Base44 vs Bolt: What You Keep When You Leave
October 25, 2026
Base44 and Bolt both take a plain-English prompt and hand back a running, hosted app with a database and login. You will get a working app from either one. The better question is what you are left holding on the day you want to move: the code, the data, or the backend it runs on.
Short answer:
- Choose Base44 if you want one managed backend and never want to think about it, and you accept that the backend stays Base44's.
- Choose Bolt if you want a code-first project that you can pull into GitHub and, with the right plan, attach to a Supabase database you control.
- Either way, the code is the easy part to take. The database and auth are where leaving gets expensive.
This post is about that exit, not about which tool writes a prettier landing page. For the wider field, see our Base44 alternatives guide.
Quick comparison
| Base44 | Bolt | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Wix | StackBlitz |
| Where the app runs | Base44's own infrastructure | Bolt Cloud (hosting and database built in) |
| Database | Base44's managed data tables | Bolt Database by default; Supabase optional on paid plans |
| Code in GitHub | Two-way sync, Builder plan or higher | GitHub sync to back up and keep working in both places |
| Run it locally | Yes, with the Base44 CLI, still against Base44's backend | Yes, from the repository |
| Data out | CSV export per table | Claim the database into Supabase (Pro or Teams) |
| Moving in from the other | Documented import from Bolt.new | We found no documented import from Base44 |
What you keep with Base44
Base44 is a managed backend with an app editor on top. Its own documentation describes the backend service as the same backend that powers the app editor, covering data, authentication, backend functions, integrations and hosting.
That matters for leaving, because your frontend code and your backend are not the same asset.
- Code. You can sync the app to GitHub in both directions, which requires the Builder plan or higher. Once connected, changes sync automatically and there is no manual push. Base44's docs also warn that you cannot restore versions from before the connection.
- Running it locally. The documented flow uses the Base44 CLI: clone the repo, log in, link it to the app, and run
base44 dev. That starts a local Base44 backend, or you can point the frontend at the live hosted backend. - Data. Each table can be exported as a CSV from the dashboard. That gets you rows. It does not get you a database with your permissions, relations and auth users already wired up.
So the repository is real, and it is yours to read and edit. But it is written against Base44's backend and SDK. Moving to another host means rebuilding the data layer, auth and any backend functions somewhere else.
Older comparisons, including some of ours, describe Base44's code access as limited. The current docs describe two-way GitHub sync, so we no longer treat code access as the weak point. The coupling is in the backend.
The Wix question
Wix announced its acquisition of Base44 on 18 June 2025, with an initial payment of about $80 million plus earn-outs through 2029. That is a statement about who owns the roadmap. It is not a statement about portability, and it does not change the exit analysis above.
What you keep with Bolt
Bolt is built around a project that looks like a normal web codebase, with a platform layer called Bolt Cloud on top. Bolt's docs describe Bolt Cloud as covering hosting, domains and databases in one place, plus sign-in, file storage, server functions and Stripe payments, without you creating extra accounts or connecting outside services.
- Code. The GitHub integration is designed so you can build in Bolt, work in GitHub, and come back, and publish through Bolt hosting, Netlify or another service.
- Database. New projects use Bolt Database by default. On Pro and Teams plans you can start a project on Supabase, connect an existing Supabase project, or claim your Bolt Database in Supabase. Claiming requires being a Supabase org owner. Connecting a Supabase database to a project that already has a Bolt database replaces the connection and can lose data, so claiming is the safer route.
- The reverse does not exist. Bolt's own FAQ says there is no supported flow for migrating a Supabase database into Bolt Database. Bolt's database overview is also less confident about claiming than the Supabase page, saying there is no supported way to migrate an existing Bolt database to Supabase. If you might want Supabase later, pick it at project creation.
- Hosting is switchable, with limits. You can publish a Bolt project to Netlify instead of Bolt hosting, and switch an existing project between the two once you unpublish it. Custom domains don't carry over automatically, and Netlify cannot host your database or a traditional backend.
Bolt's exit is therefore shorter on paper: a repository plus a database you can claim into Supabase. It also has a sharper edge. The decision you make early, Bolt Database or Supabase, decides how easy the exit is.
Where each one is stronger
| If you care about | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Not touching infrastructure at all | Base44 | One managed backend, one place for data, auth and functions |
| Owning a database you can open in standard tools | Bolt | Supabase path, with a documented claim step |
| A non-technical teammate maintaining it | Base44 | The editor is the main surface; code is optional |
| A developer joining later | Bolt | Repo-first, branches and pull requests are expected |
| Moving an app in from another builder | Base44 | It documents import of tables and frontend from Bolt.new and Lovable |
| Keeping the host choice open | Bolt | You can switch between Bolt hosting and Netlify after unpublishing, for frontend-only projects |
Base44 documents a migration path from Bolt.new: it brings over user-created tables in the public schema, with data, column schema, keys and the row-level-security flag, plus frontend source from your GitHub repository. We found no matching document for going the other way, so treat Base44 to Bolt as a manual rebuild of the data layer.
What leaving actually costs
| Layer | Leaving Base44 | Leaving Bolt |
|---|---|---|
| Frontend code | Take it through GitHub sync | Take it through GitHub sync |
| Data | CSV per table, re-import elsewhere | Claim into a Supabase project you manage |
| Auth users | Rebuild against another auth provider | Check what Supabase holds after claiming; Bolt's docs don't spell this out |
| Backend functions | Rewrite against another backend | Bolt's server functions are Supabase edge functions on the Supabase path; check them after claiming |
| Hosting | Move to any static or app host | Switch to Netlify or another host; a backend needs Bolt hosting or Supabase |
Two cautions on the table. The Bolt column assumes you took the Supabase route; staying on Bolt Database is closer to the Base44 column. And Bolt notes that its Version History does not restore databases, so keep your own backups before migrating either one.
Decision guide
- Internal tool or prototype you may throw away? Base44. The coupling is the speed.
- Customer-facing product you expect to grow? Bolt, and choose Supabase at the start.
- Never want to look at a repository? Base44. Connect GitHub anyway so a copy exists outside the platform.
- A developer will take over within a few months? Bolt.
- Unsure? Build the same small app in both and ask each for its export. An hour spent now tells you more than any feature table.
When you need a setup that already exists
Both tools are for generating something new. If what you need is a working agent or workflow someone has already built, a prompt to an app builder recreates it from scratch and discards the working version.
Taku is an AI-native desktop workspace where you mirror an AI app or workflow that already works, run it on your own machine, and remix it. It doesn't replace Base44 or Bolt, because it isn't an app builder. Taku is in Beta, and the Mac app is available now. The free app library shows what a ready-made setup looks like, and the Lovable vs Bolt and Bolt vs v0 comparisons cover the other builder matchups.
FAQ
Is Base44 or Bolt better for beginners?
Base44 asks less of you, since the backend is managed and the editor is the main surface. Bolt shows you more of the underlying project, which helps if you plan to learn, and hurts if you do not.
Can I export my Base44 app?
You can sync the code to GitHub on the Builder plan or higher, and export each data table as a CSV. The code is written against Base44's backend, so it does not run standalone elsewhere without rebuilding the data and auth layer.
Can I move my Bolt app to Supabase?
Yes, on Pro or Teams plans you can claim a Bolt Database in Supabase, provided you are a Supabase org owner. The reverse, Supabase into Bolt Database, has no supported flow.
Can I move an app from Bolt to Base44?
Base44 documents an import from Bolt.new covering your tables, their data, schema and the frontend source from GitHub.
Who owns Base44?
Wix, which announced the acquisition on 18 June 2025.
Which one hosts my app?
Both host it by default: Base44 on its own infrastructure and Bolt on Bolt Cloud. Bolt also lets you publish to Netlify, and switch between the two after unpublishing, though Netlify can't host a database or backend.
What does each one cost?
Plans and credit systems change often, so check Base44's pricing and Bolt's pricing directly before deciding.