Operations · Project and work management
Basecamp
Straightforward project management with flat, no per-user pricing
At a glance
Basecamp is a project management and team communication tool made by 37signals. Each project bundles to-dos, a message board, schedule, docs and files, group chat and automatic check-ins in one place, and paid plans are charged at a flat monthly rate rather than per user.
- Category
- Project and work management
- Best fit
- SME
- Pricing
- See pricing below
- In Adam’s stack
- No
Who Basecamp is best for
Agencies, consultancies and small businesses that work with clients and want a calm, simple place to run projects without per-seat costs. Choose it over Asana or ClickUp when you value simplicity and predictable pricing over advanced reporting and customisation.
Key features
- To-dos, message boards and schedules per project
- Docs and file storage within each project
- Campfire group chat and direct messages
- Automatic check-in questions for status updates
- Client access to selected projects
- Project templates and time tracking on higher plans
Why it’s worth it
Flat pricing means you can invite the whole team and clients without the bill growing, and its simplicity means people actually use it.
Things to consider
- Plans limit the number of active projects (for example 10 on Studio and 25 on Pro), so busy agencies may need the top tier.
- It has limited custom fields, dependencies and reporting compared with Asana, monday.com or Smartsheet.
- Its opinionated approach to how projects should run will not suit teams that want heavy customisation.
Basecamp pricing
Pricing as published by Basecamp
Free plan (1 active project, up to 5 users, 1 GB). Freelancer $25/month (3 projects, up to 20 users). Studio $59/month (10 projects, unlimited users). Pro $99/month (25 projects, unlimited users, time tracking). Unlimited $299/month billed annually (unlimited projects and users). Flat pricing, no per-user fees.
Source: basecamp.com/pricing. Checked 8 October 2026. Prices change often, so confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.
Alternatives to Basecamp
Other tools listed under Project and work management. Tools from Adam’s stack are marked.
Flexible work management boards for any team
SMEMid-marketEnterpriseProjects, goals and workflows for growing teams
SMEMid-marketEnterpriseTasks, docs and goals in one app
SMEMid-marketNotion
In Adam’s stackDocs, wikis and databases in one workspace
SMEMid-marketEnterpriseSimple Kanban boards
SMEJira
AustralianThe standard for software and product teams
SMEMid-marketEnterpriseSpreadsheet-style project management at scale
Mid-marketEnterpriseWork management for complex projects
Mid-marketEnterpriseDatabase-style apps and workflows
SMEMid-marketEnterprise
FAQ
Basecamp: common questions
How much does Basecamp cost?
Basecamp has a free plan for one project, then flat monthly plans from $25 for Freelancer to $299 for Unlimited (billed annually). Paid plans from Studio upward include unlimited users.
Is Basecamp good for agencies working with clients?
Yes. Clients can be invited into specific projects, and because pricing is flat rather than per user, adding them does not increase the cost.
Basecamp vs Asana: what is the difference?
Basecamp focuses on simple project communication and to-dos with flat pricing. Asana offers deeper task structure, timelines, goals and reporting, priced per user.
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