Base44 Review: How Good is the Vibe Coding Platform?

Base44 is a great vibe coding platform for bringing full-stack apps to life in next to no time. With its gentle learning curve and free plan, it will appeal to developer novices who want to play around with a no-code app builder. At the same time, it allows seasoned pros to quickly validate product ideas before bringing them to market.

Over the last few years, the meteoric rise of AI has catalyzed a coding revolution. Today, 90% of developers use AI at work, with 65% confirming that they are “heavily reliant” on the technology. In turn, this has given rise to vibe coding platforms, including Base44, that allow users to spin up apps from written prompts.

In this guide, I’ll unpack everything that you need to know about this platform, including pros and cons, standout features, pricing, and more.

In this article:

• Overview of Base44
• What Are Base44’s Key Features?
• Base44 Pricing: Is it Good Value for Money?
• Who is Base44 Best For?
• What Are Some Alternatives to Base44?
• How Did We Review Base44?
• Verdict: Is Base44 Worth It?

Overview of Base44

Base44 is a no-code platform that lets users build their own apps from written prompts. Rather than relying on programming languages, such as Java or Kotlin, Base44 uses AI to generate its apps. 

This is also known as “vibe coding,” and it means that users can build programs quickly and spend more time making iterative improvements. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of some key Base44 features:

• Generates an unlimited number of apps
• Limited free plan available
• Domain connectivity
• Full-stack capabilities
• Built-in integration with Stripe
• Authentication and user management are built into every published app

What Are Base44’s Key Features?

In this section, I’ll take you through some of Base44’s standout features. You can use the links below to navigate to your desired section, if you like.

• Text-to-app generation
• One-click deployment and hosting
• Integrations
• Ease of use

 Base44’s text-to-app generation

At its core, Base44 is a platform that lets users generate apps through written prompts — and it excels in doing so. To get started, simply input the prompt of your choice into a text box, in the way that will be familiar to those who have used ChatGPT, Gemini, or any other AI chatbot.

For the purposes of this article, I experimented with building a flashlight app on the Base44 free plan. Find out how I got on below.

This is how Base44 initially responded to my “create a flashlight app” prompt. Source: Tech.co testing

As you can see from the images above, Base44 was able to generate a rudimentary flashlight app from a fairly open-ended prompt. From start to finish, the process took about 10 seconds.

As part of the research process, I was curious to see how Base44 would respond to the same prompt on different days. Thus, I inputted “create a flashlight app” the following day. You’ll find the result below.

Interestingly, Base44 took the second iteration in a different direction. I preferred this sleeker, less crowded interface. Source: Tech.co testing

One of the neat things about Base44 is that it shows you its workings. In the image below, you’ll find the “thinking” that underpinned the platform’s process.

It’s cool to get a peek behind the curtain at how Base44 arrives at its finished product. Source: Tech.co testing

Happy with my new look, I wanted to bolster the flashlight with some added functionality. In particular, I wanted the ability to create custom light shows on command, so I inputted that follow-up into the prompt box. However, this is where I ran into difficulties.

Not only was Base44 unable to initially fulfil my request, but it failed with my follow-up attempt to fix the issue. Then, I ran out of free credits, so I was unable to pursue this task. All in all, it was pretty frustrating — but on a fundamental level, Base44 succeeded in creating my flashlight app. Not bad for a free plan.

A slightly frustrating end to an otherwise successful experiment. Source: Tech.co testing

Base44’s one-click deployment and hosting

One of the other really impressive things about Base44 is that it will allow you to deploy and host your created apps with one click. Simply navigate to the “publish” button, and your app will officially go live.

In terms of where the site lives, it sits behind a secure Base44 domain, with no requirement to seek out other domain hosting providers. You’ll be given your custom URL, which you can share with whomever you choose. 

Opt for the Builder plan ($40 per month) or above, and you’ll be able to connect your own custom domain, which will particularly appeal to users who want to try and exhibit their app in a marketplace with their own branding.

For this reason, the free plan will not be suitable for users that want to try and make money from their app. But for users who just want to get an app online for testing or recreational purposes, it’ll be more than sufficient.

Base44’s integrations

Base44 seamlessly connects with a number of different workplace tools, including Stripe and Google Workspace, to make it easier for users to scale their products beyond initial conception.

The integration with Stripe is particularly valuable. With this, users can set up their apps to accept payments from directly within the app. For instance, if you’ve published a mobile game that offers in-app purchases, the Stripe connection will facilitate those purchases. This is both a great way to build customer loyalty and make money from your product.

It should be noted that most integrations are gated behind higher pricing tiers. Stripe, for instance, is only available at the Builder tier ($40 per month) and above. However, if you’re happy with the slightly limited functionality of the free plan, it’s unlikely that you’ll be in need of third-party integrations.

Base44’s ease of use

It has to be said, Base44 is exceptionally easy to use. With the platform’s text-to-app generator – which resembles the familiar interfaces of ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI tools – I was able to create a flashlight app in seconds from a written prompt.

With its clear interface and site mapping, it’s easy to get started with Base44 – even for users who aren’t experienced software developers. I particularly enjoyed the “conversational” nature of the app generator, which made it feel like I was chatting to a human, rather than a sophisticated piece of software.

The visual editor, meanwhile, utilizes drag-and-drop for ease of navigation and placement, as well as clickable prompts to guide the user through the editing process. It’s all geared towards providing an intuitive, simple experience with zero fuss.

Base44 Pricing: Is it Good Value for Money?

Yes, Base44 is good value for money. For casual users and software developers looking to validate product ideas, the free plan should prove a more than capable sandbox environment.

For those with more complex needs, meanwhile, there are several paid tiers to explore. In this section, I’ll take you through each of them, with a brief rundown of what you’ll unlock at each tier.

Base44’s free plan

Base44 will let you get started for free, which is great news for users who are just looking to casually play around a no-code app builder. At this level, you’ll get access to all the core Base44 features, including the app builder, albeit with limitations. 

Specifically, you’ll get your hands on 25 “message credits” per month, which refers to your AI messages and integrations limit. In addition, you’ll also get 100 “integration credits” per month.

While testing out of the platform, I ran out of free daily credits before I was able to get the finished product that I was looking for. While this was frustrating, I was still pretty happy with the finished outcome.

Base44’s Starter plan

The first paid plan is known as the Starter plan, and it starts at $16 per month. For a relatively modest outlay, your message and integration credits allowances will be significantly upped, you’ll be able to generate an unlimited number of apps, and you’ll be able to perform in-app code edits.

Users with some coding experience will be particularly pleased with this last feature, which should help get you closer to your desired product.

Base44’s Builder plan

Level up to the Builder plan ($40 per month) and, again, your limits will increase. At the same time, you’ll unlock backend functionality, so that you can make specific edits by manipulating the code itself.

There’s also the ability to connect to a custom domain, which will come in handy for businesses, and a free domain for one year.

Base44’s Pro plan

The Pro plan ($80 per month) really ratchets up the price. At this level, you’ll get everything available at the previous tier (with higher limits), as well as early access to new beta features.

Base44’s Elite plan

The final Base44 plan is the Elite plan, which costs a hefty $160 per month. In addition to everything you get with the Pro plan, there’s also premium support and significantly higher limits. This tier is built for large enterprises that want to roll out and profit from the apps that they build with Base44.

Who is Base44 Best For?

Base44 is a great no-code app developer for both software developers and casual users alike. The former will relish the opportunity to quickly spin up and deploy apps with next to no effort, as it allows you to validate product ideas before bringing them to market.

In addition, developers that work in an agile environment — in which products are deployed quickly and then improved iteratively — will find much to enjoy with Base44. By bringing your creation to life and publishing it, you can then focus the bulk of your efforts on delivering the best possible experience to the end user — a nice alternative to being stuck in development hell.

At the same time, Base44 is a great solution for everyday users who are curious about the possibilities of no-code building. Users will be able to quickly generate their own apps, which they can later share with their peers, and have fun in the process.

What Are Some Alternatives to Base44?

Of course, Base44 is far from the only no-code app developer on the market. Depending on your business case, there are several other options to explore.

One popular alternative is Replit, which can’t compete with Base44 in terms of user-friendliness, but can generate advanced programs with some careful prompting. In this respect, it’s a great solution for users who have some aptitude with prompt engineering.

At the other end of the spectrum is Create. Create is really accomplished at spinning up your app from just a single prompt. Whether it’s a screenshot or a written prompt, Create users love that you can generate an app with no need to issue follow-up prompts or refinements. It’s pretty basic, but it will definitely suit those who are just looking to play around.

Check out the table below for a breakdown of Base44 alternatives.

How Did We Review Base44?

Understanding the pros and cons of vibe coding platforms is one thing, but it’s also important to know exactly what should go into the decision. After all, one platform may offer more features, but if they don’t provide the ones that your particular business needs, you’ll be out of luck.

That’s why we’ve provided a few helpful tips on what you should consider before picking your platform.

• Coding proficiency – some platforms truly require no coding knowledge whatsoever, while others operate as assistants to improve your coding, so you’ll want to decide which is a better fit for your business.
• Business size – scalability is built into some platforms, while others are geared exclusively towards smaller business in both price and functionality. Make sure to consider where you are now and where you want to end up.
• Budget – despite most of them having a free plan and a $20-$30 starting plan, the price of vibe coding platforms varies substantially, due to the different credit/token allotments for each.
• Device storage – some platforms are browser based, but others require you to download an app. This can be demanding on the performance and storage of your device, although it does often provide better results.
• Integrations – various third-party integrations are available with different vibe coding platforms, so make sure your systems work with the particular option you’re looking for.

More importantly, you should make sure that vibe coding is what you’re looking for in the first place. There is a wide range of different AI tools for different purposes.