Pricing overview
Base utilizes a tiered pricing structure designed to accommodate varying levels of usage, from individual developers building prototypes to larger organizations deploying internal applications. The core components influencing cost are the number of API requests, data storage, and the quantity of users accessing the platform. All plans offer access to Base's AI-powered database and no-code application builder functionalities Base official pricing page. Users can opt for monthly or annual billing, with annual subscriptions typically offering a discount compared to cumulative monthly payments.
The pricing model is primarily consumption-based for key metrics like requests and storage within each tier, meaning that as usage exceeds a plan's included allowances, additional charges may apply or an upgrade to a higher tier may become necessary. This approach is common among cloud-based data platforms, where resources are provisioned dynamically. For example, similar models can be observed in database-as-a-service offerings from major cloud providers, which often charge for operations, storage, and data transfer Google Cloud SQL pricing details.
Plans and tiers
Base offers several plans, each tailored to different user requirements and scaling needs.
| Plan Name | Price (Monthly) | Key Limits & Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | $0 | 5,000 requests/month, 1GB storage, 1 app, 1 internal user. | Prototyping, small personal projects, testing the platform. |
| Starter Plan | $19 | 25,000 requests/month, 5GB storage, 5 apps, 5 internal users. Additional requests at $0.0005/request. | Small teams, early-stage startups, simple internal tools. |
| Pro Plan | $79 | 200,000 requests/month, 50GB storage, unlimited apps, 20 internal users. Additional requests at $0.0003/request. Advanced features like custom domains and version control. | Growing businesses, more complex internal applications, client portals. |
| Enterprise Plan | Custom | Tailored requests, storage, and user limits. Dedicated support, SSO, compliance features. | Large organizations, high-volume usage, strict security and compliance needs. |
Each plan includes access to Base's AI features for data modeling and application building. The primary differentiator between the Starter and Pro plans, beyond the included quotas, lies in the per-unit cost for exceeding limits and the availability of advanced features like custom domains and granular access controls in the Pro tier. The Enterprise plan is designed for organizations requiring highly customized solutions, dedicated infrastructure, and advanced security certifications.
Free tier and limits
Base provides a comprehensive Free Plan that allows users to explore the platform's capabilities without an initial financial commitment. This tier is suitable for educational purposes, personal projects, or for evaluating Base's fit for potential use cases Base pricing documentation.
- Requests: Up to 5,000 API requests per month. This limit applies to all interactions with the database, including reads, writes, and AI-powered operations.
- Storage: 1GB of data storage. This includes all data stored within the Base database, such as text, numbers, files, and images.
- Applications: Creation and deployment of 1 application.
- Users: Access for 1 internal user. This limits the number of team members who can access and edit the Base workspace.
- Support: Community support is typically available for free-tier users.
Exceeding these limits on the Free Plan generally requires an upgrade to a paid plan. Base aims to provide enough resources in its Free Plan to allow users to build and test functional prototypes before committing to a subscription.
Real-world cost examples
Understanding Base's pricing involves considering usage patterns for requests, storage, and the number of users. The following scenarios illustrate potential monthly costs:
Scenario 1: Small Internal Tool for a Startup
- Usage: A startup uses Base to manage customer feedback, with approximately 20,000 requests per month (e.g., 500 daily entries/reads). Total storage is around 3GB for feedback data and attached files. Three team members require access.
- Optimal Plan: Starter Plan.
- Calculation: The Starter Plan includes 25,000 requests and 5GB storage, fitting their needs. It also supports up to 5 internal users.
- Estimated Monthly Cost: $19.00
Scenario 2: Client Portal for a Marketing Agency
- Usage: A marketing agency builds a client portal using Base, handling around 150,000 requests per month (e.g., clients checking campaign statuses, uploading assets). Total storage is 30GB for project deliverables. Ten agency staff and 50 client users (as external portal users, not internal Base users) interact with the system.
- Optimal Plan: Pro Plan.
- Calculation: The Pro Plan includes 200,000 requests and 50GB storage. It supports 20 internal users, which covers the agency staff. The client portal functionality means clients interact with the published app, not as internal Base users, therefore not impacting the internal user count.
- Estimated Monthly Cost: $79.00
Scenario 3: Growing E-commerce Backend
- Usage: A medium-sized e-commerce business uses Base for product inventory management and order tracking, generating 400,000 requests per month. Storage for product images and order data is 100GB. Thirty internal team members across different departments need access.
- Optimal Plan: Pro Plan with Overage or Enterprise.
- Calculation (Pro Plan with Overage): The Pro Plan includes 200,000 requests. The additional 200,000 requests would incur an overage charge of 200,000 * $0.0003 = $60. The 100GB storage exceeds the Pro Plan's 50GB, requiring an additional storage cost or potentially an upgrade. The 30 internal users also exceed the Pro Plan's 20-user limit.
- Estimated Monthly Cost (Pro with overage): $79 (base) + $60 (requests overage) + additional storage/user costs (contact sales for exact figures).
- Recommendation: For this scale, an Enterprise Plan would likely be more cost-effective and provide the necessary scalability and user management features.
How the pricing compares
Base operates within the no-code/low-code database and application builder market, competing with platforms like Airtable, Softr, and Notion. While direct feature-for-feature pricing comparisons can be complex due to varying feature sets and billing metrics, general trends can be observed.
- Airtable: Airtable also offers a free tier and various paid plans (e.g., Team, Business, Enterprise) Airtable pricing details. Their pricing is primarily user-based, with additional charges for records, attachments, and automation runs. Base's emphasis on API requests and storage as primary cost drivers provides a different scaling metric, potentially favoring users with high automation or integration needs but fewer direct human users.
- Softr: Softr focuses on building external applications and websites on top of existing data sources like Airtable or Google Sheets. Its pricing is typically based on the number of applications, custom domains, and authenticated users Softr pricing plans. Base, by contrast, includes the database component, offering an integrated solution. For users needing both a database and external application builder, Base's combined offering might present a simpler pricing structure than using Softr with a separate database.
- Notion: Notion's pricing is primarily user-based, similar to Airtable, with free plans for personal use and paid plans for teams Notion's official pricing guide. While Notion can serve as a flexible database and internal tool, its API capabilities and emphasis on structured data management for app building are generally less central than in Base. For pure database and application development, Base's model is more aligned with typical developer-centric pricing (requests, storage) compared to Notion's document-centric, collaborative workspace model.
Base's pricing structure, with its clear tiers and transparent overage costs for requests, provides predictability for API-intensive applications. The inclusion of AI features across all plans, including the free tier, distinguishes it by offering advanced capabilities without an additional premium, which can be a significant value proposition compared to alternatives that might gate such features behind higher-tier plans or separate add-ons.