Base44 vs Lovable
Two hosted app builder options for AI app builders. When each fits, what it costs, who moves from one to the other, and what makers who chose it say.
Which fits you
Choose Base44 if- You want a working web app with sign-in and saved data without touching a backend
Use it whenYou want a working app with users and data in one place, and would rather not connect Supabase or another backend yourself.
Trade-offCredit-based pricing, and the app runs on Base44's own backend; GitHub sync exports the code, but moving the data and backend elsewhere is on you.
Choose Lovable if- You want a working web app with sign-in and saved data without touching a backend
Use it whenYou want a working app with sign-in and saved data without touching a backend.
Trade-offCredit-based pricing, and larger changes get harder to steer by chat as the app grows.
At a glance
| Base44 | Lovable | |
|---|---|---|
| Used by | 11 makers' products | 73 makers' products |
| Downloads | 8M/wk | |
| Pricing | Free plan with monthly message credits; paid plans add credits and features. · paid from $16/mo billed annually | Free tier with daily credits; paid plans by monthly credits. · paid from $25/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
| Incidents, 90 daysfrom its status page | no public status feed | 25+ (10 major) |
Cost as you grow
At 50 messages Base44 costs less ($20 vs $25); from about 300 messages Lovable does ($80 vs $100); from about 1k messages Base44 does ($200 vs $260); from about 2k messages Lovable does ($480 vs over its limits).
The numbers, plan by plan
| AI messages (prompts) per month | Base44 | Lovable |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | $20 Starter | $25 Pro 100 |
| 100 | $20 Starter | $25 Pro 100 |
| 300 | $100 Pro | $80 Pro 200 |
| 600 | $200 Elite | $160 Pro 400 |
| 1,000 | $200 Elite | $260 Pro 800 |
| 2,000 | over plan limits | $480 Pro 2,000 |
| 5,000 | over plan limits | $1,125 Pro 5,000 |
What makers say
Makers on using it for AI app builders, from Product Hunt and Starter Story interviews, each linked to the source. Products with a page of their own and fuller notes first.
On Base44Base44 easily offers one of the best price-to-quality ratios right now, it’s what I used to build the Osintir site.
Base44 lets our users go from prompt to full-stack app with a database and backend built in.
We compliment Base44 with our security solution built for vibe-coders using the platform.
On LovableWe used Lovable to quickly prototype workflows and test ideas before investing engineering time. It helped us move from rough concepts to working product flows in hours instead of days.
Lovable’s AI-first product workflows inspired me while building PromptCraft. Plus, many of the prompts generated here are optimized for tools like Lovable to kickstart creative projects.
Lovable built every pixel of Manta’s UI. Fast, clean, and exactly what an early-stage product needs — great output without the overhead of building a frontend from scratch.
Loved and watch-outs
Themes that recur in makers' words and Hacker News comments, each linked to what it summarises.
Base44- Security has been a problem: a platform flaw exposed private apps, and many deployed apps had little or no authentication. HNHN 2HN 3
- The backend is a black box with gaps such as no websocket support, discovered only mid-project. HNHN 2HN 3
- Iterating gets slow and the AI tends to get stuck or misunderstand requests as the project grows. HNHN 2
Lovable- Turns an idea into a clickable prototype or MVP fast enough to put in front of real users without setup work. PHPH 2PH 3
- Produces polished interfaces and landing pages from chat, handy for testing positioning with many page variants. PHPH 2
- Non-technical staff build working internal tools and dashboards for themselves without engineers. HNHN 2PH
Who uses each
Base4411 makers' products
Perfai Security
Timeless
2pr
Banyan AI Lite
Boxo
DraftboardWhat makers pair each with
With Base44Not enough makers' products to say yet.
With Lovable
CrowElsie AIFormaliniJustblank
Konfide
Korl
MCP-Builder.ai
Mentions
Miniculeand 5 more
HootLearn AI
Juice
PixFit
Segwise
UserflowHootLearn AI
Jinna.aiKorlLassoManta AIMentions
MindPal
Sherloq
Shipable AI by CNTXT AI
StoryChief.ioWEIR AIWowableand 2 moreKorlMindPalShipable AI by CNTXT AI
VibeScan
KastraNeither quite right?
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