JOYLO VS BASE44
Joylo or Base44.
Which AI app builder is right for you?
Choose Base44 if you want backend, login, payments and hosting built in. Choose Joylo if a broken app costs you customers. Base44 promises "no engineers", which holds until the AI gets stuck. Its support won't debug your code, and a freelancer could take weeks. Joylo sends an in-house engineer into your project, with a first response within 24 hours. Buy the hours Joylo recommends, and a written Production Guarantee commits Joylo to getting you live and paying any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply.
THE SHORT ANSWER. FOUR DIFFERENCES THAT MATTER.
What's the difference between Joylo and Base44?
- An engineer from Joylo's own team can step into your app.A certified, in-house engineer works in your project once you pick "Engage an Expert". Expect a first response within 24 hours, with help priced at $500 for 10 hours. Base44's support leaves debugging your app's code to you, though Elite adds premium support. For hands-on work, its Hire a Partner directory lists independent experts you pay directly.
- Joylo backs your launch with a written guarantee.We review what your app needs, then recommend the engineering hours. Once you buy them, the written Production Guarantee commits Joylo to getting that agreed scope live. Joylo pays for any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply. Base44 keeps its detailed commitments on recovering from an outage for Enterprise customers, in a service-level agreement with no published figure.
- A Base44 app is live from the moment you create it.Each one sits on a free built-in address, such as myapp.base44.app, and Base44 hosts it for you. On Joylo, you publish to a Joylo web address in a few clicks. Publishing uses credits upfront, from about 58, and your monthly renewal then covers hosting.
- Slack, Notion and Salesforce can connect to a Base44 app.Base44 lists one-click integrations and names everyday tools like these among the ones you can link. Every plan includes integration credits to run them. On Joylo, nine connectors come built in, with Gmail, Outlook and Microsoft Teams among them. For a service Joylo has no connector for, you add your own API keys.
TWO BUILDERS. TWO DIFFERENT JOBS.
What is each builder made for?
Teams that want to build apps, websites or AI agents together, even on the Free plan, are Base44's best fit. If you want a person to call when the AI gets stuck, or would rather a named engineer built the app, pick Joylo.
Joylo
Joylo builds a working web app with sign-in, a database and payments. Picture your launch email going out just as checkout fails, and the AI can't find the fix. That's when a Joylo engineer steps into your repo and takes over. Buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and your launch is guaranteed in writing. Conditions and exclusions apply.
Base44
Apps, websites and AI agents all start from your own words on Base44. Sign-in, payments, hosting and a database come already built in, so you never have to touch a server. Several people can edit together on every plan, and each step up buys more credits. If you want your app online as soon as you create it, that's Base44's big draw.
How does Joylo pricing compare to Base44?
On paid plans, Base44 starts lower. Its Starter plan is $20 a month billed monthly, while Joylo's Solo Builder is $25 a month. You can start on Base44's Free plan, and Joylo has a Free plan too, plus a $1 Trial for the first month. Higher up, the two sell different things. Base44's Elite costs $200 a month billed monthly, for 1,200 message credits and premium support. On Joylo, Co-Build gives you a named engineer for 40 to 160 hours a month, at $3,000 to $6,000. Which suits you depends on whether you'd rather buy more AI or more engineer time.
What does each Joylo plan include?
Every paid Joylo plan, from the $1 Trial up, comes with credit top-ups, version control, the AI Confidence Score and the option to remove the Joylo badge. Free, the Trial and Solo Builder are for one person, and Starter adds a team workspace with unlimited members. You run these yourself. Co-Build is for when you'd rather a named Joylo engineer built the app for you. You'll find every plan's limits in the table below.
| Free | Trial | Solo Builder | Starter | Co-Build 40 | Co-Build 80 | Co-Build 160 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $0 | $1 first month, then $25 | $25 | $50 | $3,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 |
| AI credits | 30 first month, then 10 / month | 100 (first month) | 100 / month | 250 / month | 400 / month | 800 / month | 1,600 / month |
| Apps | 3 public | 10 private | 10 private | Unlimited private | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Storage | 1 GB | 5 GB | 5 GB | 10 GB | As Starter | As Starter | As Starter |
| Custom domains | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Team workspace | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Team members | Just you | Just you | Just you | Unlimited, no seat fee | Unlimited, no seat fee | Unlimited, no seat fee | Unlimited, no seat fee |
| Roles and basic analytics | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Engineering hours | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | 40 / month | 80 / month | 160 / month |
| Engineer response | 24 hours (Expert Assist) | 24 hours (Expert Assist) | 24 hours (Expert Assist) | 24 hours (Expert Assist) | 4 business hours | 4 business hours | 2 business hours |
| Production Support | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | Advanced included | Advanced included | Advanced included |
If you build on your own, start with Solo Builder at $25 a month. Move to Starter at $50 once other people need to work in the app with you. Co-Build is a different purchase, because a named engineer builds the app for you.
- Team members. Unlimited and free, with no per-seat charge, in a team workspace. A team workspace comes with Starter ($50 a month) and the Co-Build plans. Free, Trial and Solo Builder are single-user plans.
- Every plan includes app ownership and the AI Confidence Score. Every paid plan, from the $1 Trial up, adds export to GitHub, version control, credit top-ups, removing the Joylo badge and free standard migration.
- The Free plan has no expiry date. The $1 Trial gives you Solo Builder for your first month, then renews at $25. There is no annual billing. All plans are monthly.
- Co-Build 160 adds a dedicated developer, a part-time business analyst, executive reporting and custom integrations.
What do the engineer plans cost, and what do you get?
Ten hours of a Joylo engineer's time costs $500 through Expert Assist, an add-on on any plan, with a first response within 24 hours. Co-Build goes further. A named engineer builds the app for you for 40, 80 or 160 hours a month, at $3,000 to $6,000. Base44 doesn't sell either one. Its plans add premium support on Elite and a solution engineer on Enterprise. The partners it lists are independent and paid directly, so the table below covers Joylo only.
| Expert Assist | Co-Build 40 | Co-Build 80 | Co-Build 160 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $500 for 10 architect hours | $3,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 |
| Engineering hours | Hours are bought in blocks of 10. Self-serve plans can use up to 20 hours a month | 40 / month | 80 / month | 160 / month |
| How it works | Choose "Engage an Expert" inside your project. A Joylo engineer works in your project to fix an issue, finish a feature or help you launch | A named Joylo engineer builds the app for you. You meet 30 minutes, three times a week | ||
| First response | Within 24 hours | 4 business hours | 4 business hours | 2 business hours |
| AI credits included | Your plan's credits | 400 / month | 800 / month | 1,600 / month |
| Production Support | $299 or $999 a month | Advanced included | Advanced included | Advanced included |
| Extra engineering | $500 for 10 architect hours | Fixed $500 blocks | ||
| Also included | Chat with the engineer inside the project, follow tasks on a board and see the hours logged | No extras listed | No extras listed | A dedicated developer, a part-time business analyst, executive reporting and custom integrations |
| Written guarantee | Buy the engineering hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo guarantees that scope goes live. Joylo pays for any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply | |||
Work out how many hours your app needs before you pick. Expert Assist is capped at 20 hours a month on the self-serve plans. If you need more, Co-Build gives you 40, 80 or 160 hours a month, a faster first response and three 30-minute meetings a week.
What does each Base44 plan include?
Every Base44 plan, Free included, comes with a built-in database, multi-user editing and debugging tools. Billed monthly, you pay $20 for Starter, $50 for Builder, $100 for Pro and $200 for Elite. The pricing page opens on yearly billing, which takes 20% off each paid plan, so they show as $16, $40, $80 and $160 a month. Free gives you 25 message credits a month, and Enterprise has no published price. The table below compares the four paid plans.
| Starter | Builder | Pro | Elite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price, billed monthly | $20 | $50 | $100 | $200 |
| Monthly price, billed yearly | $16 | $40 | $80 | $160 |
| Message credits (AI chat) | 100 / month | 250 / month | 500 / month | 1,200 / month |
| Integration credits | 2,000 / month | 10,000 / month | 20,000 / month | 50,000 / month |
| Apps | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Unused credits roll over | No | No | No | No |
| Custom domain | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remove the Base44 badge | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| In-app code edits | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Choose the AI model | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Early access to beta features | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Premium support | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Yes |
| Backups | No | No | No | 7 days |
| Human engineer | Not available | Not available | Not available | Not available. Independent partners from the Hire a Partner directory are hired and paid separately |
| GitHub two-way sync, code export, backend functions, app store files | No | Yes, on Builder and up | ||
Base44's plans grow with message and integration credits. GitHub sync starts on Builder at $50 a month, premium support comes with Elite at $200 a month, and data backup and restore is listed for Enterprise. Joylo's higher plans add engineer hours. That shows who each one is built for.
What do the add-ons and services cost?
Joylo's add-ons mostly buy time from its engineers. Expert Assist helps fix an issue or finish a feature, Production Support starts at $299 a month, and a complex move costs a fixed $2,000. Base44's pricing page lists no add-on prices. Its extras come with bigger plans instead, like premium support on Elite and backups on Elite, Business and Enterprise. Each row below shows what you'd get on either side.
| Service | Joylo | Base44 |
|---|---|---|
| Expert Assist | $500 for 10 architect hours. First response within 24 hours. | Not available. Independent partners from Base44's directory are hired and paid directly, and Base44 takes no commission |
| Standard migration | Free on every paid plan, from the $1 Trial up. | Moving a Lovable project into Base44 is free to start. Exports and custom domains need Builder or higher |
| Complex migration | $2,000 fixed price. You buy it, our engineers do the work. No charge if it doesn't work. | Not published |
| Production Support, Essential | $299 a month. 24/7 automated monitoring, next-business-day engineer response. | Not published. Premium support comes with Elite |
| Production Support, Advanced | $999 a month. Adds security patching, monthly restore tests and 4-hour engineer response. | Not published. Backups come with Elite (7 days) and with Business or Enterprise (30 days) |
| Extra live apps on Production Support | $199 per app per month, beyond 3 apps. | Not applicable |
| Extra Co-Build engineering | Fixed $500 blocks. | Not published |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing. | Custom. A dedicated architect, account manager and solution engineer, single sign-on and advanced security controls |
Most of Joylo's add-ons buy an engineer's time, while Base44's extras sit inside its plans. If you want someone watching your app after launch, read the Production Support rows.
How do Joylo and Base44 compare at a glance?
When you need someone to step in, Joylo leads. Its own engineers work in your project, and your code goes to your own GitHub on every paid plan. Once you buy the recommended hours for an agreed scope, Joylo commits in writing to getting that scope live. Base44 has the edge for getting started, with apps that go live the moment you create them. Paying yearly also takes 20% off its paid plans. Each of the 20 rows below puts the two side by side.
| Feature | Joylo | Base44 |
|---|---|---|
| Access to a human engineer | Yes. Joylo's own engineers, from inside your project | Support doesn't fix your app's code. Independent partners are hired and paid directly, and Enterprise adds an account manager and solution engineer |
| Written guarantee | Production Guarantee: buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope and Joylo gets it live, paying any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply | None listed. Enterprise service-level agreements include detailed commitments on recovering from an outage |
| Starting price | Free at $0, or $1 for the first month on the Trial. Paid plans from $25 a month. | Free at $0, or Starter at $20 a month billed monthly ($16 a month billed yearly) |
| Paid plans | Solo Builder $25, Starter $50, Co-Build $3,000 / $4,000 / $6,000 a month | Starter $20, Builder $50, Pro $100, Elite $200 a month, billed monthly. Enterprise is custom |
| Free plan | Yes, $0, with 30 AI credits in the first month, then 10 a month, and 3 public apps | Yes, $0, with 25 message credits a month and up to 5 apps |
| Billing | Monthly, fixed price, no long-term contract, 30-day money-back on paid plans | Monthly or yearly (yearly saves 20%), cancel any time. No refunds on renewal |
| How usage is charged | AI credits for building, changing and publishing. Hosting for live apps is covered by your monthly renewal. No separate hosting bill. | Message credits for the AI chat and integration credits for connected tools. Unused credits don't roll over |
| Builds | Full-stack web apps; design-only screens; mobile apps built with Expo, published to the App Store and Google Play | Apps, websites, products and AI agents. App store files on Builder and up |
| Built in | Sign-in, Postgres database, Stripe payments, file storage, AI key for your app | Backend, database, sign-in, payments, storage, analytics and hosting |
| Hosting and domains | No separate hosting bill. Published apps always on and a custom domain on all paid plans. Free-plan apps sleep when idle | Base44 hosting included, with a free base44.app address. Custom domains on Starter and up |
| Team members | Unlimited, no seat fee, on Starter and Co-Build | Multi-user editing and collaboration on every plan. No seat price shown |
| Code ownership | You own the full app on every plan | Yes. Base44's terms say you own the code and apps it generates |
| Code export | Export to your own GitHub on every paid plan, from the $1 Trial up, with two-way sync | Builder and up: two-way GitHub sync or a ZIP download. Hosting, sign-in and database setup can't be exported |
| Tech stack | React, Node, Postgres. No proprietary runtime. | Client-side HTML, CSS and JavaScript plus backend functions. Data and servers run on Mongo and Render in the US |
| Who the engineers are | HST Solutions, Dublin, since 2007. HST is certified to ISO 27001 and ISO 22301. | Independent partners from Base44's directory, hired and paid directly. Base44 has been part of Wix since June 2025 |
| Engineer price | $500 for 10 hours (Expert Assist), or 40–160 hours a month on Co-Build | Not published. Each partner sets their own rate |
| Engineer response | Within 24 hours (Expert Assist); 4 or 2 business hours (Co-Build) | Not published. Support reply times vary with ticket volume |
| Engineer hours | 9am to 5pm GMT, Monday to Friday | Ticket support in English. Enterprise gets a dedicated support queue |
| Migration in | Free standard migration on paid plans; $2,000 fixed price for complex moves, done by our engineers | Lovable projects, free to start. Exports and custom domains need Builder or higher |
| App check | AI Confidence Score on every plan | Security scans on every app, with AI fixes. Debugging and troubleshooting tools on every plan |
Want help when something breaks? Read the engineer lines first. If your team is large and your budget is small, look at the team members line, because that's where Base44 wins.
STUCK? BRING IN AN ENGINEER.
What happens when your app gets stuck?
An app your revenue depends on cannot run on a prompt box alone. APIs change. Payment gateways break at 2am. Every fix the AI makes can add new bugs. That is the moment most builders leave you to find a freelancer. Joylo's answer is a certified in-house engineer, inside your project within 24 hours, backed by a written Production Guarantee: buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo takes responsibility for getting it live. If the estimate runs over, Joylo pays the difference. Conditions and exclusions apply. To start, choose "Engage an Expert" inside your project.
- Launch is guaranteed, in writing.Buy the engineering hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo guarantees that scope goes live. Joylo pays for any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply.
- Who they are.Joylo's engineers are its own in-house team, not freelancers. Joylo's engineers come from a team that builds software for regulated businesses, such as fund groups, banks and insurers.
- You stay in control.Engineers see your code only after you approve access. Nothing merges without your approval. Chat with the engineer inside the project, follow tasks on a board and see the hours logged.
- What it costs.$500 for 10 architect hours. Hours are bought in blocks of 10. Self-serve plans can use up to 20 hours a month.
- Rather not build it yourself?A named Joylo engineer builds the app for you: 40, 80 or 160 hours a month. You meet 30 minutes, three times a week.
CODE YOU OWN. TAKE IT ANYWHERE.
Who owns the code you build?
You own your code on either one, but more of the app comes with you from Joylo. Base44's terms give you the code and apps you generate, and GitHub sync and code export start on Builder. Its hosting, sign-in and database setup can't be exported. On Joylo, you own the full application on every plan. Export it to your own GitHub from the $1 Trial up, and changes flow both ways after that.
Joylo
- Ownership. You own the full application on every plan. No lock-in.
- The code. React front end, Node API and a Postgres database. No proprietary runtime or client SDK. Any developer can pick it up.
- Hosting. It runs on AWS, Azure, GCP or your own servers.
- Export. On paid plans, from the $1 Trial up, push the project to a new or existing GitHub repository, private or public. After export, changes sync both ways, with help resolving conflicts.
- Moving in. Import from Lovable, Replit, Bolt or your own GitHub repository. Standard migration is free on paid plans. Complex migration: $2,000 fixed price. You buy it, our engineers do the work. No charge if it doesn't work.
Base44
- Ownership. Base44's terms say you own the code and apps it generates. You also give Base44 a licence to use them, including to train AI.
- The code. Client-side HTML, CSS and JavaScript, plus backend functions. You can edit the code inside Base44 on Starter and up.
- Hosting. Base44 hosts your app for you. It doesn't publish a way to run the backend or database on your own servers.
- Export. On Builder and up, sync with GitHub both ways or download a ZIP file, with your data as CSV files. Managed hosting, the sign-in system and the database itself stay on Base44.
- Moving in. Base44 imports Lovable projects and says the move is free to start. Exports and custom domains need Builder or higher.
How do Joylo and Base44 compare feature by feature?
Chat-based building, a database, sign-in, payments and custom domains are on both. Joylo's side adds its own engineers, an app check that scores each build out of 100, and code export on every paid plan. Its Production Guarantee covers an agreed scope once you buy the recommended hours. Conditions and exclusions apply. On Base44, you also get one-click links to tools like Slack and Salesforce, integration credits on every plan and a directory of partners to hire. The table groups every feature by the job you're doing.
| Feature | What Joylo does | Base44 |
|---|---|---|
| Build with AI | ||
| Describe it in plain English | Type or speak what you want. You can attach images or files as a reference. | Yes. Build apps, websites, products and AI agents using your own words |
| Plan first, or build straight away | In Plan mode Joylo shows its plan and waits for your approval. In Build mode it goes ahead. | Yes. Discussion mode lets you plan new features with the AI without changing your live app |
| Three kinds of project | App: a full working web app. Design: screens only, which can be turned into an app later. Mobile: a phone app. | Apps, websites, products and AI agents |
| Choice of AI model | Pick which AI model does the work. | AI model select on Builder and up |
| Power mode | The AI reviews its own code, runs visual tests and fixes what it finds. | Not listed |
| Built-in backend | ||
| Database | Each app gets its own Postgres database, set up automatically. | Built-in database on every plan. App data is stored in the US by default |
| Sign-in | Joylo Sign-in adds Google and GitHub login to your app without you setting up a login provider. | Built-in sign-in (authentication) on every plan |
| Payments | Connect your own Stripe account to a project. Joylo then builds the payment flows. | Built in. Base44 says you can get paid directly through Base44 |
| Storage | Space for your apps' files: 1 GB on Free, 5 GB on Trial and Solo Builder, 10 GB on Starter. | Backend and storage built in. Limits not listed |
| AI inside your app | A Universal AI Key lets the apps you build call AI models without your own AI provider account. | Built-in integrations let your app generate text or images with AI, and Base44 manages the credentials |
| Your own keys | Add your own API keys and settings to a project. | Connect services such as Stripe, SendGrid or OpenAI, which bill you directly |
| Preview and mobile | ||
| Live preview | See the app running in your browser as it is built. | Yes. Test key flows such as sign-up and checkout in Preview |
| Mobile app preview | Mobile projects are built with Expo. Scan a QR code with the Expo Go app to open the app on your phone. | Not listed |
| Publish to the App Store or Google Play | Mobile apps are published to the App Store and Google Play through Expo. | Prepare your app for the stores on Free. Downloading the files to submit needs Builder or higher. Push notifications are set up outside Base44 |
| Sleep when idle | While you are building, an unused preview goes to sleep. Published apps on paid plans stay on. Free-plan apps sleep when idle. | Not listed |
| Editing | ||
| Change it by chat | Ask for changes in plain English, one message at a time. | Yes, in the AI chat. Each message uses message credits |
| Visual editor | Click an element in the preview and edit it in a side panel. | Yes, on every plan. Click any element to change its colours, fonts and spacing |
| Code editor and terminal | Browse and edit the files, and use a terminal, in the browser. | In-app code edits on Starter and up. A terminal is not listed |
| Use your own editor | Connect VS Code or Cursor to the project over SSH. | Work locally through two-way GitHub sync, on Builder and up |
| Figma import | Paste a Figma link, or use the Joylo plugin, and Joylo builds from the design. | Listed on Base44's Enterprise page. Import designs from Figma |
| App check (AI Confidence Score) | Scores the app out of 100 across security, reliability, integrations, scalability and code quality, and lists what to review. | Security scans on every app, with severity ratings and AI fixes. An app store readiness score, from a scan you can run on the Free plan |
| SEO and AI search check | Reviews your pages for search and AI-search issues, then fixes them with AI. | Yes. An SEO/GEO dashboard scans for Google, ChatGPT and Gemini, then lets AI apply the fixes |
| Publish and hosting | ||
| Publish to a live web address | Publish in a few clicks to a Joylo web address. | Yes. Every app is live on a free myapp.base44.app address from the moment you create it |
| Custom domain | On paid plans, point your own domain at a published app. You buy the domain from a registrar. | Starter and up. Yearly billing adds a free domain for 1 year |
| Hosting included | Hosting is included in your plan, not a separate bill. Publishing uses credits upfront, from about 58 credits, and your monthly renewal covers hosting for apps already live. Published apps on paid plans are always on. | Included, on Base44's own managed hosting |
| Live apps stay live | Hosting for a live app is covered by your monthly renewal. If you run out of credits mid-month, new builds pause until your reset or an optional top-up, but live apps keep running. | Without message credits, you can't send new AI chat messages until your reset date. If you cancel, your apps stay live on the free plan |
| Remove the Joylo badge | Hide the Joylo badge on your app, on paid plans. | Listed for Starter. Base44's docs don't list it for higher plans |
| Team workspace | ||
| Team workspace | A shared space for projects, members, billing and credits. Starter and Co-Build | A workspace on every plan, with credits shared across every app in it |
| Unlimited members, no seat fee | Invite people by email. There is no member limit and no per-seat charge. Starter and Co-Build | Multi-user editing and collaboration on every plan. No member limit or seat price is shown |
| Roles | Owner, Admin, Editor or Viewer for each member. Starter and Co-Build | Owner, Editor and Viewer on every workspace. Enterprise workspaces add Admin |
| Require two-step login | The workspace owner can require two-factor authentication for every member. Starter and Co-Build | Not listed. Single sign-on on Enterprise |
| Share a project | Share a link to a project or its preview. | Keep apps private, share them with your team or publish them to the web |
| Code ownership and export | ||
| You own the app | You own the full application on every plan. | Yes. Base44's terms say you own the code and apps you generate, and you grant Base44 a licence to use them, including for AI training |
| Standard stack | React front end, Node API and a Postgres database. No proprietary runtime or client SDK. | Exports hold client-side HTML, CSS and JavaScript plus backend functions, with the database as CSV files |
| Export to GitHub | On paid plans, push the project to a new or existing GitHub repository, private or public. | Builder and up: export to GitHub or download a ZIP. Hosting, sign-in and database setup can't be exported |
| Two-way GitHub sync | After export, changes sync both ways, with help resolving conflicts. | Yes, on Builder and up. You can't push updates to GitHub by hand |
| Bring an app from elsewhere | Import from Lovable, Replit, Bolt or your own GitHub repository. Standard migration is free on paid plans. | Lovable projects, free to start. Exports and custom domains need Builder or higher |
| Integrations (connectors) | ||
| Connectors | Stripe (payments), Joylo Sign-in (login), Universal AI Key (AI in your app), GitHub, Figma, Gmail, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, email by SMTP. | One-click integrations, including Gmail, Slack, Notion, Google Drive, HubSpot and Salesforce, with integration credits on every plan |
| Human engineers | ||
| Expert Assist | Choose "Engage an Expert" inside your project. A Joylo engineer works in your project to fix an issue, finish a feature or help you launch. Add-on on any plan | Not available. Base44's Hire a Partner directory lists independent partners you hire and pay directly |
| Fixed price | $500 for 10 architect hours. Hours are bought in blocks of 10. Self-serve plans can use up to 20 hours a month. | Not published. Each partner sets their own rate, such as $60 or $200 an hour |
| Response time and hours | First response within 24 hours. Engineers work 9am to 5pm GMT, Monday to Friday. | Ticket support with no published reply time. Human support is in English only |
| Work you can see | Chat with the engineer inside the project, follow tasks on a board and see the hours logged. | Not applicable |
| Approval before access | Engineers see your code only after you approve access. Nothing merges without your approval. Published policy | Not applicable |
| Co-Build | A named Joylo engineer builds the app for you: 40, 80 or 160 hours a month. You meet 30 minutes, three times a week. | Not published. Enterprise includes a dedicated account manager and solution engineer |
| Production Support | 24/7 automated monitoring, with engineers acting during business hours. $299 or $999 a month. Add-on | Not published. Premium support on Elite, priority support on Business, a dedicated support queue on Enterprise |
| Production Guarantee | Buy the engineering hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo guarantees that scope goes live. Joylo pays for any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply. Written terms | None listed. Enterprise service-level agreements include detailed commitments on recovering from an outage |
| Billing and credits | ||
| Fixed monthly price | Each plan has a fixed monthly price. Billing is monthly only. No long-term contract. | Monthly or yearly. Yearly saves 20% on every paid plan |
| AI credits | Credits pay for building, changing and publishing. The monthly allowance resets each month. Unused monthly credits do not roll over. | Message credits for the AI chat and integration credits for connected tools. Unused credits don't roll over |
| Top-ups | Buy more credits at any time on a paid plan. | No top-up price listed. Base44 suggests upgrading your plan for more credits before your reset date |
| Free plan and Trial | Free plan at $0, with 30 AI credits in the first month and 10 a month after that. Or the Trial: $1 for the first month with 100 credits, then it renews as Solo Builder at $25 a month. | No priced trial. The Free plan comes with 25 message credits a month and up to 5 apps |
| Promo codes | Enter a promo code at checkout. | Yes, applied under Plan and billing before you buy |
| Money-back guarantee | Paid plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee. | No. Renewal charges and AI credits are non-refundable |
| Security | ||
| Two-factor login | Add an authenticator app to your Joylo account. | Optional, with an authenticator app, or by text message on paid plans |
| Sign in with Google, GitHub or Microsoft | Use an existing account to log in to Joylo. | Google, Apple or email and password. Organisations can use their own single sign-on |
| Role-based access | Roles control what each team member can do. Starter and Co-Build | Owner, Editor and Viewer roles on every workspace |
| GDPR | GDPR-ready. A data processing agreement is available on request. EU-only hosting is available on request. | GDPR compliant, with a data processing agreement on request. App data is stored in the US by default |
| Certifications | GDPR-ready. Engineering by HST Solutions, which holds ISO 27001 and ISO 22301. | SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 (Base44's stated claim) |
| What Base44 offers that Joylo doesn't | ||
| A directory of partners to hire | Not published | Yes. Independent partners show their rates, languages and skills, and you pay them directly |
| Connections to Slack, Notion, HubSpot and Salesforce | Not published | Yes, alongside Gmail and Google Drive, using integration credits |
| Single sign-on (SSO) | Not published | Enterprise |
| Your data kept out of AI training | Not published | Enterprise only. On other plans, including Business, your data can be used to train AI models |
| Annual billing | All plans are monthly | Yes, and it saves 20% on every paid plan |
Base44 comes out ahead on yearly billing, links to tools like Slack and Salesforce, and its partner directory. Joylo wins on the human engineer rows and leaving with your code. You're choosing between a low-cost start and an engineer you can reach when your app breaks.
Which one is
right for you?
Building it yourself on a small budget is where Base44 fits best. Choose Joylo when the app has to hold up in production, for paying customers or a team that runs on it. What differs is who helps when something breaks. Base44 offers ticket support and a directory of partners you hire. On Joylo, with your permission, one of its own engineers steps into your code and fixes it. Once you agree the work and buy the hours it recommends, Joylo promises in writing to get that work live and to pay any overrun.
Joylo
Choose Joylo if
- Your revenue will depend on this app. APIs change and payment gateways break. When the prompt box starts adding bugs instead of fixing them, a certified Joylo engineer steps into your repo within 24 hours. No freelancer marketplace, no agency quote.
- You want someone accountable for launch, in writing. Buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope and Joylo guarantees that scope goes live. If the estimate runs over, Joylo pays the difference. Conditions and exclusions apply.
- You are a non-technical founder who wants a real app with logins, data and payments, not a prototype.
- You want to own your code: a standard React, Node and Postgres app you can export to your GitHub and host anywhere.
- You are stuck on another builder and want the app moved across and finished.
- You would rather not build it yourself and want a named engineer doing the work (Co-Build).
Not the best fit for
- Round-the-clock human support. Engineers work UK business hours. Out of hours there is automated monitoring only, unless you agree an Enterprise arrangement.
- Long-term hobby use. Paid plans start at $25 a month.
- A team on the $25 plan. Team workspaces start at Starter, $50 a month.
- Annual billing. All plans are monthly.
- Building mainly by drag and drop. Joylo is chat-first. The visual editor is for small changes.
Start with the page written for you:First-time foundersFixing a half-finished appSmall teams
Base44
Base44 is right for you if:
- Your team wants to build together on a low-cost plan. Every Base44 plan includes multi-user editing, and Starter costs $20 a month billed monthly. On Joylo, team workspaces start at Starter, $50 a month.
- You'd rather choose and pay your own expert. Base44's Hire a Partner directory shows each partner's rates, languages and skills, and you agree the work with them directly.
- You want to pay by the year. Joylo bills monthly only. On Base44, yearly billing takes 20% off every paid plan, so you'd pay $40 a month for Builder instead of $50.
Base44 is not for you if:
- You want the builder's own engineer to fix your app. Base44's support stops short of debugging your app's code, and the partners it lists are independent businesses you pay yourself.
- You want GitHub sync on a low-cost plan. Base44's GitHub sync and code export start on Builder, at $50 a month billed monthly, while Joylo includes export to GitHub on every paid plan, from the $1 Trial up.
- You want a refund if it doesn't work out. Base44's renewal charges and AI credits are non-refundable, while Joylo's paid plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Each builder suits a different job. Pick the one whose list sounds most like you.
Fair questions.
Straight answers.
The practical details before you choose.
What do Starter, Builder, Pro and Elite cost on Base44?
$20, $50, $100 and $200 a month, on monthly billing. Pay for the year and each one drops by 20%, to $16, $40, $80 and $160 a month. Each step up buys more credits, and Builder is where GitHub sync begins. A Free plan sits below them, and Enterprise has no listed price. Joylo's Solo Builder is $25 a month and its Starter $50, with monthly billing only.
Does Base44 really work with no setup?
For the basics, it does. Base44's homepage promises "No setup, no engineers, no waiting" and says you can launch without wiring up a payment provider or configuring a database. Most users, Base44 adds, go from idea to live app in a single session. Joylo sets up sign-in and a database for you too. Connect your own Stripe account and Joylo builds the payment flows, with an engineer to call if the AI gets stuck.
Should a small business build on Base44?
It can, if you're happy to build and look after the app yourself. Base44 calls itself the right choice if you want an end-to-end app with a built-in backend, live hosting and zero setup. Its pricing page says Elite, at $200 a month billed monthly, is for people running their main product or business on Base44. If your business will rely on the app, Joylo pairs the AI with its own engineers.
Which tools does Base44 integrate with?
Gmail, Slack, Notion, Google Drive, HubSpot and Salesforce are among the daily tools Base44 names. Each plan includes integration credits to run them, from 100 a month on Free to 50,000 on Elite. Paid services you add, such as Stripe, SendGrid or OpenAI, bill you directly. Joylo's nine built-in connectors include GitHub, Figma and Outlook.
Will Base44's team fix my app when the AI gets stuck?
No. Base44's support doesn't provide hands-on debugging or fixes for your app's code, prompts or setup. For building help, it points you to its Discord community or to a partner from its directory. You hire and pay that partner directly, and Base44 takes no commission and doesn't step into disputes. Enterprise adds an account manager and a solution engineer. On Joylo, a certified, in-house engineer works in your project, with a first response within 24 hours.
Is my launch covered if I buy the hours Joylo recommends?
Yes, for the agreed scope. Joylo's written Production Guarantee begins once Joylo has assessed your project and you buy the recommended hours. From then on, getting that scope live is Joylo's responsibility. If the estimate falls short, Joylo carries the extra engineering cost. Conditions and exclusions apply. You stay in control throughout, because engineers see your code only after you approve access.
How would I move a Base44 app over to Joylo?
First, get the code out of Base44. On Builder or higher, you can export it to GitHub or download a ZIP file, and your data comes as CSV files. Joylo then offers a standard migration or a complex one. A complex migration is a fixed $2,000. You buy it, our engineers do the work, and there's no charge if it doesn't work.
Do I own my Base44 app, and can I take it with me?
Base44's terms say you do. They give you the rights to the code and apps the platform generates. You also grant Base44 a licence to use them, including to train its AI. You can take the code with you on Builder or higher, through GitHub sync or a ZIP download. On Joylo, you own the full application on every plan and can push it to your own GitHub from the $1 Trial up.
Start building.
With a guarantee it goes live.
Describe your app and see what you can build. Guarantee conditions and exclusions apply.
Prices in USD, excluding VAT. Engineers work 9am to 5pm GMT, Monday to Friday. Prices can change, so check each pricing page before you buy.