Base44 — Quick reference
All-in-one no-code app builder — describe an app, get a working full-stack app with UI, database, auth and hosting included. base44.com · docs.base44.com
At a glance
You describe an app in plain English and Base44 scaffolds the front end + a live backend (database, native auth, hosting) automatically — you never connect a database or paste a key. Work happens in the AI chat; the rest lives under the Dashboard (Data, Users, Integrations, Agents, Automations, Analytics, Marketing, Security). Free: 25 message + 100 integration credits/mo, unlimited apps
Prompt recipes
Strong first prompt
Describe what users do, plus a rule the system must enforce: "Build a conference-room booking app. Staff see availability and book a time slot; the system must prevent double-booking. Admins can add or remove rooms." Base44 builds the UI and wires DB, auth and hosting.
Shape the data
"Each booking records room, person's name + email, date, start/end time, and a status (confirmed / cancelled). Add a 'capacity' number to each room." Edits the built-in DB entities directly — no schema, no SQL.
Add auth & roles
"Add user login with Google. Give 'admin' users the ability to add or remove rooms; regular users can only book. Show a landing page to anyone not logged in." Native auth, no external provider.
Add an integration
"Add the Stripe connector and put a checkout button on the booking confirmation page." Connectors are OAuth — Base44 handles the keys.
Add AI / email
"Add a button that uses AI to suggest the best free room for a time and group size. When a booking is confirmed, email the person." Wires built-in invokeLLM + SendEmail.
Change the design
Use Edit mode — click an element to change it directly. Manual edits are free (no message credits), so style by clicking, not by prompting.
Iterate & refine
| Mode / action | What it does |
|---|
Discuss mode | AI plans with you and changes nothing — ~0.3 credits. Use it before spraying build prompts. |
Default mode | Builds right away from your prompt (~0.5–4 message credits per change). |
Edit mode | Click any element and change it directly — manual edits are free. |
Dashboard → Data | Edit entities/records by hand: add/edit/delete rows, search, filter, set per-entity view/edit permissions, import/export CSV. |
Plan before you spray. Build prompts cost message credits; Discuss-mode planning and manual edits are nearly free. Talk it through, then build.
Add data & integrations
Built-in database
Entities + fields shaped in plain English. Field types: Text, Number, Date, File, and Reference (links one entity to another). Reads/writes cost no integration credits — DB is included free.
Auth & visibility
Native auth (e.g. Google), no keys. Live-app roles: Admin / User. Visibility (Dashboard → Overview): Public (free) · Workspace · Private invite-only (Starter+).
Connectors (Dashboard → Integrations → Browse)
OAuth integrations — Stripe, Gmail/Outlook, Slack/Discord/Teams, Google Drive/Docs/Sheets, Notion, Dropbox, Airtable, HubSpot, Salesforce, and more. Choose shared or per-user. Builder+
Built-in AI functions (no keys)
invokeLLM (text), GenerateImage, GenerateSpeech, SendEmail, ExtractDataFromUploadedFile (PDF/CSV/image → structured rows). Spend integration credits.
AI Agents (Dashboard → Agents)
Create an agent, pick a model, grant Tools (update a record, trigger an automation). Supports Skills, Memory, and channels (WhatsApp, Telegram, LINE). Scoped to granted tools — not fully autonomous.
Automations (Dashboard → Automations)
Background jobs. Triggers: Scheduled, Data event, In-app agent, or Connector event. Limits: 3-min max runtime, 5-min min interval. 1 integration credit/run + nested actions. Builder+
Deploy & own the code
| Action | What it does |
|---|
Publish | Get a shareable URL and set visibility. Free on a Base44 URL. |
Custom domain | Connect your own domain. Builder+ (free domain for a year on yearly plans). |
GitHub icon → Connect | Authorise, choose/create a repo. Export to GitHub + 2-way sync of full app source — clone, npm install, run elsewhere. Builder+ |
Dashboard → Analytics | After publishing: Traffic (visits, uniques, geo, sources, devices) + Sales (Stripe apps). Add Custom Events on key actions. |
Dashboard → Security → Run Security Scan | Checks 5 categories: data-permission gaps, exposed credentials, login-verification gaps, package vulnerabilities, security headers. Free, all plans |
GitHub sync is permanent — once connected you can't disconnect and move the project back to Base44. Run the security scan before your first publish and again after any significant change.
Cost & limits
| Plan | What you get |
|---|
| Free | 25 message credits + 100 integration credits/month, unlimited apps. Auth, database, analytics included. (Analytics: 3 custom events, 7-day retention.) |
| Starter | $16/month (annual) — 100 message credits. Unlocks Private apps, unlimited custom events & longer history. |
| Builder | $40/month — adds connectors, automations, GitHub sync, custom domains. |
| Pro | $80/month. |
| Elite | $160/month — 1,200 message credits. |
Credit costs (approx). Build change: ~0.5–4 message credits · Discuss-mode plan: ~0.3 · Manual edit: free · LLM call: ~3 integration credits · email: ~1 · image: ~1 · speech: ~1 per 50 chars · automation run: 1 + nested actions. Database reads/writes cost no credits.
Tips & gotchas
• Plan in Discuss mode, build in Default. Planning and manual edits are nearly free — prompting builds burn message credits.
• Style by clicking. Use Edit mode for design tweaks — it costs no credits, unlike a "change the design" prompt.
• Connectors, Automations, GitHub sync, custom domains & Private apps are paid (Builder+ / Starter+) — the free tier is for building and Public publishing.
• Vendor lock-in: data lives in Base44/Wix infrastructure. GitHub 2-way sync (Builder+) is the escape hatch for the code, but the sync is permanent once enabled.
• Run the security scan before every launch, not just the first — it's free on all plans.