Quick answer
As a rough guide, a marketing website usually takes 3 to 8 weeks, an e-commerce store 6 to 12 weeks, a custom web app MVP 2 to 4 months, and a larger platform 4 to 9 months or more. The biggest factors are scope, the number of integrations, how quickly decisions and content arrive from your side, and how much changes mid-project. These ranges are typical, not guarantees — a clear brief and a lean first release are the most reliable ways to shorten them.
Typical timelines by project type
The ranges below reflect common industry experience for a small, focused team. Your project can sit outside them in either direction, which is exactly why a written estimate with assumptions matters more than any rule of thumb.
| Project type | Typical duration | What drives the range |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing or company website (5–20 pages) | 3–8 weeks | Number of templates, copywriting, CMS needs, multilingual content |
| E-commerce store | 6–12 weeks | Catalogue size, payment and shipping integrations, custom features |
| Custom web app MVP | 2–4 months | User roles, core workflows, integrations, admin tools |
| Mobile app MVP (iOS and Android) | 3–5 months | Native vs cross-platform, offline needs, app store review |
| Larger platform or SaaS product | 4–9+ months | Multi-tenancy, complex permissions, compliance, data migration |
What happens in each phase
1. Discovery (1–3 weeks)
The team turns your brief into a scoped plan: user flows, a feature list with priorities, technical architecture, risks, and a milestone schedule. Skipping discovery does not save time — it moves the same questions into development, where answering them is slower and more expensive.
2. UX and UI design (2–6 weeks)
Wireframes first, then visual design for the key screens. Design and early development can overlap once the core flows are approved, which is one of the easiest ways to compress a schedule.
3. Development in sprints
Work is built in one- or two-week sprints, each ending with something you can click through. Regular demos surface misunderstandings early, when they are cheap to fix.
4. Testing and hardening (1–4 weeks)
Functional testing runs throughout, but a dedicated phase before launch covers cross-browser and device testing, performance, security checks, and user acceptance testing by your team.
5. Launch and stabilisation
Deployment, data migration, DNS and monitoring, followed by a short stabilisation period for anything real users uncover. Mobile apps also need time for app store review.
What actually causes delays
In our experience, most delays are not caused by coding speed. They come from the handoffs around it:
- Slow feedback and approvals. A design waiting a week for sign-off costs a week of schedule.
- Late content. Page copy, product data and images that arrive at the end hold up launch even when the software is ready.
- Integration surprises. Third-party APIs with poor documentation, missing credentials or rate limits.
- Scope creep. New "small" features added mid-sprint without re-planning.
- No single decision-maker. Conflicting feedback from several stakeholders.
How to launch faster without cutting quality
- Start with a lean first release. Ship the must-haves, then iterate. Our MVP guide shows how to decide what goes in version one.
- Write a clear brief. A good software project brief removes weeks of back-and-forth.
- Name one decision owner who can approve designs and priorities quickly.
- Prepare content early, in parallel with design.
- Get integration access on day one — API keys, sandbox accounts, documentation.
- Keep a weekly demo rhythm so issues surface while they are small.
Be wary of timelines that sound too good
How we plan timelines at Apex IT Solutions
Every estimate we send includes the milestones, what you will be able to review at each one, and the assumptions the schedule depends on (for example, feedback within two working days). If a fixed deadline is not realistic at the scope described, we say so and propose what could be ready by that date instead. You can see how delivery works on our process page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build a simple website?
A simple company or marketing website of five to twenty pages typically takes three to eight weeks, depending on how many unique page templates it needs, whether copywriting is included, and how quickly content and feedback are provided.
How long does it take to build a web app MVP?
A focused web app MVP usually takes two to four months, including discovery, design, development, testing and launch. The number of user roles, core workflows and third-party integrations are the main factors that move the timeline.
Why do software projects take longer than expected?
The most common causes are slow feedback and approvals, content that arrives late, integration problems with third-party systems, and features added mid-project without re-planning. Coding speed is rarely the main cause.
Can I speed up development by adding more developers?
Only up to a point. Adding people to a small project increases coordination overhead, and adding them late can slow a project down. Reducing scope for the first release and speeding up decisions usually shortens timelines more effectively.
How long does app store approval take?
Review times vary and change over time, but approval is often quick for straightforward apps and slower when an app is rejected and resubmitted. Plan a buffer of at least a week before any launch date that depends on app store availability.
Get a timeline for your project
Share what you want to build and any deadline you are working to. We will send a written estimate with milestones and the assumptions behind the schedule.
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