The short answer: pick Base44 if you want a working app with logins, a database and AI or email features in one place, with nothing to set up, and you're happy for it to live on Base44. Pick Bolt.new if you want the code, or a real mobile app: Bolt lets you download or sync the code without a plan requirement in its docs and builds Expo apps, while Base44's code export starts at $50 a month and its mobile apps wrap the web app.
Full disclosure: GenVibe, the third option at the end, is our product. Base44 and Bolt facts below come from their own pricing pages and help docs, checked on October 30, 2026.
Base44 vs Bolt.new at a glance
| Base44 | Bolt.new | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Wix | StackBlitz |
| What it builds | Web apps on its own backend | Web apps and Expo (React Native) mobile apps |
| Free plan | 25 message credits a month (5 a day), up to 5 apps | 1M tokens a month (300K a day), with Bolt branding |
| Entry paid plan | Starter $20/mo ($16 yearly): 100 message credits | Pro $25/mo ($18 yearly): 10M tokens |
| Code export | ZIP or GitHub from Builder ($50/mo, $40 yearly) | Download or GitHub; no plan requirement listed |
| Backend | Built in (database, logins, files, AI, email); no self-hosting | Bolt Database on every plan; Supabase on Pro and Teams |
| Unused credits | Expire at each monthly reset | Pro tokens roll over for a month; free tokens don't |
| Mobile apps | Store files on Builder+, a web view of your web app | Expo apps; store builds with Expo's tools on your computer |
| Custom domain and no badge | From Starter | From Pro |
Where Base44 wins
- Nothing to set up. Logins, a database, file storage, and AI, email and image features work inside the platform from the first prompt.
- Credits for your live app. Integration credits pay for what your published app does, such as an email (about 1 credit each) or an AI reply, separately from the credits you build with. Starter includes 2,000 a month.
- A little cheaper to start. $20 a month against Bolt's $25, or $16 against $18 billed yearly, and Starter already includes a custom domain and no badge.
- Domains made easy. Base44 can set up your DNS for you, and yearly plans include a free domain for a year.
Where it falls short: exported code still runs on Base44's backend, unused credits expire every month, and the App Store and Google Play apps are your web app in a web view, without Apple or Google in-app purchases. More in our Base44 review.
Where Bolt.new wins
- You get the code. Download it from the project title menu or sync it to a private GitHub repository that updates with every change. Bolt says the code is yours to use commercially.
- Real mobile apps. Say "mobile app" in your first prompt and Bolt builds an Expo project you can open on your phone in Expo Go.
- A bigger free plan. 1 million tokens a month goes further than 25 message credits for most small projects, and the free plan publishes to a bolt.host address.
- Tokens that last. On Pro, unused tokens roll over for an extra month.
Where it falls short: token use grows with the size of your project, so big apps burn through a plan faster; getting a mobile app into the stores means running Expo's EAS tools on your own computer; and connecting Supabase needs a paid plan. See Bolt pricing explained.
What does a month of building cost?
The two meter differently, so compare plans rather than credits. Base44 estimates about half a message credit for a small text or style change, 1 for a small feature, about 2 for a complex module and 3 to 4 for an app-wide change. Bolt counts tokens, and most of them go on reading your project files, so each message costs more as the app grows.
- A small internal tool, no code needed: Base44 Starter at $20 is the simpler buy.
- You want the code in GitHub: Bolt, on any plan; Base44 needs Builder at $50.
- Your live app sends lots of emails or AI replies: Base44's integration credits cover that without touching your build credits.
Which should you choose?
- An internal tool or simple business app that stays on one platform: Base44.
- A project a developer may take over, or that you'll host elsewhere: Bolt.
- A mobile app for the App Store or Google Play: Bolt, if you're comfortable with Expo's command-line tools; Base44's store apps are a web view.
- Already on Bolt and want Base44's backend? Base44 can import a Bolt project whose data is in Supabase, code included from GitHub.
A third option for mobile apps: GenVibe
Frequently asked questions
Base44 or Bolt: which is better?
Base44 is better if you want logins, a database and AI or email features working inside one platform with no setup, and you’re happy for the app to stay there. Bolt is better if you want the code: you can download it or sync it to GitHub without a plan requirement in its docs, and it builds real Expo mobile apps.
Is Base44 cheaper than Bolt.new?
At the entry level, slightly: Base44 Starter is $20 a month ($16 billed yearly) and Bolt Pro is $25 a month ($18 billed yearly). But Base44’s code export starts on Builder at $50 a month ($40 yearly), so if you want the code, Bolt costs less.
Can Base44 or Bolt build mobile apps?
Bolt builds Expo (React Native) apps that you can try in Expo Go, then build and submit to the stores yourself with Expo’s EAS tools. Base44 can generate App Store and Google Play files on Builder and above, but the app shows your Base44 web app inside a web view, and it doesn’t support Apple or Google in-app purchases.
Can you export your code from Base44 and Bolt?
Bolt: yes, with Download from the project title menu or GitHub sync, and its docs list no plan requirement. Base44: a ZIP or GitHub sync on Builder and above, and the exported code still relies on Base44’s backend for data, logins and integrations.
Which has the better free plan, Base44 or Bolt?
They count differently. Bolt’s free plan gives 1 million tokens a month (up to 300,000 a day), hosting and no limit on databases, with Bolt branding. Base44’s gives 25 message credits a month (up to 5 a day) and 100 integration credits for up to 5 apps. Both renew every month.
Can I move a Bolt.new project to Base44?
Yes, if its data is in Supabase. Base44’s “Migrate from another platform” option reads your tables and data with your Supabase project URL and service role key, and can bring the code over from GitHub. A project on Bolt’s own database would need to be claimed into Supabase first, which needs a Bolt Pro or Teams plan.
Sources
- Base44 pricing
- Base44: Credits
- Base44: Developer tools (code export)
- Base44: Submitting your app to app stores
- Base44: Migrating a project to Base44
- Bolt pricing
- Bolt: Tokens
- Bolt: Expo for mobile apps
- Bolt: GitHub for version control
All checked October 30, 2026. Prices change; check each site for the latest.