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It's a split decision.
Choose Base44 for quickly generating web apps with hosting, authentication, database, and payments bundled, and a lower annual entry price. Choose Bubble when you need a visual editor, native iOS and Android apps, or published workload-unit pricing and overage rates. Both are hosted platforms. Before committing either to a production system, ask about data export, migration paths, and the APIs or SDKs your codebase requires.
01Side by side
| Base44 | Bubble | |
|---|---|---|
| Paid entry price | Starter: $16/month, billed annually | Starter: $29/month, billed annually |
| Free tier | 25 message credits; up to five apps | 50,000 WU; dev-only, no live deployment |
| Usage and scaling | Monthly message and integration credit allowances | Workload units; paid overages and add-on tiers |
| Integrations | Named tools plus external services via API | LLMs, payment providers, and Bubble MCP |
| Deployment model | Hosting, backend, and storage included | Hosting and infrastructure included; dedicated hosting on Enterprise |
| Platforms | Web | Web, native iOS, and Android |
| API and agent access | External services connect through APIs | Bubble MCP; Claude and Codex agent hooks in beta |
| Lock-in and data export | Bundled backend and hosting; confirm export path | Hosted visual backend; confirm export path |
Base44 Choose Base44 if
- Choose Base44 if you want an AI-generated web app with backend and hosting included.
- Choose Base44 if a lower annual starting price matters.
- Choose Base44 if you want built-in SEO, analytics, and payment features.
Bubble Choose Bubble if
- Choose Bubble if you need native iOS and Android apps alongside web.
- Choose Bubble if you want to edit workflows, data, and design visually.
- Choose Bubble if published workload-unit overage pricing helps you plan costs.
02Pricing at real usage
Base44's Free plan includes 25 message credits and 100 integration credits per month, with up to five apps. Starter is $16 per month billed annually; Builder is $40, Pro $80, and Elite $160. Annual billing saves 20% across paid plans, and monthly billing is also available. Those plans increase monthly credit allowances, so usage that exceeds them may require a higher tier. Third-party services such as Stripe, SendGrid, and OpenAI bill separately.
Bubble's Free plan is a dev-only sandbox with 50,000 workload units (WU) per month, no live deployment, and no custom domain. For web apps, Starter is $29 per month billed annually or $32 monthly; Growth starts at $119 annually, and Team at $349. Bubble lists pay-as-you-go overage at $0.30 per 1,000 WU, or $0.15 with Workload Tier 1, which adds 200,000 WU monthly.
03API, SDKs and integration
Base44 generates apps from plain-language prompts and includes backend, database, authentication, payments, and hosting. It connects to named services including Slack, Google Calendar, HubSpot, Salesforce, Gmail, and Notion, and supports connecting external services through an API. The product pages do not specify SDKs, supported programming languages, or a CLI, so teams that need those interfaces should confirm them before choosing Base44.
Bubble starts with its AI Agent, then lets developers edit the generated app in a visual editor, including workflows, database, and design. Its homepage describes connections to tools such as LLMs and payment providers, and says Claude or Codex agents can connect through Bubble MCP, marked beta. Bubble also does not publish a language or SDK matrix or CLI details on its product pages. Neither platform gives a specific integration count. For both, check the documentation for the exact API behavior, authentication, and rate limits your integrations require.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Base44 includes hosting, backend, and storage in its app platform. Bubble also includes hosting and infrastructure; its Enterprise plan lists dedicated hosting and a choice of data location. That makes either a hosted-stack decision rather than a choice between hosted and self-managed deployment. Neither vendor publishes an open-source license or self-hosting option on its product pages.
Both products combine app logic and data features with their own builders and hosting. That can simplify setup, but it makes the data export and migration path important if you later move to another stack. The vendors do not describe export formats or a full migration process in their product-page material. Bubble says users can import existing code, but that does not establish an app or data export path. Before production use, ask each vendor how to export records, files, authentication data, and workflows, and what remains usable outside the platform.
Questions people ask
Is Base44 better than Bubble?
It depends on the app. Base44 is a fit for prompt-driven web apps with hosting, database, authentication, and payments bundled. Bubble offers a visual editor for hands-on changes and supports native iOS and Android apps alongside web. Compare the specific platform requirements, usage costs, and export path before deciding.
Which is cheaper, Base44 or Bubble?
Base44 has the lower listed annual starting price: Starter is $16 per month billed annually, compared with Bubble Starter at $29 per month for a web app. Bubble lists workload-unit overage rates, while Base44 plans include monthly message and integration credits. Your actual bill depends on usage and third-party services.
Can Base44 and Bubble build mobile apps?
Bubble says it supports native iOS and Android apps that share data and workflows with a web app, with direct App Store and Google Play submission. Base44's listed platform is web, and its pages describe building apps and websites. Choose Bubble if native mobile delivery is a requirement.
Can you move an app away from Base44 or Bubble?
Neither product page details a complete app and data export process. Bubble says users can import existing code, but that does not confirm how to export an app. Before committing, ask both vendors about exporting records, files, authentication data, and workflows, and what can be reused elsewhere.