GX-06 / COMPARE
Launchpad vs Base44
Base44 gives non-technical builders a database, auth and hosting without wiring anything, and Wix now backs it with over $100M in annual revenue. Its free plan is 25 messages a month, five a day, and its MCP server needs a paid plan. Launchpad's free plan has no daily cap, shows every turn's price first, waives failed turns, and exports the repository on every plan. Pick Base44 to avoid a backend; pick Launchpad to own one.
At a glance
The six numbers people ask about.
| Launchpad | Base44 | Edge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0, 30 credits a month, no daily cap | 25 messages a month, capped at 5 a day | Launchpad |
| Entry paid plan | Pro $19/mo for 250 credits | From about $16 a month billed annually | Even |
| Backend | Vite + React + TypeScript + Tailwind + shadcn/ui; Supabase optional | Database, auth, storage and hosting built in | Base44 |
| A failed build costs | 0 credits. A turn that errors is waived under the Fair Turn Guarantee | A message | Launchpad |
| MCP server | Not yet. On the roadmap | Yes, on the Builder plan and above; no publish tool | Base44 |
| Scale | None yet. Three users and a founder who answers email | 2M-plus users, acquired by Wix for $80M in 2025 | Base44 |
Feature by feature
Where each one wins.
An edge is a judgement, not a score. The note under a row says why it fell the way it did.
| Launchpad | Base44 | Edge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metering unitSimpler to explain; less fair on big turns and small ones alike. | Credits per turn, with the price shown before the turn runs and the tokens, model and sandbox time shown after | Messages. Every message counts the same whether it built a page or fixed a typo | Launchpad |
| Paying for the agent's mistakes | 0 credits. A turn that errors is waived under the Fair Turn Guarantee | A fix costs a message like anything else | Launchpad |
| Backend without wiring | Supabase, connected by you | Built in. This is the reason Base44 grew: a non-technical user reaches a working app without touching a database console | Base44 |
| Code ownershipLaunchpad's export is on every plan and is a plain Vite + React repository. | A real Vite + React + TypeScript repository, on every plan including Free | Apps run on Base44's platform; check their current export terms before relying on them | Launchpad |
| Model choice | Pick Claude, GPT, Gemini or Grok per project, each with its credit multiplier shown | Base44 picks | Launchpad |
| Security of published apps | A security badge on every published site recording the checks it passed; the agent asks before deleting files, installing packages or touching secrets | Managed by the platform; not itemised on the site | Even |
| Answer-engine plumbing | robots, sitemap, llms.txt, structured data | The most complete in the category: llms.txt, structured data with offers, comparison posts | Even |
| Runtime | A kernel-isolated microVM sandbox with real npm, a real filesystem and network access | Base44's managed platform | Even |
| Mobile apps | No. Web apps only | Web apps | Even |
Choose Base44 if
- You do not want to know what a database is.
- You want auth, storage and hosting to exist the moment you start.
- You want the safety of a public company behind the product.
Choose Launchpad if
- You want the code in a repository you control, on the free plan.
- Five messages a day is not enough to finish a thought.
- You want each turn priced by what it did, and shown first.
- You want to choose the model doing the work.
Questions
Asked before switching.
- Is Base44 free?
- There is a free plan of 25 messages a month, limited to five a day. Launchpad's free plan is 30 credits a month with no daily cap.
- What is the difference between messages and credits?
- Base44 counts every message as one. Launchpad counts credits by what the turn did, from one for a chat reply to about ten for a large build, and shows the number before the turn runs.
- Does Base44 charge when a build fails?
- Yes. On Base44 a message is a message, whether it built a page or broke one. Launchpad waives any turn that errors, so a fix for the agent's own mistake costs nothing.
- Do I need Supabase for Launchpad?
- Only if your app needs a database. Static sites, dashboards on mock data and marketing pages need nothing. Base44 includes a database whether you need one or not.
- Can I export code from Base44?
- Base44 apps run on Base44's platform; check their current export terms. Launchpad exports a full Vite + React repository on every plan.
- Does Launchpad have an MCP server like Base44?
- Not yet. Base44's is available on the Builder plan and above and cannot publish. Launchpad's is on the roadmap.
- Who owns Base44?
- Wix acquired Base44 in June 2025 for $80M in cash plus earn-outs. Wix reported it passed $100M in annual revenue by March 2026. Launchpad is independent and small.
- Can I move a Base44 app to Launchpad?
- Not directly. Base44 apps depend on its built-in backend; you would rebuild the data layer on Supabase. The front end can often be described to Launchpad's agent and regenerated.
Try it
30 credits a month, no card, no daily cap.
Failed turns are free. The repository is yours on every plan.
Base44 is a trademark of its owner. Launchpad is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Base44 (base44.com). Their facts were checked on 2026-09-08 and may have changed since.
Sources checked 2026-09-08
- https://base44.com/pricing
- https://base44.com/llms.txt
- https://docs.base44.com/developers/backend/overview/mcp-server
- https://www.wix.com/press-room/home/post/wix-further-expands-into-vibe-coding-with-acquisition-of-base44-a-hyper-growth-startup-that-simplif
- https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-base44-bootstrapped-startup-success-story-maor-shlomo
- https://www.jetadmin.io/blog/base44-pricing-2026-guide-to-plans-credits-and-real-total-cost/