Low-code app builder pricing: which meter you're on, and what isn't in the plan

Five ways a builder can charge you

Every low-code or AI app builder sells one of five meters. Prices below were checked 27 October 2026; the per-tool table has the entry prices.

1. Per change (credits or tokens). Lovable, Bolt, Replit, Base44, v0, Emergent, Rork. You pay when the AI builds or changes something. Lovable's examples run 0.5–2 credits per change; Replit bills each completed request by how complex it was; v0 charges per million tokens by model.
2. Per workload. Bubble counts workload units: every page load, search and workflow run uses some. The free plan gives 50K and can't buy more; paid plans include 175K–500K.
3. Per user. AppSheet charges $5–20 per user a month; Softr's plans include a set number of users and charge $1–5 for each extra one.
4. Per app. AppSheet Publisher Pro is $50 a month per public app; Appy Pie charges $16–60 per app per month.
5. Per plan with caps. Adalo, FlutterFlow and Thunkable sell plans that differ by number of live apps, editors and AI requests. Adalo's Builder plan includes 2 published apps; Thunkable's Builder includes 1.

How each meter grows

• Per change is cheap in a quiet month and expensive in a month of fixes. Bug fixing counts as changes.
• Per workload grows with use, not with building. A popular app costs more even if you never touch it.
• Per user is cheap for one person and climbs with every colleague or client you add.
• Per app is predictable until you want a second app.
• Per plan is predictable until you hit a cap: records, apps, editors or AI requests.

Pick the meter that stays flat for how you'll actually use the app. A personal tool used daily and changed rarely fits badly with per-workload pricing; a team tool fits badly with per-user pricing.

Costs that sit outside the plan

• Store fees. Apple's developer program is $99 a year; individuals can't get a waiver. Google Play is a one-time $25, and new personal accounts must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before going live. Do you need an Apple developer account at all?
• Overage. Lovable top-ups are $15 per 50 credits on Pro. Replit sells credit packs from $100. Glide Classic charges $0.02 per update above the quota.
• Credits that expire. Lovable and Bolt paid allowances expire after 2 months, v0 credits after 65 days, Replit packs after 6 months; Base44 credits reset monthly.
• Hosting. Lovable bills hosting and backend use from the same credits since June 2026. Elsewhere hosting is in the plan, or a separate bill if you export the code.
• Your own domain. A paid plan on almost every builder, plus the domain itself. Softr charges $13–15 a month for each extra domain.
• Branding removal. “Made with …” stays on the free plans of Lovable, Bolt, Replit, Base44 and FlutterFlow.

Estimate year one in four lines

For a simple app on a no-code builder with a store listing, that comes to $500–900 in year one. App builder pricing compared has the per-tool entry prices, Lovable vs Bolt works through the per-change meter, and this guide lays out the full bill for an app used only by you. Small businesses have their own trap: the platform fee.

When none of the meters fits

If the app is for you and you mostly use it rather than change it, every meter above charges you for something you don't need: store distribution, user seats or server workload. Leanfinit is free during the beta, including publishing to the web; the app runs on your phone with no server behind it, so there is no workload to bill.