Understand how message credits and integration credits are used, when your credits reset, what happens when you run out, and how to check usage for each app.
Credits are the units Base44 uses when you interact with Base44’s AI or connect your app to external tools. Credit usage adjusts dynamically based on how much work the builder needs to do behind the scenes.
Base44 uses 2 types of credits to support your app building and operations:
Message credits
Used when you interact with Base44’s AI while building apps. Message credits are used for prompts that plan, update, or fix parts of your app.Examples:
Asking the AI to add or refine a small feature.
Debugging or fixing logic in a specific part of your app.
Getting the AI to rewrite copy or microcopy.
Applying AI-suggested changes from the chat.
Integration credits
Used whenever your app uses Base44’s built-in services, such as sending an email, generating an image, running an LLM call, or using in-app agents. Integration credits are not used when you call an external service with your own API key. Running a backend function can also use a small amount of credit for the invocation itself.See the full cost breakdown.
There is no set credit amount used per message. Different actions use credits in different ways, depending on what you ask the AI to do.Short, focused prompts usually require less work behind the scenes, while broader prompts that touch several pages or components can require more. Manual visual edits, such as dragging elements, changing layouts, or editing text directly in the editor, do not use credits.Even when a request looks simple or your message is very short, the AI still has a lot to do in the background. It needs to read what you already built, understand your request, figure out the safest way to change it, and apply the update without breaking other parts of your app.Credits are based on how much work the system has to do, not on how small the change looks. This is why something that feels like a quick tweak, such as “translate the whole app” or “rebuild this page for mobile,” can still use a few credits as the AI has to review many files and make complex updates that you do not always see.
Important:
The credit amounts shown on this page are estimates based on standard models and average complexity, provided as a guide rather than exact figures. They are subject to change at Base44’s discretion. For details, see the Base44 Terms of Service.
The credits used for a given action can vary and are calculated after the action runs, so your actual cost may differ from the figures shown here. To see how many credits you have used, check your credit usage.
There is no way to preview an integration credit cost before running an action. To estimate it, run the action in a controlled test and review the execution logs afterward.
How an action is billed can differ between workspaces. If what you see in your own workspace does not match this page, that is why.
These are rough ranges, not a quote. The exact number of credits is worked out after each message runs and can vary depending on a number of factors, including the work involved and the model you are using. Treat your credit usage as the source of truth for what you actually spent.
Scope of change
What it usually involves
Typical credits used
Simple visual or text change
A lightweight update to a single element or short piece of text.
~0.5 credits
Improving a small feature
Adjusting logic across a few files, higher than a simple style tweak.
~1 credit
Adding a complex module
Entities, flows, and logic across multiple files, requiring deeper planning.
~2 credits
Large-scale or app-wide change
Touching many pages, components, or the full app structure.
Depends on the model and on how long the prompt and answer are, from ~3 credits per call. Models compare the same way as in the in-app agents table
An email that does not go out is not charged, whether the send failed on its way to the email provider or the call was missing something it needed. The same cost applies wherever the send comes from, including a workflow.
In-app agents
Each message sent to an in-app agent uses integration credits. What a message costs depends on the model the agent uses and on how long the answer is. Automatic starts at about 3 credits a message, and the other models cost more relative to it.
Cost compared with Automatic
Models
About the same
GPT-6 Luna
Several times more
Gemini 3.8 Flash, GLM 5.2, Claude Sonnet 5
Many times more
Claude Opus 5.5, GPT-6.1 Sol
The most
GPT-6 Astra, Claude Fable 5.1
Check Credits Used on a message for what it actually cost. See configuring guidelines for how to change it.
Workflows
Each step a workflow runs uses a small amount of integration credit. 10 steps use about 1 credit. Steps that only decide where the workflow goes next are free, and a step that waits counts like any other.Whatever a step does is charged separately on top of that. If a step calls a backend function, sends an email, or runs an LLM call, that costs what the action costs wherever else you run it.For example, a workflow with a step that runs an LLM call and a step that sends an email uses about 0.2 credit for the 2 steps, plus ~1 credit for the LLM call, plus ~1 credit for the email on the default sending domain. Roughly 2 credits each time it fires, so what the steps do costs far more than the steps themselves.Superagent workflows run on the same system and are charged at the same rate.
To see what your workflows cost, open your app’s usage page and look for Workflows under By source. Select Show details for a ranked list of which ones used the most.
Backend functions
Running a backend function can use a small amount of integration credit. 100 invocations use about 1 credit.Anything the function does is charged separately on top of that. An LLM call, an email, or a file upload from inside a function costs what that service costs. This is why a function can use credits even when it never calls an external service, and why calling an external service with your own API key from inside one is still free.
If this does not match your workspace:
Whether an invocation uses credit, and how much, can differ between workspaces. If you are not seeing these charges, yours is billed differently.
Your app’s usage page shows a Backend functions figure under By source. Check your credit balance to see what you were actually billed.
You can see how many credits a prompt used. Click the More actions icon under your prompt to open the menu, then look under Credits Used to see the cost for that specific message.
Viewing how many credits were used in a message in the AI chat
Get more out of your Base44 credits with these practical tips. Open each tip below to see how you can save credits and keep your workflow efficient.
Plan your builds before prompting
Planning before you start helps you save both time and credits.Start by deciding what your app should do and outlining its main parts. You can use any AI tool to organize your thoughts and write a clear prompt. List the key features you want and describe how people will use your app, step by step.You can also ask another AI tool to help you draft a ready-to-use prompt for Base44, then paste it directly into your project.
Use the automatic AI model
Keep the AI model set to Automatic unless you have a specific need to choose a manual model. Base44 automatically routes each prompt to the AI models best suited for your task, so you get accurate results while your credit usage stays efficient, without needing to worry about the technical details.Manually choosing a model is less predictable and can use more credits, especially for complex work.
Keep your prompts focused
Write short, focused prompts for each message instead of one very broad request. Focused prompts often use fewer credits and lead to better results. Ask the AI to work on specific files, pages, or functions instead of your entire app, and clearly state what change you want to make.For example, you could say: Update the Home page text to match the new pricing plan.
Use Discuss mode to explore ideas
Use Discuss mode to brainstorm, ask questions, or refine ideas without changing your app. Each message in Discuss mode uses ~0.3 message credits. When you are ready to apply changes, switch to Build mode. Learn more about Discuss mode.Use Build mode only when you are ready to make direct changes to your app.
Use Edit mode
For UI tweaks, select the element in Edit mode before you describe the change so the AI does not need to scan your entire layout.
Avoid repeated automatic fixes
If a change is not what you wanted, click the Revert icon on that message instead of using extra prompts to debug or undo it.If you encounter errors, try using the automatic fix once or twice. If the problem is not resolved, avoid repeating the auto-fix. Switch to Discuss mode, explain what is not working, and ask the AI to help you find a solution.
Add and test features in small steps
Add new features or make changes to your app one step at a time. Start by building the basics, such as pages, navigation, and a consistent design. Then add new features like forms, search, analytics, or integrations gradually, testing after each change.This step-by-step method helps you catch issues early, makes troubleshooting easier, and reduces the risk of using more credits on major fixes.
Track your credit usage
Keep an eye on your credit usage by checking your balance while editing your app, or from your workspace settings.Monitoring your credits helps you spot actions that use the most credits and plan resets or upgrades if needed, so you can avoid interruptions to your workflow.You can also see how many credits a specific prompt used from the More actions icon under that prompt in the builder.
How often your credits refresh depends on your plan:
Free plan: You can use up to 5 credits a day, up to 25 credits a month. When you reach the daily limit, features that use credits pause until your daily balance resets, as long as you still have monthly credits left. Daily credits reset at midnight in the workspace owner’s local timezone, or at midnight UTC if the workspace has no recorded timezone or you are not its owner.
Paid plans: Your message and integration credits reset once a month, on the same day of the month you subscribed. For example, if you subscribed on July 5, your credits reset on the 5th of every month.
When you reach your credit limit, actions that use credits pause until your next reset. If you do not want to wait, upgrade or adjust your plan from your billing dashboard.
When you upgrade before your reset date, you get the new plan’s extra credits right away. What you pay, and whether your unused credits carry over, depends on your billing period:
Your upgrade
What you pay today
Your unused credits
From a monthly plan to a higher monthly plan
The full price difference between the 2 plans
Carry over for one more cycle, up to one month of your plan’s credits, then expire
Any upgrade that involves a yearly plan
A prorated amount: the price of the new plan, minus a credit for the time you have not used yet on your current plan
Expire at your next reset as usual
Bonus credits and top-up credits never carry over. Before you confirm an upgrade, the upgrade window shows what you pay today, the credits you get, and whether your unused credits carry over.
Your credit balance shows how many message credits and integration credits you have available in the current billing cycle. You can also drill into how credits are distributed across your apps and track your daily usage over time.
You can also view your remaining credits while working in your app editor by clicking the Base44 logo at the top left.
To check your balance:
Click your workspace name at the bottom left of your workspace.
Click Settings.
Under General, click Credit usage.
Review Message credits used and Integration credits used at the top of the page.
Both the Message credit usage distribution by app and Integration credit usage distribution by app sections show how each credit type is distributed across your apps in the current billing cycle. Expand either section to see a ranked list of your apps with a bar chart and credit totals for each.
Message credit usage distribution by app in Base44
The Daily usage chart shows how many message or integration credits you used each day. Use the Message credits and Integration credits tabs at the top to switch between the 2 views.
The App usage page breaks down your app’s message and integration credit spend for the current billing cycle, so you can track and manage your credit usage more effectively. Credits are shared across every app in the workspace, and the date they renew is shown at the top of the page.To view a single app’s usage:
Click Dashboard in the app editor.
Click Overview.
Click App usage.
App usage for a single app in Base44
On the page you see:
This app: Credits this app has used in the current cycle.
Other apps: Credits used by every other app in your workspace.
Remaining: Credits left out of your workspace total.
By branch: Under Message credits, a bar for Main and one for each branch you have built on, with the total for this cycle.
By source: Under Integration credits, what spent them this cycle, such as workflows, AI, and tools. Select Show details for a ranked list of the sources and how many credits each one used.
About branch spend:
A merged branch keeps the credits it used, even after its work is part of main, and a branch that no longer exists is shown as Removed branch.
By branch appears once you have built on a branch, so an app that has only ever used Main does not show it.
Integration credits are not broken down this way. They are charged when your published app runs, which every branch shares, so there is no branch to attribute them to.
Credits in your workspace are shared across everyone you invite. When any member builds or uses apps, credits are drawn from the workspace’s shared pool.
Message credits: Drawn from the workspace pool whenever anyone in the workspace sends a prompt.
Integration credits: Drawn from the workspace pool whenever an app triggers a built-in Base44 service, such as sending an email, generating an image, or calling an LLM.
Share your Base44 project on LinkedIn or X and claim 20 message credits for your personal workspace. You can do this once per Base44 account, and the credits work like any others.This is separate from the referral program, which earns you credits when friends you invite sign up and start building.
Claiming your credits from the Earn credits panel is rolling out gradually.
When you claim, Base44 opens your post and checks it against the guidelines. Paste a link to the post itself on X or LinkedIn. A shortened LinkedIn link works too.
Opening Earn credits from your app's Overview
To earn free credits:
Click Dashboard in your app editor.
Click Overview.
Click Earn credits.
Review the Sharing Guidelines, then click Share on LinkedIn or Share on X (Twitter).
Write your post so it meets the guidelines:
Tag @base44.
Write at least 200 characters about your experience building with Base44.
Post from an account with over 100 followers.
(Optional) Add a screenshot or video of your project, and a link to it.
Copy the link to your published post.
Back in the Earn credits panel, paste the link into Post link and click Claim 20 credits.
What happens after you claim:
When your post passes the checks, your credits arrive in your personal workspace straight away.
When it does not, the panel tells you what to change, so you can update your post and claim again.
If Base44 cannot check your post, or you disagree with the result, click Open support ticket. Your post link is filled in for you, and someone reviews the post by hand.
Click a question below to learn more about credits.
How does credit usage differ between prompts?
Credit usage depends on how much work the builder needs to do behind the scenes.Simple, focused prompts usually require fewer steps, so they tend to use fewer credits. For example, changing a button color or adjusting padding is often a lightweight update.Larger or more complex prompts, such as adding new pages, features, or integrations, often involve planning, updating multiple files, and running more checks. These usually use more credits, although in some cases the builder can complete a large task efficiently in a single pass.
Is there a minimum or maximum number of integration credits per action?
There is no fixed minimum or maximum. The total scales with every action your app triggers. For example, a workflow that runs an LLM call and sends an email costs the steps themselves plus the LLM call plus the email send. LLM calls also vary by model, and lighter models cost fewer credits than advanced ones.Because the range is wide, run the action in a controlled test and check the execution logs to understand the cost for your specific workflow.
Do database queries cost integration credits?
No. Reading and writing data to your app’s database does not use integration credits. Integration credits are only charged when your app calls a Base44 built-in service, such as sending an email, generating an image, running an LLM call, or running a workflow step. Standard database operations are included at no extra credit cost.
Why does Base44 use 2 types of credits?
Message credits cover your building process, while integration credits cover your app’s live operations. Separating them makes it easier to understand and manage the cost of development versus runtime activity.
Why were credits deducted for AI mistakes, and how do I request a refund or reset?
We understand that issues can arise, and we are here to support you. Credits are non-refundable for tool behavior and AI mistakes. Each prompt still requires work from the builder, even if the result is not what you expected.If something remains unresolved or you need further assistance, contact support with a detailed description of the issue, screenshots, and a link to your app.
What are promotional and free credits?
Base44 may issue extra credits for sign-ups, campaigns, or promo codes. These credits appear in your dashboard and work like regular credits, but are often one-time or limited-time.For example, you can earn credits by sharing your project on LinkedIn or X.
How do I redeem a coupon code?
Base44 may provide coupon codes that add extra credits to your account.To redeem a coupon code:
Click your workspace name at the bottom left of your workspace.
Click Settings.
Click Credit usage under General.
Enter your code in the field next to Redeem a coupon or gift card.
Click Apply.
Redeeming a coupon or gift card in your Base44 account
Do automatic AI fixes use credits?
On the Free plan, both Resolve with AI and automatic error fix messages consume message credits. Each message and automatic fix counts as work, so both draw from your message credit balance.On paid plans, automatic AI fixes are free and do not use credits.
What happens if I run out of message credits?
You cannot send new messages in the AI chat until you have message credits again. The chat shows how many credits you have left and offers a way to get more.Your message credits reset on your monthly reset date. If you need more before then, you can upgrade your plan for a higher monthly allowance.
What happens if I run out of integration credits?
If you are using integrations and run out of integration credits:
We email you when your integration credits run out.
Any action you perform that requires integration credits fails and shows an error that you have used all your integration credits.
If someone using your app attempts an action that uses integration credits, for example subscribing to your app and triggering an email, they receive a generic error message without any reference to integration credits:
Why haven't my credits refreshed yet?
Your message and integration credits reset each cycle at the exact time your subscription was purchased, based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), not just on the calendar date in your own time zone.For example, if your reset date is the 5th and you are several hours behind UTC, your credits may refresh while it is still the 4th where you are, or later in the day on the 5th.If your credits have not refreshed after your reset time has passed in UTC and you checked your billing cycle and current credit usage, wait and check again later in the day. Your credits should update once your reset time passes.
Why are my backend functions blocked on a paid plan?
Backend functions are available on the Builder plan and above. If your workspace is on a Builder plan or higher and backend functions are still blocked, check that the app owner’s workspace has the right plan. If the app was created in a different workspace, backend functions follow the plan of that workspace.
What should I do if the AI chat gets stuck or will not revert changes?
If AI chat is unresponsive, gets stuck processing, or does not undo changes as expected, there are a few ways to recover.For step-by-step solutions, including how to use Version History or the Revert option, unstick a frozen prompt, or get help if the chat panel is completely unresponsive, see the Troubleshooting Issues article.
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