Reviewed by Nick Oakley, Head of Digital
Nicada Digital has built and looked after more than 800 websites since 2014, almost all of them on WordPress. Hosting is the part clients never see and always feel.
A year ago, a small business wanting a custom booking system or client portal had two choices: pay a developer thousands, or make do with an off-the-shelf tool that nearly fitted. AI app builders add a third: describe what you want, and build it yourself in an afternoon.
This guide is for business owners rather than developers. It covers what is realistic to build, what each tool costs over a full year, and what comes included. If you are a developer, our vibe coding tools guide covers Cursor and Claude Code too.
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We are a SiteGround affiliate and earn a commission if you buy its Coderick AI through our links. We are not affiliates for the other tools. Prices from each company's own site, 1 October 2026, in US dollars unless stated.
What You Can Realistically Build
- Booking and appointment tools, with time slots, confirmation emails and deposits.
- Quote calculators: "enter your measurements, get a price."
- Client portals where customers log in to see documents, progress or invoices.
- Internal tools: job trackers, stock lists, staff rotas, dashboards.
- Members areas and simple paid subscriptions.
Harder: anything that must connect to lots of other software, handle large volumes of sensitive data, or replace a big system you already rely on.
What They Cost Over a Year
| Tool and plan | Paid yearly | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Coderick AI Plus | $200 (£150 + VAT) | 5 projects, hosting, domain, email, phone support |
| Bolt Pro | About $216 | 10M tokens a month, hosting, database |
| Replit Core | $216 + usage | AI credit and Free Mode; publishing and databases billed as used |
| Lovable Pro 100 | $250 | 100 credits a month plus 5 a day, hosting, back end, Git sync |
| v0 Plus | $360 per user | Credits, deploys to Vercel |
| Base44 Builder | $480 | Logins, database, GitHub sync |
Most charge in credits or tokens, so a busy month can cost more if you buy top-ups. Coderick's entry Essential plan is cheaper still at $100 a year (£80) for one project.
The Best AI App Builders
1. Lovable: best results for non-coders
Lovable produces the most polished apps with the least effort, with logins and a database built in. Git sync on every plan means a developer can take over later. Unlimited team members on every plan. See Lovable pricing.
2. Coderick AI: best all-in-one for small businesses
Coderick AI, from SiteGround, builds web apps with logins, a database and Stripe payments. Paid plans include hosting, your own domain and professional email, and SiteGround's support team, who you can phone 24/7. It is the cheapest of the main tools, with a 14-day free trial and no card needed. The trade-offs: no GitHub sync (you can download a zip), and SiteGround does not say which AI model it uses. Read our Coderick review.
Try Coderick AI free for 14 days
No card needed. Describe your app or site and see what it builds. Paid plans from £8 a month include hosting, your own domain, professional email and SiteGround support.
Try Coderick Free →Pay yearly once you are sure: two months free.
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3. Bolt.new: best free plan
Bolt is very close to Lovable, with a far bigger free plan: up to 1 million tokens a month. Good for building a lot before you pay. See Lovable vs Bolt.
4. Replit: most capable
Replit can build more than any other tool here, including mobile apps with App Store submission and scheduled background jobs. It asks more of you, and its running costs are harder to predict. See Replit vs Lovable.
5. Base44: best for internal tools
Base44, owned by Wix, is designed for tools you use inside your business. Logins and a database are on every plan, and Starter is $16 a month paid yearly.
6. v0: for teams with a developer
v0 by Vercel builds modern front ends and deploys to Vercel. Best when you have a developer who will carry the project on.
Before You Build
- Start with one small, specific tool. "A quote calculator for fencing" works far better than "an app to run my business".
- Check security. Veracode's 2025 research found that 45% of AI-generated code samples it tested failed security tests. Get anything handling payments or personal data reviewed.
- Check you can leave. Make sure you can export your code.
- Ask whether an existing tool does the job. Sometimes a £10-a-month booking app beats building your own.
Need a normal website rather than an app? That is still a job for WordPress. See the best hosting for small business sites, or have us build it. New to all this? Start with what vibe coding is.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best AI app builder?
For most non-coders, Lovable produces the most polished results. For small businesses that want hosting, a domain, email and phone support included at the lowest price, Coderick AI. For complex apps and mobile apps, Replit. For internal business tools, Base44.
How much does an AI app builder cost for a year?
Paid yearly, as of October 2026: Coderick AI Plus $200 (£150 in the UK), Bolt Pro about $216, Replit Core $216 plus hosting usage, Lovable Pro $250, v0 Plus $360 per user and Base44 Builder $480. Heavy use can add top-up costs on most of them.
Can an AI app builder make a mobile app?
Most build web apps that work well on phones. Replit can build mobile apps and help submit them to the App Store.
Can I build an app for my business without coding?
Yes. Booking tools, quote calculators, client portals and internal trackers are all realistic with an AI app builder and no coding. Keep it small and specific, test everything, and get someone technical to check anything that handles payments or personal data.
Do I own the app I build?
You own your content and ideas. Whether you can take the code elsewhere depends on the tool: Lovable, Bolt, Replit and v0 sync with GitHub; Coderick AI lets you download a zip; check before you build anything important.