Should I build a custom project board for my team?

Usually not: existing boards are inexpensive. Build custom when your workflow has stages, data or rules the tools can't model, such as a production pipeline tied to your own systems.

Is a kanban board a good first SaaS product?

Only for a specific niche. The general market is crowded, so a board built around one industry's workflow is a more realistic product than a general project tool.

Is this what Trello spent to build its app?

No. It is Eltherion's estimate for building a comparable first version today. It says nothing about what Trello spent, and Eltherion is not affiliated with Trello. A product at that company's scale has years of work and teams behind it that no MVP includes.

How can I lower the cost?

Launch with fewer integrations, one market and one platform, and leave the full-platform features until users ask for them. The adjustable calculator shows how each choice moves the range.

Productivity and SaaS tools

How much does it cost to build an app like Trello?

By Nick McCandless, founder of EltherionUpdated October 30, 2026

Short answer

Eltherion prices an MVP of an app like Trello, a kanban project board SaaS, at $44k to $120k. A full platform with the features listed below runs $76k to $206k. These are Eltherion's own estimate ranges for building a comparable product, not what Trello spent; your fixed price comes after a free scoping call, and small, tightly scoped work starts as low as $1,000.

Adjust this estimate in the calculator Get a fixed quote

An app like Trello organizes work as boards of lists and cards that teams drag between columns, with checklists, due dates, comments and attachments. It is one of the simpler collaboration tools to build well.

What an MVP of an app like Trello costs, feature by feature

The first version below is the smallest product people could actually use. Core features are covered by the base price for a SaaS product; each outside service the app connects to, and each add-on, adds its own line.

Eltherion estimate for an app like Trello, MVP (updated October 30, 2026)
Line item	What it covers	Estimate
Core SaaS product (MVP)	Boards, lists and cards, Card details, Members and permissions	$35k to $95k
Team workspaces	Each customer's boards kept apart	$5k to $15k
File storage	Attachments	$2k to $5k
Email notifications	Mentions and due dates	$2k to $5k
Total		$44k to $120k

Boards, lists and cards: Drag and drop with real-time updates.
Card details: Checklists, due dates, labels, comments and attachments.
Members and permissions: Invite people to boards.

What drives the cost of an app like Trello

Drag and drop with live updates for several users is the main front-end work.
Extra views and automation rules expand the product over time.
Workspaces and billing turn an internal board into a sellable SaaS.

Full platform: $76k to $206k

The full-platform tier prices the same app at full-platform scope ($63k to $171k for the core) plus these additions:

Automation rules: When a card moves, do something (part of the full-platform core).
Calendar and timeline views: Other views of the same cards (part of the full-platform core).
Subscription billing: Plans and payments ($2k to $5k).
Integrations: Connect to chat and storage tools ($2k to $5k).

Most products should not build this tier up front. Ship the MVP, see what users actually do, and add the pieces that earn their place. Open the full-platform estimate in the calculator.

Running costs after launch

Maintenance and small improvements: $8k to $22k a year for the MVP (18% of the build, a planning assumption).
Hosting: about $7k a year (a planning estimate; heavy usage costs more).
Three-year total for the MVP, build included: $89k to $206k.
Card payments: Stripe's standard US rate is 2.9% + 30¢ per successful domestic card transaction (checked October 30, 2026); other providers price differently.

Each integration also has its provider's own usage fees (maps, messaging, video, AI models), which depend on how much the app is used.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to build an app like Trello?: Eltherion prices an MVP of an app like Trello, a kanban project board SaaS, at $44k to $120k, and a full platform at $76k to $206k. These are Eltherion's estimate ranges from its published pricing model; your fixed price comes after a free scoping call. Small, tightly scoped work starts as low as $1,000.
Should I build a custom project board for my team?: Usually not: existing boards are inexpensive. Build custom when your workflow has stages, data or rules the tools can't model, such as a production pipeline tied to your own systems.
Is a kanban board a good first SaaS product?: Only for a specific niche. The general market is crowded, so a board built around one industry's workflow is a more realistic product than a general project tool.
Is this what Trello spent to build its app?: No. It is Eltherion's estimate for building a comparable first version today. It says nothing about what Trello spent, and Eltherion is not affiliated with Trello. A product at that company's scale has years of work and teams behind it that no MVP includes.
How can I lower the cost?: Launch with fewer integrations, one market and one platform, and leave the full-platform features until users ask for them. The adjustable calculator shows how each choice moves the range.

How we priced this

Every number on this page comes from Eltherion's software development cost calculator: a base range for the product type, multiplied by scope, plus a fixed range for each integration and add-on. The method is published on the cost methodology page. The feature list describes a typical comparable product; Eltherion is not affiliated with Trello.