Prototype vs. MVP: Which One Do You Need?

Businesses of any size willing to develop a successful product can use the technique of prototype or MVP. While using one of these techniques, companies should get feedback from their targeted customers to improve their position in the market and reduce costs.

The prototype and MVP development process are different. The first one is seen as the draft of the product. It has low engineering and low functionality. It is basically a way to quickly test the ideas and assumptions for creating a product.

On the other hand, MVP is created as a usable version of a product. It consists of the main features for testing, generating feedback, and data. These products can be created with minimal money and time.

You can keep reading this post to understand what’s best for you: prototype or MVP. We have mentioned both their benefits, similarities, and differences to help you make an informed decision.

What is Prototyping?

Prototyping refers to the process of creating a draft of a product in the preliminary stage so it can be thoroughly tested. It helps in finding user flow and rectifying design mistakes before they are finalized.

Product prototypes can be created in different forms, i.e., paper prototypes, fully functional ones, or sketches. Not to mention, the details and level of usability for a prototype can vary greatly.

While prototyping is great, the problem arises in creating one while capturing the product’s functionality. Also, designers end up spending more time making the product beautiful during the prototype phase, which is not required.

Different levels of fidelity are used to create prototypes with different features. For instance, high-fidelity prototypes are clickable and offer a better experience. In contrast, low-fidelity prototypes are simple paper frameworks or hand-drawn sketches. Likewise, the creation of hi-fi prototypes requires the use of code during early stages.

Key Prototyping Benefits

Here are some of the common reasons why you should get prototype development services:

What is MVP?

An MVP (minimum viable product) is the process of building a basic product with a few features to meet the customer’s needs. The entire idea of creating an MVP is to deliver a “unique selling proposition” that differentiates it from other products.

Compared to prototypes, MVP takes more effort, time, and budget. If the product is impressive enough at the MVP stage itself, one can start making money right away. It is also possible to add more extra features than necessary to make the MVP the “best viable product.”

Key MVP Benefits

Here are some of the common reasons why you should get MVP development for startups :

Prototype vs. MVP: Are They Similar

Prototype and MVP are used to validate any product’s viability to answer three important questions: Is the product scalable? Is it profitable? Can it be implemented? Once you have addressed these issues, your software can succeed without any hassle.

Both processes make it easy to test the products in the early development stages without entirely creating the product. It saves time, reduces risk, and helps with cost saving.

Prototype vs. MVP: Which One Wins

Factors like how well you know your users, where you are in the software development cycle, and how many resources you have influence your choice between a prototype and an MVP.

If you are testing the early concepts of your product, a prototype is the right choice for you. It will help you attract investors and get stakeholder feedback. Once you have gained a budget and are confident in your idea, you can proceed with MVP.

Here’s a quick head-to-head comparison between prototype and MVP testing methodologies:

Alternatives to Prototypes and MVPs

Prototypes and MVPs are not the only product development services for validating ideas. Here are two more techniques worth paying attention to:

Conclusion

Prototype and MVP are two necessary techniques used by businesses for product testing before creating the actual product. But you need a reliable prototype or MVP development company in USA by your side to get the best service.

Protonshub Technologies is one such award-winning company that you can hire. We have helped multiple clients, related to different industries with our cost-effective MVP service. You can contact us for MVP web development, mobile application, and product development.

You can reach out to our experts to get a free project estimate.

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Ekta Singh

"Senior Content Writer"

Ekta Singh is a rookie food experimentalist and k-drama fan with 4+ years of experience in writing. Bridging gaps between companies and customers through conversion-driven content is her forte. She believes in writing stories for a living and living life for exploring places.