Basecamp: who it fits, what it costs, and the catch
Start here: Basecamp
Freelancers, startups and small teams with simple to-do based projects
Who Basecamp fits, and who it does not
- Checked 2026-10-14
- 1 source
Scored against the other verified project management tools. How we score tools. What we earn is not part of it.
- Good for
- Freelancers, startups and small teams with simple to-do based projects
- Teams that want built-in communication (message boards, Campfire chat)
- Agencies that need to include clients as guests
- Large teams, thanks to flat-fee unlimited-user plan
- Not for
- Large, complex projects or Agile teams needing sprints and dependencies
- Teams needing Gantt charts, built-in advanced reports or detailed time tracking
- Organizations requiring SSO/SAML or phone/live-chat support
- The catch
- Simple and communication-first, but deliberately light on task management (no native Gantt, dependencies or sprints) and has limited automation and reporting.
Data last verified: 2026-10-14
What Basecamp costs over five years
Five years for a team of 5, paid monthly: $1,500
On the Freelancer plan, at today's price. We do not assume a rise.
- Paid monthly, one year
- $300
- Paid yearly, one year
- Not verified
- "Freelancer" has no verified annual price
Change the number to see your own total. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Vendor pricing page · checked 2026-10-18Freelancer is priced for up to 20 people. We have tracked Basecamp's prices since 2026-10-18; no change so far. All price changes
The free plan, as Basecamp describes it.
What you risk by starting
Trial, refunds and getting your data out of Basecamp.
- Refund policy
- No general refund policy stated; annual cancellations are prorated back to the card
- Vendor page · checked 2026-10-18
What we verified Basecamp can do
Open a row for the vendor's own wording and the page we read it on.
Task managementYes
Board view (Kanban)Yes
Timeline view (Gantt)Not verified
Not verified: the vendor gives no detail.
Not verifiedTime trackingYes
Recurring tasksNot verified
Not verified: the vendor gives no detail.
Not verifiedFile sharingYes
Invite clients or guestsYes
Guests and clients are supported but count toward user limits; Studio and above have unlimited users
Vendor page · checked 2026-10-14Does routine steps for youNot verified
Not verified: the vendor gives no detail.
Not verifiedReportingYes
Mobile appNot verified
Not verified: the vendor gives no detail.
Not verifiedIf Basecamp isn’t right for you
See every verified Project management tool
Rank 1
Zoho Projects
Small to medium businesses and startups wanting a low-cost full-featured tool
Our score89.7 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $900
Rank 2
ClickUp
Teams of all sizes from startups to enterprises
Our score87.3 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $2,100
Rank 3
Trello
Teams and individuals wanting a lightweight visual Kanban tool
Our score86.6 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $1,500
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Rank 4
Asana
Medium-to-large teams running multiple cross-functional projects
Our score86.4 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $3,297
Rank 5
Wrike
Marketing teams, creative agencies, IT and product development teams
Our score85.6 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $3,000
Rank 6
Teamwork.com
Agencies and service teams that manage client work
Our score83.8 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $2,997
Rank 7
monday.com
Non-technical teams wanting easy visual setup without IT help
Our score78.4 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $2,700
Rank 8
Notion
Individuals wanting one workspace for notes, tasks, projects and databases
Our score73.6 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $3,000
Rank 9
Smartsheet
Operations, marketing and PMO teams managing complex cross-functional projects
Our score67.1 / 100Five years for a team of 5: $2,700
Where these facts come from
What to do next
- Work out the cost for your own team size
- Compare the runner-up, Zoho Projects
- See how we score, so you can check our work
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Data last verified: 2026-10-14