For most people building a real app, Base44 is the better pick: it puts the front end, database, logins, hosting and integrations in one dashboard and starts cheaper. Lovable is the better choice when you want a beautiful front end fast, or a clean React codebase you can push to GitHub and own. Both build complete apps from a plain-English prompt and both have a free plan, so the decision is about style, not capability.
Base44 deal
30% off a paid plan through the link (it shows after you register), plus a free plan to start.
Base44 vs Lovable at a glance
| Base44 | Lovable | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Products that need users, data and room to grow: portals, internal tools, small SaaS | Polished front ends fast: landing pages, marketing sites, demos, React code you want to own |
| How it builds | All-in-one: front end, database, authentication, hosting, analytics, integrations (Stripe, Gmail) and AI agents in one place | A React app on a Supabase back end, with real-time team editing |
| Your code | Viewable in Base44; GitHub sync on the higher plans | Push to GitHub anytime |
| Free plan | 25 message credits and 100 integration credits a month, up to 5 apps | 5 build credits a day (up to 30 a month), plus small monthly Cloud and AI grants |
| Paid plans | From $16 a month billed annually; 30% off through our link | See Lovable’s pricing page |
| What a live app costs | Integration credits each time real users use the app | Hosting and Cloud usage draw from the same credit balance once the monthly grant is used |
Prices and credit amounts are from Base44’s pricing page and Lovable’s plans documentation, checked November 2026.
The myth: Lovable is only good for the front end
You will still read that Lovable only builds front ends and Base44 is the only one with a proper back end. That was true a while ago. In 2026 both take a prompt and build a working app with a database, user accounts, logins and the back end handled for you. Neither is a toy; the choice is about which way of working fits you.
Base44: the all-in-one builder
With Base44 you describe your idea and get the entire stack in one place: the front end, the database, authentication, hosting, analytics, ready-made integrations for services like Stripe and Gmail, and AI agents that can run inside your app. You can open the code and connect your own domain when you go live. Nothing is bolted on from outside, and Base44 is now owned by Wix.
Picture a customer portal where people sign up, log in and see their own data, generated from one prompt and hosted in the same place. That is the kind of thing Base44 does without you touching a second service.
Lovable: speed and design
Give Lovable a prompt and within minutes you have a clean, modern, genuinely good-looking site or app. Behind the scenes it builds a proper React app with a Supabase back end for your data and logins, and you can push the code to GitHub at any time, so you are never locked in. A whole team can build together in real time, and you can click any element on the screen and tell the AI what to change. Projects publish to a live URL and can use a custom domain.
The three differences that decide it
1. Where the back end lives
Base44 keeps your database, logins, integrations and hosting together in its own platform. Lovable uses Supabase, which is excellent and standard, but your project then lives across two connected platforms. If you are not technical and want it done for you, Base44 is easier to live with; if you know React and like an exportable codebase, Lovable will feel great.
2. What happens when the app grows
Plenty of prototypes look great on day one and crack when real users arrive. Base44 is built to grow in place: start with a booking tool, a client portal or a simple CRM, then add analytics, permissions, security and automations in the same dashboard. Lovable runs real apps too, with Supabase carrying the back end, but its sweet spot is launching fast and looking stunning.
3. Credits decide the real cost
Both tools charge in credits, and every build and edit spends some. Because everyone iterates more than they expect, credits disappear faster than the plan price suggests. On Base44 a published app also spends integration credits whenever real users use it; on Lovable, hosting and Cloud usage come out of the same credit balance once the monthly grant runs out. Budget for the app you will run, not just the one you build.
Pricing
| Base44 plan | Price (billed annually) | Message credits / month | Integration credits / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 25 | 100 (up to 5 apps) |
| Starter | $16/mo | 100 | 2,000 |
| Builder | $40/mo | 250 | 10,000 |
| Pro | $80/mo | 500 | 20,000 |
| Elite | $160/mo | 1,200 | 50,000 |
Through our link Base44 shows 30% off the paid plans after you register, on top of a free plan to start. Annual billing already saves about 20% against monthly. Custom domains (with a free domain for the first year) start on Starter; GitHub integration and model selection start on Builder.
Lovable’s free plan gives 5 build credits a day, up to 30 a month, plus small monthly grants for Cloud, AI and connectors, all drawn from one credit balance. Check Lovable’s pricing page for current paid-plan prices before you commit.
The honest downsides
- Base44: the free plan has only a handful of build credits, which a serious build can use up in a day; a live app spends integration credits every time people use it, so it can hit a wall right when it takes off; prices rose a little after the Wix acquisition, and some of the strongest features sit on the higher plans.
- Lovable: hosting and Cloud usage for your live app come out of the same credit balance as building, so a plan that looks cheap can get expensive once you have real traffic and data; and like Base44, credits burn fastest while you are still polishing.
My recommendation after comparing both
For most people my answer is Base44. If the project needs a database, real logins and room to grow, an internal tool, a customer portal or a small software business, Base44 gives you that foundation in one place and at a lower starting price, which is why it is my first pick.
I reach for Lovable when the goal is a gorgeous front end, fast: a landing page, a marketing site, a mock-up to show investors, or a tidy React codebase I want to export. Plenty of people use both for different jobs.
A quick way to place yourself: if the words that describe your project are database, users, dashboard or product, lean Base44; if they are landing page, portfolio, marketing or pitch, lean Lovable. If you are not sure, start on Base44, because the all-in-one foundation leaves the most room to change your mind later without rebuilding.
Try both with the same prompt
You do not have to gamble on this. Both have a free plan, so give each one the same prompt for a small slice of your idea and watch which gets to something real faster, which looks better to you, and how quickly the credits move. A few minutes of that tells you more than any comparison. Prefer to start with Lovable? Start free on Lovable.
Start building on Base44
A free plan to start, and 30% off the paid plans through our link.
Frequently asked questions
Is Base44 better than Lovable?
For most apps that need users, data and room to grow, yes: Base44 keeps the database, logins, hosting and integrations in one place and starts cheaper. Lovable is better for a polished front end fast or a React codebase you want to export.
Does Lovable have a backend now?
Yes. Lovable builds a React app on a Supabase back end with a database, user accounts and logins, so the old idea that it only does front ends is out of date.
Is Base44 free?
Base44 has a free plan with 25 message credits and 100 integration credits a month and up to 5 apps. Paid plans start at $16 a month billed annually, and our link shows 30% off after you register.
How much does Base44 cost?
Billed annually, Starter is $16 a month, Builder $40, Pro $80 and Elite $160 (November 2026). Through our link the paid plans show 30% off after you register.
Can I export my code from Base44 or Lovable?
Lovable lets you push your code to GitHub at any time. Base44 lets you view the code and offers GitHub sync on the Builder plan and above.
Which is better for beginners?
Base44, if you want everything handled in one dashboard without connecting services. Lovable is also easy to start, but its Supabase back end means your project lives across two platforms.
Related next step
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