About credits in Base44
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.
Types of credits
Base44 uses 2 types of credits to support your app building and operations:
Message credits
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
Integration credits
Used whenever your app uses Base44’s services for advanced functionality. Integration credits are used when your app triggers tools that send data, process content, or call external services.Examples:
- Calling an LLM through Base44’s built-in LLM integration. Integration credits are not used if you call your own LLM using backend functions.
- Sending emails using Base44’s built-in email integration with a custom email domain uses 2 integration credits. If you send emails using your own email service through backend functions, integration credits are not used.
- Uploading, downloading, or analyzing a file.
- Generating or understanding an image.
- Using AI agents.
Note: Credits renew at different times depending on your plan. Learn more below.
How credits are used
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.Understanding credit usage
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.Examples of typical credit usage
These examples show how the scope of your request can affect credit usage.| Type of request | What it usually does | Typical credits used | Example prompts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple visual or text change | A lightweight update that touches a single element or short piece of text. | ~ 0.5 credits | - Change this button’s background to red- Increase the padding on this section |
| Improving a small feature | Inspects a few files and adjusts logic, so usage is higher than a simple style tweak. | ~ 1 credit | - Fix the validation on this form - Update the logic for this button click |
| Adding a complex module | Larger upgrade that includes entities, flows, and logic, requiring deeper planning and more steps. | ~ 2 credits | Add an employee time-tracking feature with a form, data entities, and an admin review page |