AI Coding Tools I Actually Use: Base44, Replit, Horizon, and InVideo

I’m not a professional developer. I can read code, tweak it, and build simple things — but I don’t write production‑grade software from scratch. What I can do, though, is use AI coding tools to build things far beyond my natural skill level. These are the four platforms I’ve actually used, tested, and integrated into my workflow — not just read about.

Base44 (Formerly Bolt.new): The Fastest Way from Idea to Working App

Base44 is a browser‑based AI coding platform that lets you describe what you want to build — and it generates a full, runnable application in seconds. No setup. No installing anything. Just type your idea and watch it appear.

My experience: Very easy to use — quick, and the UI it auto‑generates is genuinely nice. You don’t need to worry about setting up databases like Superbase; everything is taken care of behind the scenes. For rapid prototyping, it’s impressive. But there’s a catch: as with any AI build‑tool, credits can get consumed very fast.

If you notice mistakes or want to adjust, I’ve found it’s better to collect a few issues and send them in one batch for the AI to fix. Going one by one costs you more credits — and more money. This is where I actually feel good that I’m still a useful human. I can carry out better logical debugging than AI at times. Even better if you have some programming experience from the past — you’ll help the AI, and together you’ll build better tools while keeping costs lower. The combination of human logic plus AI speed is the real sweet spot.

One thing to know about the long term: once you’ve started on a platform like Base44, the hosting and the code are tied to that environment. It’s not straightforward to port everything over to a raw platform like Railway or Vercel. These tools are fantastic for MVP1 or even MVP2 — but once you have more users or traffic, I still feel the need to migrate to a more flexible infrastructure. For now, though, for getting something working fast, Base44 delivers.

Best for: Rapid prototyping, MVPs, internal tools, learning by seeing code generated in real time.

Replit: The Full Development Environment in Your Browser

Replit is a browser‑based IDE (integrated development environment) with built‑in AI assistance. Unlike Base44, which generates an app from a prompt, Replit gives you a full coding environment — editor, terminal, database, deployment — plus an AI agent that can write, explain, and debug code alongside you.

My experience: Replit is where I go when I need more control than Base44 offers. I’ve used it to build Python scripts that process data, test API calls, and even run small web servers. The AI assistant is genuinely helpful — I’ve asked it to explain error messages, refactor messy code, and write functions I didn’t know how to build. It’s like having a patient senior developer sitting next to you who never gets tired of your questions. For someone at my skill level, that’s invaluable.

Best for: Learning to code, building small apps, API testing, data processing, collaborating with others.

Horizon (Hostinger’s AI Builder): Websites Without the Learning Curve

Horizon is Hostinger’s AI‑powered website builder. You answer a few questions about what kind of site you want, and it generates a complete, customised website — layout, images, copy, everything. It’s integrated directly into Hostinger’s hosting, so deployment is seamless.

My experience: I used Horizon to test how fast I could spin up a landing page for a side project. The onboarding asked about my goals, preferred style, and content needs. Within minutes, I had a fully designed site with placeholder content. The AI even suggested relevant sections I hadn’t thought of — testimonials, FAQ, contact form. For someone who doesn’t want to touch code at all, it’s one of the fastest ways to get online. I still prefer WordPress for complex sites like theshirlshirl.com, but for simple, fast projects, Horizon is genuinely useful.

Best for: Beginners, landing pages, small business sites, anyone who wants a site live today without touching code.

InVideo AI: Generative Video vs. Stock Media — The Real Trade‑Off

I know InVideo isn’t a coding tool — but it belongs in this conversation because it’s another AI platform I use daily that generates complex output from simple prompts. The same principle applies: describe what you want, and AI builds it.

My experience: I covered InVideo in depth in my full review, but there’s one trade‑off I want to highlight here. The generative AI video feature is genuinely impressive — it creates entirely new visuals from prompts. But it’s very expensive on credits. The stock media generation method is way more economical, and for getting your products, sites, or YouTube channel onto stable, solid ground, it’s the practical choice right now. That said, the stock media approach does lack the “real video” feel — it can look a bit templated. My hope is that by using stock media to build a foundation, eventually it makes sense to upgrade to a more sizeable plan where generative video becomes affordable and useful at scale.

Best for: Content creators, marketers, anyone who needs video but doesn’t have editing skills.

Quick Comparison

The Bottom Line

AI coding tools won’t replace professional developers — but they’re already replacing the need to be one for many common tasks. I’ve built prototypes, analysed data, spun up websites, and created videos — all using AI tools that let me describe what I want rather than code it from scratch. If you’re a solo builder, a side hustler, or just curious about what AI can help you create, these four tools are a great place to start.

🔗 See all the tools I use and recommend: Tools I Recommend

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