Super Bowl 2026

What Is Base44? The AI App Builder From the Super Bowl Ad

Everything you need to know about the platform that just aired a Super Bowl commercial - and whether it's actually the right tool for your business.

By AgentUI Team•February 2026•10 min read

What Is Base44?

Base44 is an AI-powered no-code platform that lets you build web applications by describing what you want in plain English. Instead of writing code, you type something like "build me a CRM" or "create a budgeting app" and the AI generates a complete working application - frontend, backend, database, and user authentication. Founded in 2024 by Maor Shlomo, Base44 quickly gained traction in the maker and startup community as one of the fastest ways to go from idea to working prototype.

The Super Bowl Ad

In February 2026, Base44 aired its first-ever Super Bowl commercial during Super Bowl LX. The campaign, titled "It's App to You," shows an office worker putting a budgeting app live, triggering a domino effect as coworkers scramble to build their own apps. The ad captures the "builder's high" - that moment when you realize "I just made that myself, and it works." Base44 also launched a $50,000 nationwide contest rewarding creativity through app building. It's a massive marketing push that's bringing the AI app-building category into the mainstream.

How Does Base44 Work?

The process is straightforward:
  1. 1You describe what you want in natural language ("build me a project tracker with team assignments")
  2. 2The AI generates the entire application - UI, database schema, backend logic, and authentication
  3. 3You refine and customize through additional prompts or a visual editor
  4. 4Your app is hosted and can be shared immediately

Base44 includes built-in integrations with Gmail, Google Calendar, Stripe, and Slack. It handles hosting, so your app is live the moment you build it.

The Wix Acquisition: What Changed

In June 2025, Wix - one of the world's largest website-building platforms - acquired Base44. This brought resources and visibility (including the Super Bowl ad budget), but it also raised important questions:
  • Product direction is now controlled by Wix's leadership, not the original founding team alone
  • Base44 may eventually be absorbed into the Wix ecosystem or repositioned as a Wix feature
  • Terms of service, data policies, and pricing are subject to Wix's corporate decisions
  • History shows acquired startups frequently pivot, get sunset, or become upsell vehicles for the parent company

This doesn't make Base44 bad - but it's worth knowing who's driving the platform you're building on.

Things to Consider Before Choosing Base44

It's a Prototyping Tool, Not an Operations Platform

Base44 is excellent for building quick prototypes and MVPs. But if you need a system to manage daily business operations - inventory, sales, logistics, team workflows - it wasn't designed for that depth. There are no pre-built business templates or operational workflows.

Getting Your Data Out Isn't Simple

You can export code as a ZIP or push to GitHub (currently in beta), but migrating your database and business data off the platform is an open question. If data portability matters to your business, investigate this before committing.

English Only, US-Focused

Base44 doesn't offer native multilingual support, localized templates, or workflows designed for international businesses. If your team or customers operate in languages other than English, the platform adds friction rather than removing it.

If You Need More Than a Prototype

The Super Bowl ad showed that building apps with AI is now mainstream. That's great. But the question isn't "can I build an app?" - it's "will this app actually run my business?"

AgentUI is built specifically for businesses that have outgrown Excel and need real operational systems. Instead of starting from a blank prompt, you get:

  • 100+ pre-built blueprints for inventory, sales, CRM, logistics, and more
  • Purpose-built for operations, not just prototyping
  • Independent platform - no corporate acquisition uncertainty
  • Portable data - your business data stays yours
  • 5,000+ companies across 15 countries already using it

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Base44 free?
Base44 has a free tier with limited features. Paid plans range based on usage and features needed.
Who owns Base44?
Base44 was founded by Maor Shlomo in 2024 and acquired by Wix in June 2025. It is now part of Wix's product portfolio.
Can Base44 build a real business app?
Base44 can generate working apps quickly, but it's primarily designed for prototypes and MVPs. For complex business operations with multi-user workflows, role-based access, and industry-specific logic, you may need a more specialized platform.
What was the Base44 Super Bowl ad about?
The "It's App to You" campaign aired during Super Bowl LX (February 2026), showing how building apps with AI creates a contagious "builder's high." Base44 also launched a $50,000 app-building contest alongside the ad.
Is AgentUI a Base44 alternative?
Yes. While Base44 focuses on general-purpose app prototyping, AgentUI is specifically designed for business operations - helping companies build inventory systems, sales tools, dashboards, and more, with full multilingual support in 9 languages.

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