Base44 vs Bolt.new: which should builders use?
Both build a working, hosted app from a prompt. Base44 runs your app on its own managed back end (database, built-in auth and backend functions reached through the Base44 SDK) and meters work in message and integration credits. Bolt.new, made by StackBlitz, runs a full development environment in your browser, bills by AI tokens, includes Bolt Database on every plan, and lets you edit, download or sync your code to GitHub without a plan requirement in its help center. Every price below was checked on base44.com and bolt.new on Oct 21, 2026.
 Base44 |  Bolt.new | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Base44 (its site is © Wix.com Ltd.) | StackBlitz, the company behind WebContainers |
| What you build | Apps and websites from plain language; front end in React with Vite, Tailwind CSS and shadcn/ui | Websites, web apps, mobile apps (through the Expo integration) and prototypes, run in your browser |
| Back end | Managed NoSQL database, built-in user auth and serverless backend functions (Deno), all through the Base44 SDK | Bolt Database on every plan (tables, auth, file storage, server functions, secrets; unlimited databases); Supabase instead on Pro and Teams |
| Free plan | $0: 25 message credits a month (no more than 5 a day), 100 integration credits, up to 5 apps; new apps are public with the Base44 badge | $0: 1M tokens a month with a 300K daily limit, public and private projects, Standard agent only; published sites are public with a Made in Bolt badge |
| Cheapest paid plan | Starter: $16/mo billed annually, $20 monthly, for 100 message and 2,000 integration credits | Pro: $18/mo billed annually ($216 a year), $25 monthly, for 10M tokens a month |
| Higher tiers | Builder $40/$50, Pro $80/$100, Elite from $160/$200 (annual/monthly); Business (price not listed) and Enterprise (custom) | Pro scales with a monthly-token slider (Bolt's billing examples: $50/mo for 26M tokens, $100/mo for 55M); Teams $30 per member monthly or $27 billed annually; Enterprise custom |
| How work is billed | Message credits for AI building and separate integration credits for things your app does, such as sending email or calling an AI model | AI tokens; most usage comes from Bolt reading and syncing your project files, so larger projects use more tokens per message |
| Unused credits | Reset each billing cycle; unused credits expire (no rollover) | Paid plans: unused tokens roll over and stay valid for two months. Free: no rollover |
| Extra credits | Not sold as top-ups in Base44's docs; larger plans have more credits | Token reloads on the top monthly Pro plan or any annual Pro plan; reloaded tokens don't expire (price shown in your account) |
| Private apps | Starter and up (a paid feature since Feb 6, 2026) | Private projects on every plan; private published sites on paid plans |
| Your code | In-app code edits from Starter; two-way GitHub sync from Builder ($40/mo billed annually) | Edit code in Code view without using tokens, download a ZIP, or connect GitHub (new or existing repo); no plan limit listed |
| Custom domain and badge | Connect a domain and remove the badge from Starter; yearly plans include a free domain for 1 year | Custom domains (connect one or buy through Bolt) and badge removal on any paid plan |
| Hosting | Included; each app's database capped at 200 MB on Free (apps created from Oct 18, 2026) | Free: 10 GB bandwidth and 333,333 requests a month, hard limit. Paid: 30 GB and 1M requests, with pay-as-you-go above that |
| Team | Multi-user editing on every plan | Share projects on every plan (collaborators use their own tokens); Teams adds centralized billing and admin controls |
| SSO | Business and Enterprise | Teams and Enterprise |
| AI training on your data | All plans except Enterprise, Business included, can be used; no opt-out setting below Enterprise | On by default for content from Oct 7, 2026 (off by default in the EU, UK and Switzerland); you can switch it off in settings on any plan |
| Refunds | Fees are non-refundable | Subscriptions are non-refundable |
| Pricing (approx.) | Free (25 message credits/mo, up to 5/day, up to 5 apps); Starter $16/mo billed annually ($20 monthly); Builder $40/mo; Pro $80/mo; Elite from $160/mo | Free (300K tokens/day, 1M/mo); Pro from $25/mo ($18/mo yearly); Teams $30/member/mo ($27 yearly) |
| Our rankings | #5 in Vibe coding, #4 in UI generators | #2 in Vibe coding, #3 in UI generators |
How the pricing compares
At the entry level the two are close: Base44 Starter is $16/mo billed annually ($20 monthly) and Bolt Pro is $18/mo billed annually ($25 monthly). What you get differs. Starter gives 100 message credits that expire at the end of each cycle and no GitHub sync, which starts with Builder at $40/mo billed annually. Bolt Pro gives 10M tokens a month that roll over for two months, removes the daily limit, unlocks the Max agent, custom domains and Supabase, and its code tools (Code view, ZIP download, GitHub) aren't tied to a plan. Bolt's tokens are harder to predict: bigger projects use more tokens per message. Base44 says annual billing saves 20%; Bolt says up to 28%. Bolt also says that from Nov 1, 2026 its subscriptions are billed through Link (by Stripe), which adds VAT or sales tax where your region requires it; the plan price itself doesn't change.
Which free plan goes further?
Bolt's. Bolt Free gives 1M tokens a month (no more than 300K a day), private projects, unlimited databases and free hosting on a bolt.host address with 10 GB of bandwidth a month, and when you run out of tokens you can still edit code by hand in Code view. Base44 Free gives 25 message credits a month (no more than 5 a day) and 100 integration credits for up to 5 apps, and new apps are public with the Base44 badge. Neither free plan includes a custom domain, and both show a badge on what you publish.
Owning your app and moving it
Both say the code is yours. Base44's pricing FAQ says you own your code, data and users, and its two-way GitHub sync (Builder and up) pushes the full source to your repository; the code is a React and Vite front end that talks to Base44's managed back end through the Base44 SDK, so it doesn't run on its own elsewhere without that back end. Bolt's help center says all code you create is yours to use for any legal purpose, including commercial, and you can download a project as a ZIP or connect GitHub on any plan. Bolt can also import an existing GitHub repository as a new project, so a Base44 app synced to GitHub can be opened in Bolt, though it will still call Base44's back end until you rebuild that part.
Pick Base44 if…
You want an all-in-one back end you never have to set up, credits that pay separately for what your app does (email, AI calls), integrations with tools like Gmail, Slack and Salesforce, a free domain for a year on any yearly plan, and you're fine with credits that reset each month and with Base44 using your data for AI training below Enterprise.
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Pick Bolt.new if…
You want the bigger free plan, private projects without paying, your code in Code view, a ZIP or GitHub on any plan, tokens that roll over for two months, Supabase as an option, mobile apps through Expo, SSO on Teams rather than an enterprise tier, or the ability to switch off AI training yourself.
Our verdict
For most builders Bolt.new is the more flexible pick: a much bigger free plan, code access and GitHub on every plan, rollover tokens and a training opt-out. Base44 is simpler if you want the back end handled for you and like paying in fixed message credits instead of tokens that grow with project size, and Starter is $2/mo cheaper billed annually ($16 vs $18). Just note that Base44's GitHub sync needs Builder at $40/mo billed annually.
Frequently asked questions
Is Base44 cheaper than Bolt.new?
Slightly, at the entry price: Base44 Starter is $16/mo billed annually ($20 monthly) and Bolt Pro is $18/mo billed annually ($25 monthly). Base44 Starter doesn't include GitHub sync, though; that starts with Builder at $40/mo billed annually. Bolt Pro includes 10M tokens a month with two-month rollover, custom domains and the Max agent.
Do Base44 and Bolt.new have free plans?
Yes. Base44 Free is $0 with 25 message credits a month (no more than 5 a day), 100 integration credits and up to 5 public apps. Bolt Free is $0 with 1M tokens a month (no more than 300K a day), public and private projects, unlimited databases and bolt.host hosting with a Made in Bolt badge.
Can I move a Base44 app to Bolt.new?
Partly. Base44's two-way GitHub sync (Builder plan and up) pushes your app's code to a repository, and Bolt can import an existing GitHub repository as a new project. Base44's code talks to Base44's managed back end through its SDK, so the database, auth and backend functions don't come with it; you'd rebuild those on Bolt Database or Supabase.
Which one trains AI on my app?
Base44's docs say workspace data on every plan except Enterprise, Business included, can be used to train AI models, with no opt-out setting. Bolt uses content created from Oct 7, 2026 for training by default (off by default in the EU, UK and Switzerland), and anyone can switch it off in account settings without changing plans.
Facts and prices checked on vendor pages on Oct 21, 2026: Base44 pricing (yearly and monthly), Base44 docs: Billing and plans, Base44 docs: Credits, Base44 docs: Privacy and security, Base44 docs: GitHub integration, Base44 docs: App code introduction, Bolt pricing (yearly and monthly), Bolt help: Billing, Bolt help: Tokens, Bolt help: Hosting plans, Bolt help: Publish, Bolt help: Bolt Database, Bolt help: Supabase, Bolt help: GitHub, Bolt help: Manage projects (download), Bolt help: Sharing, Bolt help: Agents, Bolt help: Account settings (Model training), Bolt help: Code ownership, Bolt help: FAQ. Plans and limits change often, so confirm before you buy.