Building a new product is risky. You're more likely to fail than to succeed. So anything that turns the odds in your favor is a friend. In fact, you've got quite a few friends: MVPs, POCs and prototypes.
When building a new digital product, teams often face a critical early question: should we start with a proof of concept (PoC), a prototype, or jump straight into developing an MVP? Each stage — whether it's creating a PoC, designing a prototype, or launching a minimum viable product — serves a distinct purpose in the product development process. Understanding the difference between proof of concept, prototype, and MVP is key to making the right call for your product idea.
In this guide, we’ll take a deep dive into PoC, prototype vs MVP, and everything in between. Whether you're a startup validating the feasibility of your idea or a product team aiming to gather early feedback from potential users, this article will help you decide which path to take — and when to move from one stage to the next.
What Is a Proof of Concept (PoC)?
A proof of concept (PoC) is a small-scale, early-stage validation method used to determine whether an idea is technically feasible before investing in full development. It’s commonly used in software development to de-risk innovations and test fundamental assumptions about a solution’s functionality.
In other words, POCs help avoid the following: having to gather lots of resources only to find out your idea is impossible to execute. Whenever you're dealing with new technology, this is very much a possibility.
When to Use a PoC
You should use a PoC when the technical viability of your idea is uncertain, especially if it involves novel algorithms, integrations, or infrastructure. It is best applied at the earliest stage of a project to uncover blockers and validate feasibility before moving to design or product build-out.
It's worth noting that it takes more than common sense to gauge how technically demanding a product idea is. That said, it's helpful to engage a technical co-founder early on or find a consultant.
Benefits of a Proof of Concept in Software Development
A well-executed PoC can save time and resources by identifying failure points early, aligning stakeholders around realistic expectations, and providing clarity on whether the concept can scale technically. It also supports funding or internal buy-in by demonstrating potential.
What Is a Prototype?
A prototype is a preliminary version of a product that simulates user interactions or workflows to test usability, navigation, or layout. Unlike a PoC, it doesn’t prove technical feasibility but instead helps refine user experience and design before development begins. In other words, it's about testing startup UX.
Another key difference between POCs and MVPs from a prototype is that a prototype can only really simulate front-end. In other words, it's not an app, but an imitation of one.
Types of Prototypes in Product Design
Prototypes vary in fidelity, ranging from low-fidelity wireframes to high-fidelity interactive mockups. The term "fidelity" denotes how similar the prototype is to a final product. Low-fidelity prototype could be a sketch on a napkin, wile high-fi prototype is a clickable well-designed interactive model.
Each type serves a different purpose, from validating initial concepts with stakeholders to running usability tests with end users in near-real environments.
Prototype vs MVP: How They Compare
A prototype is a simulation, while a minimum viable product (MVP) is a working product with enough core functionality to be used in the real world. The prototype precedes the MVP and is used to gather feedback on design before actual development takes place.
Prototype vs PoC: Choosing the Right Tool
Choosing between a prototype and a PoC depends on the kind of risk you want to test: user experience versus technical feasibility. Teams should start with a PoC when unsure whether something can be built, and a prototype when they know it can be built but want to refine how it works for users.
What Is an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)?
An MVP is a functional product version that includes just enough features to deliver value and gather real user feedback. It is built to test whether users will adopt the product and to learn how they interact with its most essential functionality. In other words, you're testing market response.
The Role of MVPs in Startup Success
In startups, MVPs play a critical role in lean product development by helping teams avoid building features nobody wants. They enable faster iterations, more efficient resource use, and data-driven decisions based on how users respond to the initial value proposition.
Comparing PoC vs Prototype vs MVP
Now that we've talked about POCs, MVPs and prototypes, let's compare all of them in a table.
MVP vs PoC vs Prototype: Summary Table
How to Choose Between a PoC, Prototype, or MVP
Selecting between a PoC, prototype, or MVP depends on what you’re trying to learn and the kind of risk you're addressing in your product development journey. If you’re unsure whether your idea is feasible on a technical level — for example, due to a complex integration, algorithm, or infrastructure requirement — the best starting point is to build a proof of concept. A PoC helps validate whether the concept can be built, even if it lacks full functionality or user interface.
Once the feasibility of your idea is clear, and you're confident the solution can be built, you can move to the prototype stage. A prototype lets you explore how users will interact with the product — testing user flows, navigation, and layout without having to develop a full backend. It’s ideal when refining your product concept or gathering early feedback from stakeholders.
Finally, an MVP is developed when you’re ready to test your idea in the real world. It should include essential features designed to solve the core problem for your target audience. The MVP helps you validate product-market fit, gather real usage data, and iterate based on how potential users actually behave. In other words, each approach tackles a different form of uncertainty: technical, usability, or market.
Difference Between MVP vs Prototype in Mobile App Development
In mobile app development, the distinction between a prototype vs MVP is especially critical due to the high cost of building and deploying apps across platforms and devices.
A prototype is an interactive design model used to simulate how a product will look and behave. It helps teams validate flows, gestures, animations, and layouts before a single line of production code is written. While the prototype lacks the business logic or backend systems, it plays a vital role in testing and improving the user experience early on.
By contrast, an MVP is a fully functional app, albeit limited in scope. The MVP allows you to test real engagement metrics — like retention, feature usage, and crash reports — across different devices and operating systems. It enables mobile teams to monitor how users respond to the core features, and whether the product idea resonates with real needs.
The difference between MVP vs prototype also affects your development process and budget. While a prototype development cycle is relatively fast and inexpensive, developing an MVP requires deeper investments in design, development, QA, and app store distribution. Understanding this difference between a PoC, prototype, and MVP ensures you're not overbuilding too early — or missing crucial feedback before launch.
Final Thoughts
Choosing between a PoC, prototype, and MVP depends on what you need to validate. A proof of concept usually comes first to confirm technical feasibility. The purpose of a PoC is to test if the concept can be built, not how it looks or feels.
Next comes the prototype, which focuses on UX. In some cases, a PoC and a prototype are used together — one to prove it works, the other to show how. Once validated, it’s time to build an MVP: a final product with just enough features to test with real users.
Each stage has a role. Start by developing a PoC, then move forward with confidence. Skipping steps might slow you down later.
