Every way to get
your MVP built.
Side by side comparisons of the routes to a first version, and the tools involved. Including the cases where Firstspec is the wrong choice.
There are five realistic ways to get a first version built: do it yourself, hire a freelancer, use a development shop, use a no-code agency, or use an AI assisted studio. They differ less in what gets built than in who decides what to build, how long it takes, and what you own afterwards.
Last updated: July 2026
At a glance
The five routes, on the four things that actually differ. Costs are typical market ranges for a genuine first version, not quotes from named companies.
| Route | Typical cost | Timeline | Who decides scope | You own the code | Suits you if |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doing it yourself | Your time | 2 to 6 months | You | Yes | You can build, and time is cheaper than money right now. |
| Freelancer | $3,000 to $8,000 | 4 to 10 weeks | You | Usually | You already know exactly what to build and can manage it. |
| Development shop | $10,000 to $20,000 | 8 to 16 weeks | You | Yes | The product is complex, and the budget is there. |
| No-code agency | $15,000 and up | 4 to 8 weeks | You | Platform bound | Speed matters more than owning the underlying stack. |
| Firstspec | $999 launch | 2 weeks | We do, with you | Yes | You want the scope questioned before anything is built. |
Ownership varies by contract in every case. Ask before signing, whichever route you pick.
Ways to build, compared
Each comparison covers cost, timeline, what you own, and the founder who should pick the other option.
Firstspec vs a development shop
What you gain and lose moving from an eight to sixteen week build to a fixed price two week one.
Firstspec vs hiring a freelancer
Cheaper on paper. Where the difference actually shows up, and when a freelancer is the better call.
Firstspec vs a no-code agency
Both build fast. The difference is who decides what goes into version one.
Firstspec vs building it yourself
When doing it alone is genuinely the right answer, and when it quietly costs more.
Tool comparisons
The decisions underneath the build. Useful whether or not you work with us.
Lovable vs Bubble
Two routes to a working product without a developer. Strengths, ceilings, and what you inherit later.
Cursor vs traditional development
What AI assisted building changes about cost and timeline, and what it does not change at all.
Supabase vs Firebase
The database decision most founders never make consciously, and why it matters at version two.
Webflow vs Framer for a startup site
For the marketing site rather than the product. A short, practical comparison.
How we compare things
Comparison pages written by a company that sells one of the options are worth reading sceptically. Here is the standard we hold ourselves to.
Every comparison ends by naming the reader who should pick the other one. If a comparison never does that, it is an advert.
Firstspec is web only, two weeks, and one fixed scope. For some products that is the wrong shape, and we say so.
Market figures are given as typical ranges with a date, never presented as quotes from named companies.
Tools change quickly. Anything comparing them shows when it was last checked, so you can judge whether it is stale.
Not sure which route fits?
Book a free call. If another option suits your product better, we will tell you that instead.
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