Base44 vs Bolt: Which gives you better SEO and ownership?

Base44 keeps everything in-house. Bolt shows you the code. But do either give you pages Google can read?

Quick Verdict

Bolt gives you more code control than Base44, but both produce React SPAs that are invisible to search engines. Code access doesn't fix the CSR problem.

Bolt lets you see and export your code. Base44 keeps everything locked inside its platform. That matters for ownership. But neither tool generates server-rendered HTML. Both output client-side React apps where Googlebot receives <div id="root"></div> and nothing else. Seeing the code is useful — but it doesn't make the code crawlable.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Base44	Bolt
Code visibility	Hidden — no source access	Full — see and edit all code
SEO crawlability	No — client-side rendered	No — client-side rendered
Code export	Limited — locked to platform	Yes — download full project
Build speed	Fast — prompt to deploy	Fast — prompt to deploy
Backend / database	Built-in — integrated backend	Flexible — connect any backend
Google indexing	Fails — empty HTML shell	Fails — empty HTML shell
Hosting options	Locked — Base44 only	Open — deploy anywhere
Pricing	Platform subscription required	Free tier + paid plans for more tokens

Bolt's Advantage: You Can See the Code

Bolt gives you full access to the source code it generates. You can open the files, read every component, and export the entire project to deploy on your own infrastructure. That is a real advantage over Base44, where the code stays inside the platform.

But seeing React code does not make it crawlable. When you export a Bolt project, you get a client-side React application. The HTML file still contains <div id="root"></div> and a JavaScript bundle. Google's crawler makes an HTTP request, receives that empty shell, and moves on. Code access gives you ownership. It does not give you SEO.

What code access actually gives you

You can inspect the code, host it yourself, modify it with other tools, and hand it to a developer. These are meaningful benefits for control and portability. They are not SEO benefits. The rendering model is the same either way.

Base44's Advantage: Everything Built In

Base44 bundles the backend, database, authentication, and hosting into one platform. You describe what you want, and it builds a working application with data persistence out of the box. For internal tools and prototypes, this is genuinely convenient.

But your site is locked to their platform. You cannot export it to another host. You cannot move it to a CDN. If Base44 changes pricing or shuts down, your site goes with it. And because the frontend is still a React SPA, Google sees the same empty page it sees from Bolt — the all-in-one convenience does not extend to search visibility.

What the integrated backend gives you

A working app with data storage without configuring servers. That is valuable for authenticated tools and internal dashboards. It is not valuable for any page that needs to appear in search results.

The SEO Problem Both Share

Base44 and Bolt both generate React single-page applications. React SPAs use client-side rendering. The server sends a minimal HTML document with an empty <div id="root"></div> and a JavaScript bundle. The browser downloads the JavaScript, executes it, and renders the page content in memory.

Search engine crawlers do not reliably execute JavaScript. Googlebot makes an HTTP request, reads the raw HTML response, and uses that to determine what your page is about. When the HTML contains no headings, no paragraphs, no links, and no meta descriptions — the crawler sees an empty page. It does not matter whether you can see the code (Bolt) or whether the backend is built in (Base44). The crawlability problem is identical.

This is what both platforms deliver to Googlebot:

Base44 — what Google receives
                            <html>
<head>
  <title>Base44 App</title>
</head>
<body>
  <div id="root"></div>
  <script type="module"
    src="/assets/index-DxK3.js">
  </script>
</body>
</html>
                        

Bolt — what Google receives
                            <html>
<head>
  <title>Bolt App</title>
</head>
<body>
  <div id="root"></div>
  <script type="module"
    src="/src/main.tsx">
  </script>
</body>
</html>
                        

Built on Base44 or Bolt? We convert both to crawlable HTML.

Same design you built. Real HTML that Google can read. Headings, meta tags, links, and content in the source. You own the files and host them anywhere.

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