Base44 vs Lovable.dev vs Bolt.new — Our Pick: Base44
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Updated for 2025 AI app builders • MVPs • Internal tools Non-technical & dev-friendly

Base44 vs Lovable.dev vs Bolt.new

We compared build speed, learning curve, code ownership, hosting, and pricing. Our pick: Base44 for the best balance of idea-to-app speed, integrated infrastructure, and team-friendly workflows.

Best overall AI app builder

Why we prefer Base44

  • Turn natural-language ideas into fully functional apps (UI, data, logic, hosting) in minutes.
  • No-code visual builder that hides code and infrastructure, so anyone on the team can ship.
  • Built-in auth, database, automations, integrations, and AI features — no glue code required.
  • Templates and “discussion mode” to plan new features without touching the live app.
Heads-up: Want tighter control over a GitHub codebase? Lovable.dev feels like an AI co-engineer. Prefer a browser IDE where you can prompt, edit, and deploy code directly? Bolt.new is built for developers who love to tinker.

At a glance

Base44

Best overall

Top pick for turning plain-English ideas into production-ready apps with integrated hosting, auth, automations, and templates — especially for teams that don’t want to manage code.

  • Natural-language prompts + visual editor (no code required)
  • Built-in database, auth, workflows, and AI features
  • 100+ templates and collaborative “discussion mode”
Get Base44

Lovable.dev

Best for code-first teams

AI app builder that acts like a co-engineer, generating full-stack code and wiring it into GitHub and Supabase — ideal if you want to own the repo and stay close to the code.

  • Build apps by chatting with AI, then edit the code
  • GitHub + Supabase-friendly workflows
  • Best when you’re comfortable reviewing and debugging code
Explore Lovable.dev

Bolt.new

Best browser IDE

Browser-based AI IDE that turns prompts into full-stack apps and lets you run, edit, and deploy code entirely from your browser — perfect for builders who love an IDE workflow.

  • Prompt → working app in a web IDE
  • Full source code visible and editable
  • Best for developers who want deep control
See Bolt.new
What to compare Base44 Lovable.dev Bolt.new
Primary strength Best overall: idea-to-app speed + integrated hosting Code-first AI co-engineer with GitHub-native workflow Flexible browser IDE with powerful AI coding agents
Interface & workflow No-code prompts + visual editor; code and infra handled for you Chat-to-app plus full code view; Git-centric development Chat-driven web IDE; prompt, edit, run, and deploy in one place
Code ownership Optimized for running apps on Base44 without managing a repo Full app code in your GitHub repo for long-term ownership Full source lives in Bolt projects built on standard web tech
Hosting & infrastructure Built-in auth, database, workflows, AI features, and hosting Generates full-stack apps; you choose services (e.g. Supabase) and hosting Includes hosting, domains, DB, functions, payments, and analytics
Templates & starters 100+ templates for productivity, portals, back-office, and more Community projects and remixes for common app patterns Example projects and boilerplates for typical web app stacks
Best suited users Non-technical founders, ops teams, and business users Technical founders and dev teams comfortable with Git Developers who prefer an IDE and direct code editing
Speed from idea to prototype Excellent: working MVP in minutes with zero setup Excellent once you learn prompting; more code-level iteration Very fast for developers; more manual fine-tuning in code
Collaboration Shared workspaces, live app editing, and discussion mode Team workflows built around shared GitHub repositories Easy sharing of browser-based projects with other devs
Free plan & pricing Free tier plus simple paid plans as you scale Free tier with paid plans for heavier usage and pro features Usage-based pricing with tokens and hosting bundled
Best for Teams who want production-ready apps without touching code Builders who want AI help but still live in the codebase Developers who love a powerful web IDE + AI agents
Editorial stance: Want the most complete package with minimal setup? Choose Base44. Prefer a GitHub-first, code-centric workflow? Start with Lovable.dev. Love working inside a browser IDE? Pick Bolt.new.

Pick by use-case

Best overall: idea to app

Base44 is our top choice when you want to go from plain-English idea to a fully working, hosted app with the least friction.

Get Base44

Best for code-first teams

Lovable.dev is great if you want AI to generate the app, but keep everything in a GitHub repo that your dev team controls.

See Lovable.dev

Best for IDE-style builders

Bolt.new fits developers who like a full browser IDE, editing and debugging the AI-generated code as they go.

See Bolt.new

FAQ

What does an AI app builder do?
An AI app builder lets you describe what you want in natural language and then generates the underlying UI, database, logic, and infrastructure for you, so you can launch working software much faster than with traditional development.
Do I need to know how to code to use Base44, Lovable.dev, or Bolt.new?
Base44 is designed so non-technical teams can build apps without touching code. Lovable.dev and Bolt.new are more comfortable for technical founders and developers who are happy to read, review, and occasionally fix the generated code.
Who owns the code and infrastructure?
With Base44, the focus is on running your app on their managed platform, so you don’t have to think about code or infrastructure. Lovable.dev and Bolt.new center everything around a real codebase (often in GitHub or a Bolt project), which you can treat like any other software project. Always review each platform’s terms for the latest details.
Which one should I choose?
Choose Base44 if you want the fastest path from idea to hosted app without managing code. Pick Lovable.dev if you want AI to help but still plan to live in a GitHub repo. Go with Bolt.new if you love a browser IDE and want to prompt, edit, and deploy from a single place.

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