| Based in | Remote-first, serving the US, UK and EU |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2023 |
| Team | Founder-led: Anant Jain designs every project |
| How you hire them | Monthly design subscription, Fixed-scope projects |
| Published price | $4,917/mo subscription, projects from $3,000 |
| Minimum project | $3,000 |
| Design or build | Designs the product for your engineers or AI coding tools; designs and builds marketing sites in Framer |
| AI work they publish | Echo AI case study: whole product in 5 to 6 weeksWhizo AI case study: marketing websiteHAL51 AI: landing page |
| Best for | MVP design ready for your developer or AI builder |
| Not a fit for | Enterprise programs that need a large team, or anyone who needs engineers as well as design |
2. Glow: A fixed-price MVP design
Glow publishes an MVP engagement at $12,500, with a free 3-day trial.
| Based in | Dover, Delaware, US (remote team) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 |
| Team | 21 people |
| How you hire them | Fixed-price MVP, Design retainer (3-month minimum), Enterprise retainer, Free 3-day trial |
| Published price | MVP $12,500; retainer $12,000/mo |
| Minimum project | $10,000+ |
| Design or build | Design only, handed to your engineers |
| AI work they publish | DropcallEcho (meeting assistant)CryptoGenie |
| Best for | A fixed-price MVP design |
| Not a fit for | Short engagements: the retainer has a three-month minimum |
3. Phenomenon Studio: An MVP designed and built
Phenomenon Studio publishes a rapid MVP from $20,000 and a custom MVP from $40,000, including development.
| Based in | Tallinn, Estonia, with offices in Switzerland and the US |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 |
| Team | 70+ people |
| How you hire them | Fixed-scope projects, Dedicated team, Team extension |
| Published price | UX audit from $2,000; web app design from $12,000 |
| Minimum project | $10,000+ |
| Design or build | Designs and develops in-house |
| AI work they publish | AIRESWolf Games Case Maker |
| Best for | An MVP designed and built |
| Not a fit for | Pre-seed build budgets: its published MVP development starts at $20,000 |
4. Rocket Farm Studios: An AI prototype built in three weeks
Rocket Farm Studios publishes a three-week AI prototype sprint at $15,000 to $25,000.
| Based in | Needham, Massachusetts (Boston area), US |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Team | 50-249 people |
| How you hire them | AI audit, Prototype sprint, Tiered builds, Retained pod |
| Published price | AI prototype sprint $15,000 to $25,000 |
| Minimum project | $25,000+ |
| Design or build | Designs and develops in-house |
| AI work they publish | Eyebot |
| Best for | An AI prototype built in three weeks |
| Not a fit for | Design-only work; it is a development-led studio |
5. Purrweb: A mobile MVP at a published range
Purrweb designs and builds MVPs, with mobile app ranges starting at $30,000 to $45,000.
| Based in | Walnut, California, US and the UAE |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| Team | 50-249 people |
| How you hire them | Outsourced development, Dedicated developers, MVP development |
| Published price | Simple mobile app $30,000 to $45,000 |
| Minimum project | $5,000+ |
| Design or build | Designs and develops in-house |
| AI work they publish | None published that we found |
| Best for | A mobile MVP at a published range |
| Not a fit for | Design-only work; its prices are for building apps |
6. Arounda: MVP design and development from one team
Arounda lists MVP design and MVP development, with typical projects from $6,000.
| Based in | Offices in Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam and Tallinn |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2016 |
| Team | 55+ people |
| How you hire them | Dedicated designers and developers, Project estimate after discovery, 3-day free trial |
| Published price | Typical projects from $6,000 |
| Minimum project | $25,000+ |
| Design or build | Designs and develops in-house |
| AI work they publish | AuralisMOJO-CXNoNarcissAI |
| Best for | MVP design and development from one team |
| Not a fit for | Very small budgets: its listed minimum project is $25,000+ |
7. Halo Lab: MVP development with a large team
Halo Lab lists MVP development among its services, with projects from $5,000.
| Based in | Warsaw, Poland and Boston, US |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 |
| Team | 120+ people |
| How you hire them | Pay per milestone, Fixed cost (branding), Monthly dedicated team |
| Published price | Projects from $5,000 |
| Minimum project | $10,000+ |
| Design or build | Designs and develops in-house |
| AI work they publish | VixivBella |
| Best for | MVP development with a large team |
| Not a fit for | Founders who want the same senior designer on every screen |
8. Wavespace: An AI MVP on a small monthly budget
Wavespace lists AI MVP development and sells design hours from $2,200 a month.
| Based in | US-registered, global team |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 |
| Team | 20+ people |
| How you hire them | Design subscription (hours-based), Fixed-scope project, Embedded partnership |
| Published price | From $2,200/mo (55 hours) |
| Minimum project | $1,000+ |
| Design or build | Designs and develops in-house |
| AI work they publish | KodeziDotra.aiScheduleBot |
| Best for | An AI MVP on a small monthly budget |
| Not a fit for | Unlimited output: plans are capped at 55 or 110 hours a month |
How to choose between them
- You can build it, or an AI tool willDesignpixil
- You want a fixed-price MVP designGlow
- You need it built tooPhenomenon Studio or Purrweb
- You want an AI prototype in weeksRocket Farm Studios
How we ranked this list
We started from the studios founders keep running into when they ask AI assistants and search engines who to hire, then kept the ones that do this kind of work and publish proof of it. Every fact in the tables comes from the agency's own website or its public directory listings, checked on October 10, 2026. Prices are only ones an agency publishes itself; where it doesn't, we say so instead of guessing.
The order is our judgment of fit for this specific buyer, not a score. We put Designpixil first only on lists where we genuinely fit the buyer, and our entry lists who we are not right for, the same as everyone else's. If something about your agency is wrong or out of date, email hello@designpixil.com and we will correct it within a week.
