Introduction
Choosing the right AI builder can be the difference between quickly launching a new product and getting bogged down by platform limitations. As AI-powered no-code and low-code platforms mature, their free tiers have become crucial for makers, startups, and businesses eager to validate ideas without upfront investment. In this article, we compare the free tiers of Lovable, BASE44, and Bolt - three leading platforms vying to be the best AI builder for free users. We’ll break down their specific limits, features, real-world value, and long-term costs so you can decide which platform offers the best value for your needs.
Overview: Lovable, BASE44, and Bolt.new
Lovable
Lovable acts as your personal full stack engineer, enabling users to build, launch, and manage digital products with minimal technical barriers. It’s popular for creating job boards, dashboards, note-taking apps, and more - all with rapid app creation and direct Figma imports.
Free Tier Highlights:
- 5 daily credits up to a maximum of 30 per month
- Public projects only
- Up to 20 workspace collaborators
BASE44
BASE44 is an all-in-one AI platform for no-code app building. It includes built-in features such as databases, authentication, email, analytics, and storage, making it a strong choice for those wanting an end-to-end solution without third-party dependencies.
Free Tier Highlights:
- 25 messages per month (max 7 daily)
- 500 integration credits per month
- Access to all integrations
- Includes authentication, analytics, and database
Bolt
Bolt lets users build apps and websites just by chatting with AI. It supports code generation, interface design, and live previews - ideal for prototyping and iterating quickly.
Free Tier Highlights:
- Public and private projects
- 1 million tokens per month
- 150,000 tokens daily limit
- Real-time collaboration features
Summary: All three platforms offer robust features in their free tiers, but with fundamentally different credit, message, and usage models. Let’s dive into the specifics.
Free Tier Features and Limits: Detailed Comparison
Below is a head-to-head comparison of the free tier specifics for Lovable, BASE44, and Bolt:
| Feature/Limit | Lovable | BASE44 | Bolt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Types | Public projects only | All project types | Public & private projects |
| Credit/Usage Model | 5 daily credits (30/month max) | 25 messages/month (7 daily), 500 integration credits | 1M tokens/month (150K daily limit) |
| Daily Limits | 5 credits per day | 7 messages per day | 150,000 tokens per day |
| Integrations | Limited (details not specified) | Access to all integrations | Supports popular frameworks & libraries |
| Authentication | Not specified | Included | Not specified |
| Analytics | Not specified | Included | Not specified |
| Database | Not specified | Included | Not specified |
| Import from Figma | Yes | No | No |
| Deployment | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Workspace Collaboration | Up to 20 members | Multi-user editing included | Real-time collaboration |
| Unique Offerings | Figma import, full-stack engineering, dashboard | Built-in email, analytics, storage, authentication | Conversational AI code & UI builder, diff-based editing |
Summary: BASE44 offers the most comprehensive built-in feature stack for free users, while Lovable stands out for Figma import and structured daily credit allocation. Bolt provides the highest usage volume with 1M tokens monthly and supports both public and private projects.
Paid Plan Pricing: Long-Term Value Analysis
Lovable: Credit-Based Scaling
Paid Plans:
- Pro 1: $25/month - 100 credits
- Pro 2: $50/month - 200 credits
- Pro 3: $100/month - 400 credits
- Pro 4: $200/month - 800 credits
- Pro 5: $294/month - 1,200 credits
- Teams Plan: $30/month (enhanced collaboration features)
Value Analysis:
- Cost per credit: $0.25 (Pro 1) to $0.25 (consistent across plans)
- Best value: Pro 1 at $25/month for moderate usage
- Enterprise scaling: Higher tiers available up to $2,250/month for 10,000 credits
BASE44: Message & Integration Credits
Paid Plans:
- Starter: $20/month - 100 messages, 2,000 integration credits
- Builder: $50/month - 250 messages, 10,000 integration credits
- Pro: $100/month - 500 messages, 20,000 integration credits
- Elite: $200/month - 1,200 messages, 50,000 integration credits
Value Analysis:
- Cost per message: $0.20 (Starter) to $0.17 (Elite)
- Best value: Starter at $20/month for basic professional use
- Integration value: Excellent scaling for app functionality
Bolt: Token-Based Flexibility
Paid Plans:
- Pro: $20/month - 10M tokens
- Pro 50: $50/month - 26M tokens
- Pro 100: $100/month - 55M tokens
- Pro 200: $200/month - 120M tokens
Value Analysis:
- Cost per million tokens: $2.00 (Pro) to $1.67 (Pro 200)
- Best value: Pro 200 offers best token-to-dollar ratio
- Context window: 500K tokens for paid accounts (vs 200K free)
Long-Term Value Comparison: Which Platform Wins?
For Budget-Conscious Users (Under $25/month)
Winner: Bolt Free Tier
- 1M tokens per month (150K daily) provides substantial usage
- Both public and private projects supported
- Real-time collaboration included
- Best ROI: Completely free with high usage limits
Runner-up: BASE44 Starter ($20/month)
- 4x more messages than free tier (100 vs 25)
- 4x more integration credits (2,000 vs 500)
- All premium features included
- Best paid option: $0.20 per message with full feature access
For Professional Use ($25-$100/month)
Winner: Lovable Pro 1-3
- Consistent $0.25 per credit pricing
- Figma integration saves design time
- Best for: Design-to-app workflows
- Sweet spot: Pro 2 at $50/month for 200 credits
Runner-up: BASE44 Builder ($50/month)
- 250 messages + 10,000 integration credits
- Custom domains and GitHub integration
- Best for: Feature-rich applications
For High-Volume Users ($100+/month)
Winner: Bolt Pro 200 ($200/month)
- 120M tokens = extensive AI interaction
- Best cost-per-token ratio ($1.67/M tokens)
- Best for: AI-heavy development workflows
Runner-up: BASE44 Elite ($200/month)
- 1,200 messages + 50,000 integration credits
- Premium support included
- Best for: Complex, integration-heavy applications
Free Tier Longevity: Which Lasts Longest?
Daily Usage Sustainability
- Bolt: 150K tokens/day = Highest daily usage capacity
- BASE44: 7 messages/day = Good for consistent daily development
- Lovable: 5 credits/day = Most predictable, sustainable daily usage
Monthly Ceiling Analysis
- Bolt: 1M tokens/month = Highest monthly capacity for AI interactions
- BASE44: 25 messages + 500 integration credits = Best feature-to-usage ratio
- Lovable: 30 credits max = Moderate but consistent
What Can You Actually Build on Each Free Tier?
Lovable: Practical Usage Scenarios
- App Types: Job boards, dashboards, simple SaaS MVPs, note-taking apps, fitness trackers
- Monthly Limit: 5 credits daily (30 max monthly)
- Best For: Rapid MVPs, design-to-app workflows (especially if using Figma)
- Sustainability: Most predictable free tier usage with daily allocation
Advice: Maximize value by using daily credits consistently rather than saving them up, as the 30/month cap limits hoarding.
BASE44: Practical Usage Scenarios
- App Types: Backoffice tools, productivity apps, customer portals, automated business process tools
- Monthly Limit: 25 messages (7 per day) + 500 integration credits
- Best For: Feature-rich applications requiring authentication, analytics, and integrations
- Sustainability: Best free tier for building complete applications
Advice: Leverage the included integrations to build more sophisticated apps without external dependencies.
Bolt: Practical Usage Scenarios
- App Types: Any web app or website you can describe - prototypes, landing pages, basic SaaS, complex applications
- Monthly Limit: 1 million tokens (150,000 daily limit)
- Best For: Extensive AI-powered development, iterative prototyping, private project development
- Sustainability: Highest free tier capacity with both daily and monthly generous limits
Advice: Take advantage of the high token allowance for rapid iteration and learning. Use private projects for sensitive MVPs or internal tools. Leverage Discussion Mode to conserve tokens when planning.
Cost Progression: When to Upgrade
Upgrade Triggers by Platform
Lovable:
- Upgrade when: Need more than 5 daily credits or private projects
- Best upgrade: Pro 1 ($25) for 100 credits
- ROI threshold: If using 20+ credits monthly
BASE44:
- Upgrade when: Need more than 7 daily messages or 500 integration credits
- Best upgrade: Starter ($20) for 4x capacity
- ROI threshold: If using 15+ messages monthly
Bolt:
- Upgrade when: Need more than 1M tokens monthly or 150K daily, or require 500K context window
- Best upgrade: Pro ($20) for 10M tokens
- ROI threshold: If consistently hitting 1M monthly token limit
Maximizing Free Tier Value: Practical Tips
Platform-Specific Optimization
Lovable:
- Use daily credits consistently (don’t save up)
- Leverage Figma imports to reduce iteration cycles
- Plan projects carefully before using credits
BASE44:
- Maximize integration credits for complex functionality
- Use daily message allowance strategically
- Build feature-rich apps to justify upgrade
Bolt:
- Take advantage of the generous 1M monthly token allowance
- Use Discussion Mode for planning (90% token savings)
- Implement diff-based editing for efficiency
- Leverage both public and private project capabilities
Cross-Platform Strategy
- Prototype and develop on Bolt: Highest free tier capacity for extensive development
- Design on Lovable: Figma-to-app workflows
- Deploy production apps on BASE44: Feature-rich applications with built-in backend
Final Verdict: Best Long-Term Value
Overall Winner: Bolt
Why Bolt.new Wins:
- Best free tier capacity: 1M tokens monthly with 150K daily limit
- Complete project privacy: Both public and private projects supported
- Highest usage volume: Allows for extensive AI-powered development
- Best for learning: Generous limits enable experimentation and skill building
- Zero cost barrier: Can build substantial applications without any payment
Runner-up: BASE44
Why BASE44 is Second:
- Best feature density: Authentication, analytics, database included for free
- Best entry-level paid plan: $20/month Starter with 4x capacity increase
- Most comprehensive: All-in-one solution with built-in integrations
- Best for complete apps: Ideal for feature-rich applications
Third Place: Lovable
Why Lovable is Third:
- Most predictable usage: Daily credit allocation prevents feast-or-famine
- Unique design value: Figma integration saves significant design time
- Consistent pricing: $0.25/credit across all tiers
- Best for designers: Unmatched design-to-app workflow
- Limited by privacy: Public projects only on free tier
FAQ: Lovable vs. Base44 vs. Bolt.new – Which Is the Best AI Builder Free Tier?
1. Which AI builder offers the best free tier for beginners?
Bolt offers the most generous free tier with 1M tokens per month and 150K daily limit, allowing extensive experimentation and learning. BASE44 provides the most comprehensive feature set with authentication, analytics, and database access included.
2. Which platform offers the best long-term value for professional use?
Bolt provides exceptional value with its generous free tier that can handle substantial professional development. For users who need built-in backend features, BASE44 offers the best scaling with its $20-50/month plans.
3. Can I build private projects on every platform’s free tier?
Only Bolt and BASE44 allow private projects on their free tiers. Lovable restricts free users to public projects only.
4. Which platform is most cost-effective when scaling beyond the free tier?
Bolt offers the most cost-effective scaling since its free tier is so generous that many users may never need to upgrade. BASE44 provides the best paid scaling with its $20/month Starter plan.
5. How do daily limits affect long-term usage?
Bolt provides the highest daily capacity with 150K tokens, while BASE44 offers 7 messages daily, and Lovable provides 5 credits daily. Bolt’s limits are the most generous for sustained daily development.
Conclusion
When choosing the best AI builder free tier, your decision should align with both your immediate needs and long-term growth plans:
- For maximum free tier capacity and flexibility: Choose Bolt
- For comprehensive built-in features and smooth paid scaling: Choose BASE44
- For predictable daily usage and design-centric workflows: Choose Lovable
Bolt emerges as the overall winner for most users, offering the most generous free tier with 1M tokens monthly, support for private projects, and the flexibility to build substantial applications without any cost barrier. BASE44 excels for users who need comprehensive built-in features, while Lovable remains the best choice for design-focused teams with Figma integration needs.
Each platform’s free tier allows you to meaningfully build, test, and learn - without upfront costs. Consider your project requirements, team size, and growth trajectory when making your choice, and remember that you can always start with one platform and migrate as your needs evolve.