Base44 is an AI app builder, owned by Wix since June 2025, that turns a prompt into a web app with its own backend: database, user logins and integrations included on every plan. It's a strong fit for internal tools and simple business apps, and a weaker one if you need to keep the code in your own GitHub from day one or build more than web apps.
We make Youmake, an AI app builder for websites, web apps, mobile apps and slide decks, so we know this category well. This Base44 review is based on Base44's own pricing page and documentation, checked on October 27, 2026. We didn't run paid test projects, so you won't find made-up benchmark scores here, only what Base44 publishes and what it means for you.
Disclosure: Youmake competes with Base44. We've kept to Base44's own published facts, including where it's stronger.
Base44 at a glance
| Base44 | |
|---|---|
| What it builds | Web apps and websites from a prompt, with a built-in backend |
| Owner | Wix (acquisition closed June 13, 2025); runs as a standalone product |
| Free plan | Yes: 25 message credits a month, up to 5 apps |
| Cheapest paid plan | Starter, $16/month billed yearly |
| Backend | Built in: MongoDB-compatible database, authentication, file storage |
| Code export | Two-way GitHub sync, listed from the Builder plan ($40/month billed yearly) |
| Custom domain | From Starter, with a free domain for the first year |
Base44 pricing (October 2026)
Base44's pricing page shows annual billing. Monthly-billing prices aren't listed on the page.
| Plan | Price (billed yearly) | Message credits / month | Integration credits / month | Apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 25 | 100 | Up to 5 |
| Starter | $16/mo | 100 | 2,000 | Unlimited |
| Builder | $40/mo | 250 | 10,000 | Unlimited |
| Pro | $80/mo | 500 | 20,000 | Unlimited |
| Elite | $160/mo | 1,200 | 50,000 | Unlimited |
What changes by plan:
- Every plan, including Free: the AI builder, the integrated backend and database, authentication and user management, analytics, cloud storage, collaboration and the visual editor.
- Starter and up: custom domain, a free domain for one year, and in-app code edits.
- Builder and up: GitHub integration and a choice of AI model.
- Elite: premium support. SSO and advanced security controls are listed only for Enterprise, which has custom pricing.
How credits work: Base44's FAQ says credits are "your monthly usage allowance for AI messages and integration actions," and that exact usage varies by the action and the AI model you pick. That makes the monthly bill hard to predict before you've built something comparable.
What Base44 does well
- Everything in one place. The database, logins and file storage are built in, so a non-developer can get a working app with real users without connecting outside services.
- A real backend, not just screens. The docs describe a MongoDB-compatible database with row- and field-level security rules, realtime subscriptions, and login with email and password or Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple.
- A low entry price. $16/month billed yearly for 100 message credits, and a free plan for trying it.
- Integrations. Built-in AI text and image generation, file uploads and email; admins can add custom integrations from an OpenAPI spec.
Base44's limits
- Code ownership costs more. Base44's FAQ says two-way GitHub sync exports the full source code to your own repository, but GitHub integration is listed from the Builder plan ($40/month yearly), not on Free or Starter.
- Your backend lives on Base44. That's what makes it easy, but it's also what you'd have to migrate if you leave: exporting the front-end code doesn't move the database and users by itself.
- Unpredictable usage. Credits vary by action and model, so heavy iteration can use up a plan faster than expected.
- Yearly prices up front. The pricing page leads with annual billing; check the monthly price at checkout if you don't want to commit for a year.
Base44 vs Youmake
| Base44 | Youmake | |
|---|---|---|
| Builds | Web apps and websites | Websites, web apps, mobile apps and slide decks |
| Backend | Built-in (Base44-hosted) | Your own Supabase project, connected from your account |
| Code to GitHub | From Builder, $40/mo yearly | Export or sync to GitHub; import existing repos |
| Entry price | $16/mo billed yearly; free plan | $20/mo ($16/mo yearly); no free plan, 3-day trial for $1 |
| Best for | Internal tools and simple business apps | Client work and businesses that want to own every piece |
Pick Base44 if you want the simplest path to an internal tool and you're happy for the backend to live on Base44. We recommend Youmake if you build for clients, need a mobile app or slides alongside the site, or want the code and data in accounts you control from the first day. See how code ownership works in Youmake.
How to build a Base44-style app with Youmake
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Start a trial at youmake.dev and choose Web App in the composer.
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Describe the app, including the data it stores. For example:
Build an internal tool for a 10-person cleaning company: a list of jobs with client, address, date and assigned cleaner; a calendar view; and a page where each cleaner sees only their own jobs. Use a clean, simple design.
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Connect your own Supabase project for the database and logins, so the data stays in your account.
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Refine in chat one change at a time; the credit cost of each change is shown.
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Sync the code to GitHub and publish to your domain.
Comparing more tools? Our guide to the best AI app builders covers eight of them with current pricing, and AI app builders that let you export your code goes plan by plan on code ownership. Deciding between the two most common picks? Our Base44 vs Lovable comparison puts their plans, backends and GitHub access side by side. If your data already lives in Airtable or Google Sheets, our Softr review and pricing guide covers that no-code option plan by plan. More guides live in the vibe coding and AI app building hub.
FAQ
How much does Base44 cost? Base44 has a free plan (25 message credits a month, up to 5 apps). Paid plans billed yearly are Starter $16/month, Builder $40, Pro $80 and Elite $160 per month.
Is Base44 free? Yes, there's a free plan with 25 message credits and 100 integration credits a month, up to 5 apps. It includes the database and authentication, but not a custom domain.
Can you export your code from Base44? Yes, through two-way GitHub sync, which Base44 lists from the Builder plan. Your data and users live in Base44's backend, so plan that migration separately.
Who owns Base44? Wix. The acquisition closed on June 13, 2025, and Base44 continues to run as a standalone product.
Is Base44 good? For internal tools and simple business apps with built-in logins and data, yes. If you want the backend in your own accounts, a mobile app, or the code in GitHub on the entry plan, look at alternatives such as Youmake.
Ready to try the alternative? Start a 3-day Youmake trial for $1.
Sources
Checked on October 27, 2026:
- Base44 pricing and FAQ: https://base44.com/pricing
- Base44 backend features: https://docs.base44.com/developers/backend/overview/features
- Wix press release on the acquisition: https://www.wix.com/press-room/home/post/wix-further-expands-into-vibe-coding-with-acquisition-of-base44-a-hyper-growth-startup-that-simplif
- Youmake: https://www.youmake.dev/ and https://www.youmake.dev/features/code-ownership