Base44 vs Lovable: which should builders use?
Both turn a prompt into a working, hosted web app with a database and sign-in built in. Base44 runs your app on its own managed back end (a NoSQL database, built-in auth and Deno backend functions reached through the Base44 SDK) and meters work in message and integration credits. Lovable runs on Lovable Cloud, a built-in back end based on Supabase's open-source foundation, bills everything from one credit balance, and syncs your code to GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket on every plan. Every price below was checked on base44.com and lovable.dev on Oct 21, 2026.
 Base44 |  Lovable | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Base44 (its site is © Wix.com Ltd.) | Lovable |
| What you build | Apps and websites; front end in React with React Router, Vite, Tailwind CSS and shadcn/ui | Web apps and websites |
| Back end | Managed NoSQL database, built-in user auth, serverless backend functions (Deno) and realtime, all through the Base44 SDK | Lovable Cloud: database, auth, storage, edge functions and AI, based on Supabase's open-source foundation |
| 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: 5 daily build credits (up to 30 a month) plus monthly grants of 20 Cloud, 4 AI and 1 connector credits; workspace-private projects; 5 lovable.app domains |
| Cheapest paid plan | Starter: $16/mo billed annually, $20 monthly, for 100 message and 2,000 integration credits | Pro: $25/mo, or $21/mo billed yearly ($250 a year), for 100 credits plus 5 daily build credits |
| Higher tiers | Builder $40/$50, Pro $80/$100, Elite from $160/$200 (annual/monthly); Business (price not listed) and Enterprise (custom) | Pro credit tiers up to 10,000 credits for $2,250/mo; Business from $50/mo ($42 yearly) up to $4,300/mo; Enterprise platform fee with volume pricing |
| How work is billed | Message credits for AI building (Base44's guide: about 0.5 credits for a simple visual or text change, more for bigger work) and separate integration credits for things your app does, such as sending email or calling an AI model | One credit balance for building, chat, hosting and the back end, and AI in your app. Plan mode is 1 credit a message; Build mode varies (Lovable's examples: 0.50 to 2.00 credits) |
| Unused credits | Reset each billing cycle; unused credits expire (no rollover) | Monthly credits roll over while subscribed and expire 2 months after issue (annual plans: 1 month after the plan year ends) |
| Extra credits | Not sold as top-ups in Base44's docs; larger plans have more credits | Top-ups: $15 per 50 credits on Pro, $30 per 50 on Business, valid 12 months |
| Private apps | Starter and up (a paid feature since Feb 6, 2026) | Workspace-private projects on every plan, Free included |
| Your code | In-app code edits from Starter; two-way GitHub sync from Builder ($40/mo billed annually) | Git sync (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) on every plan; editing or downloading code inside Lovable needs Pro |
| Custom domain and badge | Connect a domain and remove the badge from Starter; yearly plans include a free domain for 1 year | Custom domains and badge removal from Pro |
| Team | Multi-user editing on every plan | Unlimited workspace members on every plan; priced by credits, not seats |
| SSO | Business and Enterprise | Business and Enterprise |
| AI training on your data | All plans except Enterprise, Business included, can be used; no opt-out setting below Enterprise | Free and Pro: opt out per account. Business and Enterprise: excluded by default |
| Student discount | 50% off Starter or Builder with a verified school email (once per account) | 50% off Pro (100 credits, billed monthly) for up to 12 months |
| Switching | Code export to a ZIP or GitHub needs Builder or higher | Lovable's import dialog has guided Base44 steps and moves your database and users to Lovable Cloud (rolling out, uses credits) |
| 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 (5 daily credits, up to 30/mo); Pro from $25/mo ($21/mo yearly); Business from $50/mo |
| Our rankings | #5 in Vibe coding, #4 in UI generators | #3 in Vibe coding, #2 in UI generators |
How the pricing compares
At the entry level Base44 is cheaper: Starter is $16/mo billed annually ($20 monthly) against Lovable Pro at $21/mo billed yearly ($25 monthly). But the plans aren't like for like. Starter gives you 100 message credits, has no GitHub sync, and its credits expire at the end of each cycle. Lovable Pro gives you 100 credits that roll over for up to 2 months, 5 more build credits every day, Git sync, code download and top-ups at $15 per 50 credits. To get Base44's GitHub sync you need Builder at $40/mo billed annually ($50 monthly) for 250 message credits. Both sell bigger tiers: Base44 Pro $80 and Elite from $160 billed annually; Lovable Pro tiers up to $2,250/mo and Business from $50/mo for SSO and training excluded by default. Base44 says annual billing saves 20%, and Lovable says annual gives two months free.
Which free plan goes further?
For a quick look, both are small. Base44 Free gives 25 message credits a month, no more than 5 a day, for up to 5 apps, with each app's database capped at 200 MB (apps created from Oct 18, 2026), and new apps are public with the Base44 badge. Lovable Free gives 5 build credits a day until you reach 30 for the month, plus monthly grants for hosting, the back end and AI features, and your projects stay private to your workspace. Lovable Free also syncs your code to GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket, while Base44 needs Builder for GitHub sync. On both, you can't edit code inside the app builder for free: Base44 code edits start with Starter and Lovable's with Pro.
Owning your app and moving between them
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. Lovable has a guided Base44 import: export the app from Base44's ⋯ menu as a ZIP (Builder or higher), then import it, and Lovable migrates the code and moves your database and users to Lovable Cloud. Data exports to CSV per table from Base44's Data dashboard, and app users export separately. Lovable can't import an existing repository; connecting Git always creates a new one.
Pick Base44 if…
You want the lowest entry price for private apps and your own domain (Starter at $16/mo billed annually), a back end you never have to think about, 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 Lovable if…
You want your code in your own GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket repo from day one, including on Free, private projects without paying, credits that roll over with top-ups when you run out, a Supabase-based back end, a training opt-out on Free and Pro, or unlimited teammates at no per-seat cost.
Our verdict
For most builders Lovable is the safer default: Git sync and private projects on every plan, rollover credits, top-ups, and a training opt-out without an Enterprise contract. Base44 is cheaper to start ($16/mo billed annually vs $21) and its all-in-one back end is simpler, but GitHub sync costs $40/mo billed annually and credits don't roll over. If you start on Base44 and outgrow it, Lovable imports Base44 apps directly.
Frequently asked questions
Is Base44 cheaper than Lovable?
At the entry price, yes: Base44 Starter is $16/mo billed annually ($20 monthly) and Lovable Pro is $21/mo billed yearly ($25 monthly). Base44 Starter doesn't include GitHub sync, though; that starts with Builder at $40/mo billed annually. Lovable Pro includes Git sync, code download, rollover credits and top-ups.
Do Base44 and Lovable 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. Lovable Free is $0 with 5 build credits a day (up to 30 a month), monthly Cloud and AI grants, private projects and Git sync.
Can I move a Base44 app to Lovable?
Yes. Lovable's import dialog has guided Base44 steps: export the app from Base44's ⋯ menu as a ZIP (that needs Base44's Builder plan or higher), and Lovable migrates the code and moves your database and users to Lovable Cloud. Import works on every Lovable plan, uses credits and is still rolling out.
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. Lovable lets Free and Pro users opt out per account and excludes Business and Enterprise workspace data by default.
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, Lovable pricing (monthly and yearly), Lovable docs: Subscription plans, Lovable docs: Credits and usage, Lovable docs: Credit top-ups, Lovable docs: Cloud, Lovable docs: Git sync, Lovable docs: Import a project. Plans and limits change often, so confirm before you buy.