Base44 turns a chat into a working web app with logins and a database. Here is where it shines, where it struggles and what it costs.
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Base44 is a good choice if you want a simple web app, such as a tracker, a booking tool or an internal dashboard, with sign-in and a database already wired up, and you do not want to touch code. It is less suited to marketing websites and to large, complex apps, where its credit limits and chat-only workflow start to pinch.
It is free to try with 25 message credits a month, and paid plans run from $16 to $160 a month.
| Base44 | |
|---|---|
| What it is | AI app builder: describe an app in chat, get a working web app |
| Owner | Wix (acquisition announced June 2025) |
| Price | Free (25 message credits a month); Starter $16, Builder $40, Pro $80, Elite $160 a month billed annually (monthly billing costs more) |
| Built in | Database, user sign-in, hosting; custom domain and GitHub integration on paid plans |
| Best for | Internal tools and simple apps for non-developers |
| Watch out for | Two credit pools (message and integration) and thin free allowance |
Prices checked September 2026 (September 25) on each vendor's own pricing page, in US dollars. Vendors change prices often, so confirm on their page before you buy.
Best for: Non-developers who need a working app with logins and data
Price: Free (25 message credits a month); Starter $16, Builder $40, Pro $80, Elite $160 a month billed annually (monthly billing costs more)
Pros: Fast from idea to working app; Database and sign-in included without setup; Low $16 entry price; In-app code editing and GitHub integration on paid plans
Cons: 25 message credits a month on free goes quickly; Message and integration credits are counted separately; Complex apps can take many credits to get right; Not built around marketing sites
Best for: Business owners who want a finished website or web app written from a description
Price: Free plan: up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address, no AI. AI building from $20/mo (Starter, 250 credits). Pro $50/mo, Max $99/mo.
Pros: Describe what you want in chat and AI builds a full, editable site or app; Edit by clicking on the page, by asking in chat, or in a real code editor; Export the React and TypeScript code to GitHub, so you are never locked in; Unlimited sites on paid plans, custom domains from Starter
Cons: The free plan is templates only; AI building needs a paid plan; Newer platform with a smaller app marketplace than the big names; Store features are simpler than a dedicated ecommerce platform
Replacing a spreadsheet with a simple app that has logins and a database: Base44 is a strong fit. A small team building internal tools without a developer: a good fit, if you watch the credits. A developer who wants full control of the code: look at Replit or Cursor. A business that needs a marketing website with pages, a contact form and a custom domain: a website builder is the simpler route.
Base44's biggest strength is that the boring parts are already done. A new app comes with a database and user accounts, so a request like "a client intake form that saves to a table and lets staff log in" works without connecting outside services. For small teams replacing a spreadsheet, that is genuinely useful, and it is cheaper to start than most rivals.
Everything happens through chat, so precise layout changes can take several attempts, and every attempt spends a message credit. Integration credits are a second meter to watch if your app sends email or calls AI. And because Base44 is now part of Wix, it is worth watching how the product and pricing evolve.
Developers who want full control will be happier in Replit or Cursor. People who need a marketing site for a business are better served by a website builder.
Where We.Inc fits: the free plan publishes up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address, with no AI and no custom domain, and needs no credit card. AI building, where you describe the site and it is written for you, starts at $20 a month (Starter, 250 credits); Pro is $50 and Max is $99.
At the prices read on base44.com/pricing on September 25, 2026, on annual billing and assuming no change: Starter is $192 a year, Builder $480 and Pro $960. The free plan costs nothing but its 25 message credits a month are best treated as a trial. The real cost depends on how many credits your app takes to get right, which the test below measures.
AI builders charge by usage, so the useful question is how far a plan's credits go on a real job. Give Base44 the same small-business website brief you would give any other tool, then count the credits each step uses.
1. Ask for the first version from one paragraph describing the business. 2. Request five specific edits (a new section, a colour change, a price change, a new page and a text fix). 3. Submit the contact form and check where the entry goes. 4. Publish on a custom domain. 5. Check whether you can export or download the code and what you would need to host it elsewhere.
Write down how many credits steps 1 and 2 took. Divide the plan's monthly credits by that number and you have a rough idea of how many changes a month the plan supports for you.
Base44 includes its own database, sign-in and hosting, so your app runs on Base44's backend. Paid plans list GitHub integration and in-app code editing, and integration credits cover built-in services such as email and AI calls. We could not confirm full export terms for every plan, so ask Base44 before building something you may need to move. Base44 has been part of Wix since the acquisition announced in June 2025.
We.Inc makes a competing website builder, so read this with that in mind. Every price on this page comes from the vendor's own pricing page on the date shown, with a link to it. We say where the other option is the better choice, and we do not publish scores for tests we have not run.
For simple apps with logins and data, yes: it is quick and includes a database and sign-in. For marketing websites or large apps, other tools fit better.
Yes, the free plan includes 25 message credits and 100 integration credits a month and up to 5 apps.
Starter is $16, Builder $40, Pro $80 and Elite $160 a month, as listed on base44.com/pricing on September 25, 2026.
Yes. Wix announced the acquisition of Base44 in June 2025.
No. We.Inc makes a competing product, so we link our sources and say where Base44 is the better choice.
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