When Wix spent a reported $80 million on six-month-old Base44, the no-code crowd took notice.

Why would one of the web’s biggest site builders buy an AI-powered app builder so soon after launching?

After testing Base44 out, I can see the appeal: it’s a one-stop, prompt-driven tool that spins up the front-end, the back-end, and user authentication in a single browser tab.

In this review, we put it to the test. Read on to find out if this is for you and whether it can compete with popular AI coding tools like Bolt and Lovable.

Why Base44 Caught My Eye

After reading out the Wix acquisition of Base44, I decided it was time to see if the tool was going to be a player in the AI app building space or whether it was all hype.

The overview of Base 44 is as follows:

• All-in-one stack – UI, database, auth, and hosting all within Base44. No external database or hosting is necessary.
• Prompt-first workflow – Like other similar AI app builders, describe your idea in plain English, add in a design style like “claymorphism,” click build, and let AI do the work.
• Gentle learning curve – Built-in idea templates and design tokens guide non-developers.
• Flexible AI engine – The platform auto-picks between Claude Sonnet 4 and Gemini 2.5 Pro but lets you override if you prefer.

Let's now build something using Base44 to see how it performs.

The On-Ramp: Idea Library & Styling Prompts

Base44 opens with a sleek dashboard that feels familiar if you’ve tried Bolt or Lovable, but there are two features that feel a little different:

1. Idea Library – Choose a category (Travel, Home Management, Finance, etc.) and Base44 seeds your prompt with a complete use-case. Great for inspiration or quick demos.
2. Styling Instructions – Add a single word like “claymorphism” or “glassmorphism” and the builder injects the right design hints. Perfect for anyone who wants a distinct look without wrangling CSS.

Make sure you write your prompt in the right order. Write the prompt first and add the styling after.

Hands-On: Building a Chore-Scheduler App

To keep things simple, I picked Home Management → Chore Scheduler, kept the claymorphism vibe, and hit Build. This is one of the suggested prompts.

Here’s what happened:

• Build log – A left-panel checklist ticked through tasks like Generate schema, Create routes, and Seed data, so I knew exactly what the AI was doing.
• Discuss Mode – Before committing code, I could chat with the AI architect, adjust logic, or ask “Why did you model the database this way?”
• Model picker – Default auto-selects a large-language model, but you can switch manually.

This has a similar feel to other AI app builders.

The chat is on the left, it has a discuss feature, and on the right is where the preview comes.

So, how did it do?

First Draft Results

• Dashboard with a week-view calendar
• Family-member CRUD (adult, teen, child)
• Auto-assignment button that spreads chores evenly across the week

All-in-all, I am impressed with what Base44 produced (see below). AI app builders have come a long way and the advanced AI models are ensuring that things look great right off the bat.

It wasn’t flawless: sample data sometimes slipped in where real data should be, and I burned through free credits fast.

Every prompt, however, nudged the build closer to usable.

Integrated Architecture: Blessing or Future Headache?

All-in-one is definitely a good selling point. But there could be a tradeoff.

• Pros
  • Zero setup: no databases to provision, no auth to wire up.
  • One invoice, one dashboard—speed matters.
• Cons
  • Portability questions: You can export a ZIP or push to GitHub (currently in beta), but it’s unclear how you’d migrate the database if you later move off the platform.
  • Vendor lock-in risk: convenience now might cost flexibility later.

Strengths

Here are the strengths in a nutshell.

• True one-stop shop for MVPs—perfect for marketers, founders, or designers who “just want it to work.”
• Visual editor lets you click-to-tweak colors, copy, and layout after generation.
• Active roadmap backed by Wix’s resources; the GitHub export already shows early signs of openness.
• Lower total cost for small projects—no extra Supabase or hosting bills.

Weak Spots

Here are the weaknesses in a nutshell:

• Free-tier friction – Credits disappear quickly; expect to upgrade sooner than you think.
• Data ownership – Integrated DB is handy now but may complicate a future migration.
• Prompt literacy required – When something breaks, you still need to coach the AI with precise instructions.

How It Compares to Bolt & Lovable

• Integrated DB & Auth – Base44 has them built in; Bolt and Lovable rely on Supabase.
• Visual WYSIWYG Editing – Base44 and Lovable both offer a good visual layer; Bolt is more code-centric.
• Code Export – All three export code, but Base44’s GitHub push is still in beta.
• Target User – Base44 skews “Squarespace for apps,” aiming at non-technical creators; Bolt feels more developer-friendly, while Lovable sits somewhere in between.

Verdict: Squarespace Vibes for Full-Stack Apps

Base44 feels like the Squarespace of AI app builders. Which makes sense as Wix purchased it.

If you’re a solo maker or a small team that wants a functional prototype by tonight (and you’ll worry about edge-cases tomorrow), it’s ideal. More seasoned devs may still prefer the modular freedom of Bolt + Supabase, but Base44’s convenience is hard to ignore.

I’ll spring for a paid plan and push deeper — multi-step onboarding flows, live user testing, maybe even a client-facing tool. When Wix layers in tighter integrations and more polish, Base44 could become the go-to “vibe-coding” platform for non-coders.

Tried Base44 yourself? Let me know how the experience stacks up for you—I’m curious whether the all-in-one promise lives up to everyday use cases.

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