Tested 5 AI App Estimators (2025): Cost, Timeline, and Team Breakdown

I needed to plan an MVP for a real startup project — and figure out how much it might cost, how long it could take, and who I’d need to build it. I didn’t want to waste hours on sales calls with agencies. I just wanted a realistic starting point.

What I input in each tool

To keep the comparison fair, I tested all tools with the same basic idea:

• Platform: Android + iOS
• Key features: registration, profile, messaging, push notifications
• Monetization: paid plan or Stripe integration
• Goal: MVP only, not a full product

So I tested 5 tools that promise to do it automatically. Here’s what I got.

Tools I tried:

1. Ptolemay

🔗 https://estimation.ptolemay.com/

Outputs:

• Cost range
• Timeline (months)
• Suggested tech stack
• PDF brief for developers or investors

What I got:

💵 $30–47K

📆 4–6 months

👨‍💻 Flutter + Firebase, team of 1 full-stack dev + QA

Best for: serious planning, sharing with agencies

Limitations: not very visual, results are static

2. Flatlogic Generator

🔗 https://flatlogic.com

Outputs:

• Working front-end + back-end codebase
• Stack selection (React, Angular, Vue + Node.js / Java / .NET)
• Basic time estimate to generate app
• Deployment & hosting options

What I got:

💵 ~$15–25K (based on comparable project complexity from their use cases)

📆 2–4 weeks to generate a production-ready admin panel

👨‍💻 Stack: React + Node.js + PostgreSQL

📁 Downloadable codebase via GitHub integration

Best for: developers or technical founders who want to quickly bootstrap an admin panel with real, editable code

Limitations:

• Doesn’t estimate full mobile apps or business logic
• No timeline or team breakdown for non-devs
• No exportable brief (not client-facing)

3. Cleveroad App Estimator

🔗 https://www.cleveroad.com/project-cost-calculator

Outputs:

• Real-time cost estimate as you select features
• Platform selection (iOS / Android / Web)
• Feature-based pricing adjustments

What I got:

💵 $26–38K for iOS + Android app with user auth, profile, chat, payments

📆 No timeline provided

👨‍💻 No tech stack suggestion

📁 No downloadable brief or export option

Best for: non-technical users who want to experiment with how features impact cost

Limitations:

• No timeline or delivery estimate
• No tech stack or team recommendation
• Not suitable as a planning document for developers or investors

4. BuildAIPlan (Beta)

🔗 https://buildaiplan.com

Outputs:

• AI-generated product brief based on your prompt
• Estimated budget and timeline
• Suggested feature list
• Tech recommendations (basic level)

What I got:

💵 $20–35K for: “AI-powered meditation app with user profiles and subscription”

📆 ~3–5 months (general range, no breakdown)

👨‍💻 Stack: suggested Firebase + React Native

📁 On-screen summary only, no export or download

Best for: early-stage founders exploring ideas — fast way to get a ballpark and roadmap

Limitations:

• Results can be vague or overly optimistic
• Not all prompts generate usable plans
• No downloadable brief, just web output
• No visibility into how estimates are calculated

5. Costimator

🔗 https://costimator.ai

Outputs:

• Price range based on quiz-style input
• Feature toggles: login, chat, payments, etc.
• Immediate budget estimate (Basic / Standard / Advanced tiers)

What I got:

💵 $18–30K for: iOS + Android MVP with login, chat, push notifications, payments

📆 No timeline provided

👨‍💻 No tech stack suggestions

📁 No export, no summary output

Best for: founders who want a quick gut-check on cost before deeper planning

Limitations:

• No timeline or delivery estimate
• No tech stack or team structure
• Doesn’t produce documentation you can reuse or share
• Very limited flexibility — fixed tiers only

Quick Comparison

No single tool gave everything I needed. But combining two or three helped me plan better — and gave me a PDF I could use when reaching out to agencies.

If you’ve used other estimators, let me know — I’d love to test them in a follow-up post.