If you are exploring Base44 as your AI app builder, one of the first questions you will have is: how much does it actually cost?

Base44 has quickly become one of the most popular vibe coding platforms for turning natural language into functional web applications. But like most AI-powered tools, its pricing is not as straightforward as a single monthly fee. Between message credits, integration credits, and plan-locked features, there is a lot to unpack before you commit.

In this guide, we break down every Base44 pricing tier, explain the credit system in plain English, reveal hidden costs you might not expect, and compare Base44 value against competitors like Lovable, Bolt.new, Cursor, and Replit.

Base44 Pricing Plans at a Glance

Here is a quick look at all five Base44 pricing tiers. Prices shown are for annual billing (which saves you 20%). Monthly billing is slightly higher across all paid plans.

Tip: Annual billing saves 20% on every paid plan. If you are committed to building with Base44, the yearly option is the better value.

Base44 Free Plan: What You Actually Get

Base44 free tier is genuinely useful for testing - but it is limited. Here is what is included:

• 25 message credits per month (5 per day)
• 100 integration credits per month
• Access to core features: authentication, database, analytics
• No credit card required to sign up

For context, 25 message credits is roughly enough to build one very simple app or explore the interface for a few sessions. If you are trying to build a complex application, you will burn through these credits in a single sitting.

Is the Base44 free plan enough? It is great for a test drive. You can generate a basic app, see how the AI interprets your prompts, and explore the editor. But you will almost certainly need to upgrade if you want to build anything you would actually use or show to others.

Base44 Starter Plan ($16-$20/mo)

The Starter plan is your entry into serious building on Base44. At $16/month (annual) or $20/month (monthly), you get:

• 100 message credits/month - 4x the free plan
• 2,000 integration credits/month - 20x the free plan
• Unlimited number of apps
• In-app code edits

This plan is ideal for hobbyists, students, and anyone building a personal project or validating an early-stage idea. The jump to 100 message credits gives you significantly more room to iterate on prompts and refine your UI.

What is missing: No custom domain, no GitHub integration, no backend functions. If you need your app to look professional or connect to external services, you will need the Builder plan.

Base44 Builder Plan ($40-$50/mo)

The Builder plan is what we recommend for most solo founders and freelancers. At $40/month (annual) or $50/month (monthly), it adds professional-grade features:

• 250 message credits/month
• 10,000 integration credits/month
• Custom domain support (connect your own domain)
• Free domain for 1 year
• GitHub integration
• Backend functions
• AI model selection
• 25 credits to share with a friend

Custom domains are essential for any customer-facing application - you cannot launch a serious product with a Base44 subdomain. The GitHub integration also means you can maintain version control and export your code, which is crucial if you want to migrate away later or bring in a developer.

Base44 Pro Plan ($80-$100/mo)

The Pro plan targets growing startups and apps with active user bases. For $80/month (annual) or $100/month (monthly), you get everything in Builder plus:

• 500 message credits/month
• 20,000 integration credits/month
• Early access to beta features
• Premium support

If your app relies heavily on AI-powered features - like a content generator or chatbot - you will need the higher integration credit volume. Each integration call (LLM request, image generation, email send, etc.) costs 1 credit, so apps with active users can burn through credits quickly.

Base44 Elite Plan ($160-$200/mo)

The Elite tier is Base44 top-end offering at $160/month (annual) or $200/month (monthly):

• 1,200 message credits/month
• 50,000 integration credits/month
• Priority support
• Everything included in the Pro plan

This plan is built for high-volume applications or agencies managing multiple client apps. If you are building a SaaS product with hundreds of daily active users who all trigger AI integrations, the Elite plan gives you the headroom you need.

For even larger needs, Base44 offers Enterprise pricing with custom plans, a dedicated architect, and account support. You will need to contact their sales team for details.

Understanding Base44 Credit System

Base44 pricing revolves around two types of credits, and understanding the difference is critical to avoiding unexpected limits:

Message Credits (Building)

Message credits are consumed when you (the builder) chat with Base44 AI to create or modify your app. Every prompt you send - whether it is add a login page or change the button color - costs message credits.

• Complex prompts may use more credits than simple ones
• Iterating on a feature (trying multiple approaches) burns credits fast
• Daily limits apply on the free plan (5 messages/day)

Integration Credits (Running)

Integration credits are consumed when your app users trigger actions that use Base44 integrations. These include:

• LLM/AI calls (chatbots, content generation)
• Image generation and understanding
• Email and SMS sending
• File uploads
• Database queries through integrations

Each integration request costs 1 credit, regardless of the integration type. This is simpler than some competitors token-based systems, but it means a simple email send costs the same as a complex AI generation.

Hidden Costs and Things to Watch Out For

Base44 pricing page is relatively transparent, but there are still costs and limitations that can catch you off guard:

1. Integration Credits Drain Faster Than You Think

If your app has AI-powered features (and many Base44 apps do), each user interaction that calls an LLM or other integration burns 1 credit. A chatbot app with 100 daily users making just 5 requests each = 500 credits/day = 15,000/month. That means you would need at least the Pro plan just for integration credits alone.

2. No Credit Rollover

Unused credits do not roll over to the next month. If you only use 50 of your 250 message credits one month, the remaining 200 are lost. Plan your building sessions accordingly.

3. Custom Domain Requires Builder Plan ($40+/mo)

If you want to remove the Base44 branding from your URL, you need at least the Builder plan. For any professional or client-facing project, this is essentially a requirement - making the true minimum professional plan $40/month, not $16.

4. Hosting Is Included (For Now)

Unlike some competitors, Base44 includes hosting in all plans. You do not need to pay separately for deployment or hosting infrastructure. However, this means you are dependent on Base44 infrastructure - if they change hosting policies or pricing, your costs could shift.

5. No Pay-As-You-Go Option

If you have a usage spike one month, you cannot just buy extra credits. Your only option is to upgrade to a higher plan or wait for the next billing cycle. This can be frustrating for apps with variable traffic.

Base44 vs. Competitors: Pricing Comparison

How does Base44 stack up against other AI app builders? Here is a side-by-side comparison of the most popular platforms:

Base44 vs. Lovable Pricing

Lovable starts higher at $25/month for its first paid plan, compared to Base44 $16/month Starter. However, Lovable includes custom domains and private projects in its Pro tier, features Base44 locks behind the $40/month Builder plan. If you need a custom domain, Lovable is actually cheaper for that specific feature set.

Base44 vs. Bolt.new Pricing

Bolt.new uses a token-based system starting at $20/month for 10M tokens. The advantage is that tokens are more granular - you are not limited by a message count. The downside is that token costs are harder to predict, and complex operations can drain tokens quickly. Base44 credit system is simpler to understand but less flexible.

Base44 vs. Replit Pricing

Replit Core plan matches Base44 Starter at $20/month, but Replit is a full development environment - not just an app builder. If you need coding capabilities beyond AI prompting, Replit offers more. For pure no-code app building, Base44 is more focused and easier to use.

Base44 vs. Cursor Pricing

Cursor is a different category - it is an AI-powered code editor, not a no-code builder. At $20/month for Pro, it is aimed at developers who write code. If you are comparing the two, the real question is whether you want to code or use natural language. Base44 is the right choice for non-technical builders.

Which Base44 Plan Should You Choose?

Choosing the right plan depends on your project stage and goals. Here is our recommendation framework:

For most people reading this, the Builder plan at $40/month is the sweet spot. It gives you custom domains, GitHub integration, and enough credits to actively build and run a real application. The Starter plan works for learning and prototyping, but its lack of custom domains makes it impractical for anything public-facing.

Is Base44 Worth It?

Here is the honest assessment. Base44 delivers real value if you are in its target audience: non-technical founders, solopreneurs, and small teams who want to build web applications using natural language.

Base44 is worth it if:

• You want to build full-stack apps without coding knowledge
• You need a built-in backend, database, and authentication
• You are building an MVP or internal tool on a budget
• You value simplicity over maximum customization

Base44 might not be worth it if:

• Your app needs heavy AI integrations (credits run out fast)
• You are a developer comfortable with code (Cursor or Replit offer more flexibility)
• You need complex, custom backend logic beyond what Base44 supports
• You need guaranteed uptime SLAs for production apps

Compared to hiring a developer ($4,000-$10,000+/month) or even using multiple tools together, Base44 $40-$80/month is remarkably affordable for what you get. The key is understanding the credit system so you do not hit unexpected walls.

Is Base44 Legit?

Yes - Base44 is a legitimate, well-funded platform that has gained significant traction in the vibe coding space since launch. The company is actively developing new features and has a growing community of builders. Their pricing is transparent (posted publicly), they offer a free plan so you can test before paying, and you retain full ownership of the apps you build.

That said, like any startup, there are considerations: the platform is still evolving, pricing and features may change, and you are building on their infrastructure. If long-term independence is important, the GitHub integration on Builder+ plans provides an exit path. For more background, check out our Base44 Ultimate Guide and full review.

Tips to Save Money on Base44

1. Start with the free plan. Test the platform before committing any money. You will know within 25 messages whether Base44 approach works for you.
2. Choose annual billing. Save 20% on every paid plan by paying yearly. For the Builder plan, that is $120/year in savings.
3. Plan your prompts. Do not waste message credits on vague prompts. Write detailed, specific instructions to get better results on the first try.
4. Monitor integration usage. Check your credit dashboard regularly, especially after launching an app to real users.
5. Consider alternatives for specific needs. If your app is frontend-heavy, Lovable might be cheaper. If you need a full dev environment, Replit could be better value.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Base44 cost?

Base44 has a free plan and four paid plans. The Starter plan costs $16/month (annual) or $20/month, the Builder plan is $40/month (annual) or $50/month, the Pro plan is $80/month (annual) or $100/month, and the Elite plan is $160/month (annual) or $200/month.

Is Base44 free to use?

Yes, Base44 offers a completely free plan with 25 message credits and 100 integration credits per month. No credit card is required. However, the free plan is limited and best suited for testing the platform before upgrading to a paid plan.

What are Base44 message credits vs. integration credits?

Message credits are used when you (the builder) interact with the AI to create or edit your app. Integration credits are used when your app end users trigger actions like AI calls, email sends, or file uploads. Both types reset monthly and do not roll over.

Can I cancel my Base44 subscription anytime?

Yes, you can cancel your Base44 subscription at any time from your billing dashboard. If you are on an annual plan, you will retain access until the end of your billing period. You can also downgrade to a lower tier instead of canceling entirely.

Does Base44 offer refunds?

Base44 refund policy may vary. Since they offer a free plan, you can test the platform before committing money. Check their terms of service or contact support for specific refund questions.

Is Base44 cheaper than Lovable?

At the entry level, yes - Base44 Starter plan ($16/month) is cheaper than Lovable Pro plan ($25/month). However, for professional features like custom domains, Base44 Builder plan ($40/month) is comparable to Lovable Pro plan, which includes custom domains at $25/month.

What happens when I run out of Base44 credits?

When you run out of message credits, you cannot send more AI prompts to build your app. When integration credits are exhausted, your live app stops processing integration calls (like AI features). You can upgrade your plan or wait for the next billing cycle to reset.

Does Base44 include hosting?

Yes, all Base44 plans include hosting at no additional cost. Your apps are deployed on Base44 cloud infrastructure automatically. You do not need to set up or pay for separate hosting, which is a significant cost advantage over tools like Bubble that charge separately for workload units.