Is Base44 Free? What the Free Plan Really Includes in 2026

The free credits, the limits, what you can genuinely build without paying, and the exact moment you will want to upgrade

Last updated Sep. 2026 | By DoitWithAi

Quick answer

Yes, Base44 is free to start. The Free plan costs $0, needs no credit card, and includes 25 message credits and 100 integration credits a month, core features like the database and user logins, and up to 5 apps. There is no time-limited free trial; the free plan simply stays free. Paid plans start at $16/month billed annually or $20/month monthly.

"Free" means different things on different AI app builders. Some give you a 7-day trial, some give you a daily drip of credits, some put a watermark on everything. Base44 does none of those. It has a permanent free plan with a monthly credit allowance, and the question is really how far that allowance goes.

Here is what the Free plan includes, based on Base44's pricing page as of September 2026, what you can realistically build on it, and where it runs out.

What the Base44 free plan includes

25 message credits per month, used every time you ask the AI to build or change something
100 integration credits per month, used when your app sends emails, calls AI models or uses connected services
Up to 5 apps in your account
Core features: the AI builder, a built-in database, user authentication and analytics
No credit card required to sign up

Base44 is explicit that the free plan is a full app maker with every core feature, and that you can ship complete apps on it. It is not a demo mode. The constraint is volume, not capability.

Is there a Base44 free trial?

Not in the usual sense. There is no 14-day trial of a paid plan that expires and starts charging you. Instead, the Free plan is your trial, and it does not expire. You can stay on it indefinitely, and nothing is billed unless you choose to upgrade.

That is worth knowing because it removes the most common trial trap: forgetting to cancel. On Base44, if you never enter payment details, you never pay.

How far do 25 free credits go?

Each message to the AI uses credits, and Base44 says the exact cost varies with the action and the AI model. As a rough guide, 25 message credits is enough to:

Build a simple first version of one app, such as a lead capture form with a dashboard, a habit tracker or a small booking page
Make a handful of changes to it after testing
Get a genuine feel for whether describing software in plain English works for you

It is usually not enough to take a real business tool from idea to something you rely on daily. Real building is iterative: you describe, test, find the edge case, fix it, add the next feature. That loop is where free credits run out, often in the first or second session.

How to get the most from free credits

Plan the app on paper first. Write one detailed opening prompt that lists every page, field and user role. Then test thoroughly between messages and fix one problem per message. Credits spent on rework are the ones people regret.

What you can build for free

Plenty of useful things fit inside the free plan, especially if they are small and do not lean heavily on integrations:

A personal tool: a budget tracker, reading list, meal planner or family chore board
A simple internal tool for a small team, such as a request form with a status board
A prototype to show a client, investor or co-founder before you commit money
A landing page with a working signup form to test demand for an idea

Where the free plan struggles is anything that runs busy automations once it is live. An app that sends a confirmation email for every booking, or calls an AI model for every customer message, will work through 100 integration credits quickly.

When you will need to upgrade

You will feel the free plan's limits at one of four moments:

You run out of message credits mid-build. The most common one. Credits reset monthly, so you can wait, or upgrade to keep going.
You want your own domain. Connecting a custom domain is a Starter feature.
Your app gets used. Real traffic means real integration calls, and 100 a month is a test allowance.
You want a sixth app. Free caps you at 5; Starter and above are unlimited.

The first paid step is Starter at $16/month billed annually or $20/month monthly: 100 message credits, 2,000 integration credits (20x the free amount), unlimited apps and custom domains. Every plan and credit level is broken down in our Base44 pricing guide.

Start Base44 Free, No Credit Card

Free Base44 vs free plans elsewhere

Most AI app builders have a free tier now, and they ration it differently. Lovable gives free users a small number of daily credits with a monthly cap. Bolt.new's free plan is measured in tokens with a daily limit and Bolt branding on published sites. Replit's free Starter tier includes a daily Agent allowance and one published app.

Base44's version is monthly rather than daily, which suits people who build in bursts (a whole Saturday) better than people who tinker for ten minutes every day. If a genuinely free or open-source route matters most to you, our list of Base44 alternatives includes options you can run yourself, and Base44 vs Lovable goes deeper on the closest rival.

The honest verdict

Base44 is genuinely free to start, and the free plan is honest: full features, no watermark trick, no expiring trial, no card. It is the right way to find out whether Base44 suits you. It is not designed to run a busy business tool for free forever, and it does not pretend to be.

If you want the wider picture before committing, including the complaints some paying users have, read our full Base44 review and whether Base44 is legit.

Frequently asked questions

Is Base44 completely free?

Base44 has a permanent free plan that costs $0 and needs no credit card. It includes 25 message credits and 100 integration credits per month and up to 5 apps. Heavier use requires a paid plan, starting at $16 per month billed annually or $20 per month billed monthly.

Does Base44 have a free trial?

There is no time-limited trial of a paid plan. The free plan itself acts as the trial and does not expire, so you are never charged unless you choose to upgrade.

How many free credits does Base44 give?

The Free plan includes 25 message credits and 100 integration credits every month. Message credits are used while building; integration credits are used when your app runs actions such as sending emails.

Do Base44 free credits reset every month?

Yes. The free plan's allowance is monthly, so if you run out you can wait for the next month or upgrade to a paid plan to keep building.

Can I publish an app on the Base44 free plan?

Yes. Base44 states that complete apps can ship on the free plan. Connecting your own custom domain requires the Starter plan or higher.

Do I need a credit card to sign up for Base44?

No. You can create an account and use the free plan without entering any payment details.

More Base44 guides

The free plan is the trial. Try it today.

No card, no countdown. Build something small this week and you will know whether Base44 is for you.

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