Best Basecamp Alternatives 2023 (Top 10 Similar Competitors)

Last Updated:Tuesday, November 14, 2023
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Here we’ve prepared the ultimate list of the best Basecamp alternatives for 2023. We'll compare each alternative with Basecamp and discuss what makes it a suitable replacement. The good news is almost all the Basecamp competitors here have a free plan. 

Full disclaimer: this list isn’t here to cast shade on Basecamp. As a project management tool, it ranks among the best. It's lightweight and great for small to medium-sized companies. But the monthly flat rate of $99 for the paid plan might not fit some budgets. 

Now then, let's see what the competition has to offer.

 

Top 10 Basecamp competitors with similar products

Here are the programs like Basecamp that we think are the best Basecamp alternatives. Although they are all fairly similar, some Basecamp competitors will be better suited to your circumstances than others, so read more about the Basecamp competition below.

You may also want to consider checking out our top project management app list. There you’ll find a general cross-section of the best tools in this software category, which includes many of the apps covered here vis-a-vis Basecamp (and a few new ones). 

Product

Best for

Pricing*

Site

Basecamp

Our baseline project management comparison tool

$99 /month flat 

Visit

Teamwork

Best Basecamp alternative overall

$10 /user/month

Visit

Asana

Best free Basecamp alternative

$10.99 /user/month

Visit

Trello 

Most similar to Basecamp

$5 /user/month

Visit

Jira

Good Basecamp alternative if you need Scrum boards

$7.50 /user/month

Visit

ClickUp

Cheaper Basecamp alternative 

$5 /user/month

Visit

Wrike

Great Basecamp alternative for complex projects

$9.80 /user/month

Visit

Monday.com

Best Basecamp alternative for remote teams

$8 /user/month

Visit

LiquidPlanner

Best Basecamp alternative for risk management 

$15 /user/month

Visit

Smartsheet

Top Basecamp alternative if you need spreadsheets 

$7 /user/month

Visit

Zoho Projects

Best Basecamp alternative if you want to connect to a CRM

$4 /user/month

Visit

*Prices start at

 

Here’s our full list of the best Basecamp alternatives 2023:

In the following chapter, we’ll take a look at some of the best Basecamp alternatives and dive deep into their top features and applications. You’ll see what each software is best for and how it compares to Basecamp. 

In order to choose the best Basecamp substitute for your team, consider reading our extensive Basecamp review that discusses the software's pricing plans, key features, and its pros and cons. 

Here are 10 good alternatives to Basecamp:

 

1. Teamwork (best Basecamp alternative overall)

Teamwork dashboard

Teamwork is a project management tool that also comes with great team collaboration, resource management, and client-relationship management features. In a nutshell, we voted it as the best alternative to Basecamp as it comes with all the features you’d need to get things done. 

You can organize task lists by creating tasks and subtasks. You can even assign a task to more than one team member. 

Then there’s an option to create teams and subteams. Teams can be based on a specific department, like marketing or design, or based on project or client. 

If you want to track your time, the platform has that functionality, too. On the plus side, the software has its own integrated chat tool that lets team members communicate in real-time. Heck, there's even a billing feature for creating invoices.

And if you want to see your project in multiple ways, the platform offers Kanban board view, Gantt charts, and Tableview. There are also some native Teamwork integrations with other apps like Teamwork CRM, Teamwork Spaces, Teamwork Chat and Teamwork Desk for handling tickets.

If you prefer per user per month-based pricing instead of a flat fee, Teamwork is better than Basecamp. You'll get a free plan, plus three paid plans ranging from $10 to $18 per user per month. 

Teamwork is best for:

  • Startups 

  • SMEs

  • Remote teams 

Features

  • Task and project management

  • Teams

  • Milestones

  • Messages

  • Project risk management

  • Templates

  • Time tracking

  • Invoicing

  • Resource management

  • Document editor

  • Project views

  • Workflow automations

  • Integrations

  • Teamwork add-ons

Pricing

  • Free Forever plan 

  • Deliver, starting at $10 per user per month, billed annually

  • Grow, starting at $18 per user per month, billed annually

  • For the Scale plan, contact the Teamwork sales team

Teamwork

 

2. Asana (best free Basecamp alternative)

Asana dashboard

Asana is a cloud-based collaboration software that’s workable for teams of all sizes. It also works for all kinds of projects, both short-term and long-term. You can use it for everything from managing events and collecting creative feedback to launching a brand campaign. 

Asana is more focused on tasks and dependencies than Basecamp, which favors communication features. On that point, if you’re looking for a one-on-one comparison of platform differences, do check out our Basecamp vs Asana article.

The best feature of Asana is the Kanban board. In fact, Asana has one of the most user-friendly Kanban boards of all project management systems. 

The digital Kanban lets you visualize your project progress and see how your team moves tasks from one stage to the next. You can add comments to cards, attach files, ping other team members with notifications, create sub-tasks, add due dates, and more.

And Boards are just one way you can view your projects. There are other project views like List view, Timeline view, and Calendar view. If you subscribe to the Business plan, you can get access to Portfolios, a feature that provides a holistic view of all your important projects in one place.

The app lets you automate mundane routine tasks, as well as submit work requests using the Forms feature. The cherry on top is that you can customize your workflows. And if you need features beyond the scope of the app, you can integrate Asana with 200+ third-party applications and streamline virtually any other work processes.

There are three paid plans, as well as a generous free plan. In fact, the free version is what makes Asana one of the best free Basecamp alternatives. 

The free plan has many perks; smaller teams might not need anything more for basic project management. The free plan lets you access three project views, upload as many files as you want, integrate Asana with 100+ apps, and see detailed reports on how your projects are performing. 

The PM tool Freedcamp is often noted as a free substitute for Basecamp, but those two platforms are different enough that we think the recommendation is slightly misleading. We’d say Asana is more similar, and hence its free version gets our nod. If you’re seeking a free Basecamp replacement, consider giving it a whirl. 

Asana is best for:

  • Startups 

  • Small businesses

  • Medium-sized enterprises

Features

  • Timeline 

  • Boards

  • Calendar 

  • Integrations 

  • Reporting

  • Goals

  • Forms

  • Automation

  • Portfolios

  • Workload

  • Desktop and mobile apps

Pricing

  • Free plan for up to 15 users

  • Premium, $10.99 per user per month, billed annually

  • Business, $24.99 per user per month, billed annually

  • Contact Asana for Enterprise plan  prices

Asana

 

3. Trello (most similar to Basecamp)

Trello dashboard

Basecamp is a unique software that doesn’t look like any other tool on the market. But if we have to choose a platform that’s most similar to Basecamp, it has to be Trello. 

To some extent, the two tools offer similar features. But what makes Trello the most similar to Basecamp is that they’re both user-friendly and simple project management solutions for managing less complex projects. 

Similar to Basecamp, Trello also has a low learning curve. Even newbies can learn how to work the system in a matter of an hour. 

The strength of Trello is its simplicity. It’s completely different from tools like Wrike and Monday.com that come with an extensive number of features. That’s why this software is favored by solopreneurs, freelancers, startups, and small businesses. It’s a no-brainer solution. 

Everything happens in Trello boards. You simply drag and drop your cards from one list to another; even the Timeline and Calendar views are easy to grasp. Trello’s free plan, just like Basecamp’s free plan, comes with all the features you would need for light use. 

You can get an in-depth look at how the two platforms compare in our Basecamp vs Trello article. But long story short: the main difference between them is that Basecamp has more features, relatively speaking. 

Trello is best for:

  • Startups 

  • Small teams

  • Solopreneurs

  • Freelancers 

Features

  • Automation

  • Power-Ups

  • Advanced checklists

  • Views

  • Custom fields

  • Project templates

  • iOS and Android mobile apps

  • Multi-board guests

Pricing

  • Free plan

  • Standard, $5 per user per month, billed annually

  • Premium, $10 per user per month, billed annually 

  • Enterprise, $17.50 per user per month, billed annually

Trello

 

4. Jira (good Basecamp alternative for Scrum teams)

Jira dashboard

Unlike other platforms on the list that are geared toward all kinds of teams, Jira is a project management platform that's specifically designed for software development teams. This very agile platform is packed with native features that support said type of teams, like issue tracking, bug tracking, and sprint planning. 

If we’re specifically thinking of Basecamp vs Jira, this is a good alternative if you work in an agile environment. Whether building code or tracking issues, Jira supports Kanban boards, Scrum boards, or a mix of the two. 

With the roadmaps feature, you can easily plan with your team members and work synchronously. And if you’re subscribed to the Premium or Enterprise plan, your project planning can span over multiple teams and stakeholders. 

Jira integrations work through the Atlassian Marketplace, where you can find 3,000+ integrations, apps, add-ons, and plugins. 

The good news is that Jira has a free plan packed with all the features you need for simple project management. If your team has no more than 10 people, you may never have to upgrade to a paid plan.

Jira is best for:

  • Developers

  • Agile teams

  • Software teams

Features

  • Scrum boards

  • Kanban boards

  • Roadmaps

  • Agile reporting

  • Version control

  • Workflow automation

Pricing

  • Free plan for up to 10 users

  • Standard, $7 per user per month, billed annually

  • Premium, $14 per user per month, billed annually

Jira

 

5. ClickUp (cheaper alternative to Basecamp if you’re on a budget)

ClickUp dashboard

ClickUp is a cheaper alternative to Basecamp and a great tool for solopreneurs and smaller companies that need one solution for their project planning and collaboration needs. 

Similar to Basecamp, ClickUp is easy to use and comes with a clear and intuitive user interface. In addition to Kanban boards, the software lets you view your projects and tasks in a Gantt chart, List view, and Calendar view. 

ClickUp has an in-app chat feature that lets you connect with team members while using the app—another functionality that makes it similar to Basecamp. And the best part is this functionality is available to users of all plans, including the free plan. 

The option to record video in-app is a unique functionality you won’t find with other tools. This is also available with the free plan. 

Speaking of the free plan, it comes with features like unlimited tasks and members, 100MB storage, time tracking, sprint management, and 24/7 support. The paid plans are also affordable, starting at only $5 per month.

We’ve got a detailed Basecamp vs ClickUp comparison, so make sure to give it a look!

ClickUp is best for:

  • Freelancers

  • Startups 

  • Small businesses

  • Solopreneurs 

  • Remote teams

  • Software development teams

Features

  • Task management

  • Documents and spreadsheets

  • Time tracking

  • Goals and Portfolios

  • Agile reporting 

  • Resource management

  • Real-time chat

  • In-app video recording 

  • Sprint management

  • Automation 

  • Forms 

  • Integrations 

Pricing

  • Free plan

  • Unlimited, starts at $5 per person per month, billed annually

  • Business, starts at $9 per user per month, billed annually

  • Business, starts at $19 per user per month

  • Enterprise plan

ClickUp

 

6. Wrike (great pick for more complex projects)

Wrike dashboard

Wrike is a comprehensive project management tool designed for agencies, marketing teams, and professional service providers. This platform is an ideal tool for you if you're experienced with using project management software and need a more robust solution.

Unlike Basecamp, which is best suited for smaller teams, Wrike caters to medium and large businesses that embrace teamwork, run various projects, and manage multiple clients. It's also a very versatile tool that you can tailor to your needs with custom workflows, fields, and reports.

Another difference between Basecamp and Wrike is that Wrike comes with more plans. You'll find a free plan and three monthly plans that range from $9.80 to $24.80 per user per month. There are two additional plans that are geared toward specific teams: Wrike for Marketing Teams and Wrike for Professional Services Teams.

Wrike outshines Basecamp when it comes to its elaborate report-building system. What's more, it also comes with a built-in time-tracking feature, a functionality that Basecamp lacks.

Wrike is best for:

  • Medium-sized companies

  • Large businesses 

  • Enterprise management

  • Creative teams

  • Marketing teams

  • Professional service providers

Features

  • Customizable workspaces

  • Shared calendars

  • Task and project management

  • Kanban, Gantt chart, table, calendar views

  • Analytics

  • Chatting, mentions, and comments

  • Integrations 

  • Custom request forms

Pricing

  • Free plan

  • Professional, starting at $9.80 user/month

  • Business, starting at $24.80 user/month

  • Enterprise plan, custom pricing

Wrike

 

7. Monday.com (best alternative for remote teams)

Monday dashboard

Monday.com is an all-in-one workflow management tool. Like other project management tools, you can use Monday to visualize tasks and subtasks, track progress, collaborate with your team, store docs, and more. If you choose to go with the Monday.com app, you'll work with one of the most pleasant interfaces.

As noted in our Basecamp vs Monday comparison article, the former hones in on project management writ large, with more workflow features and automation tools. Monday is simply a more advanced tool, which is great if you’re doing complicated projects.

Monday.com’s focus on comprehensive team collaboration makes it a good pick for remote teams and distributed workforces. For one, it lets you view your projects in various ways based on your preferences. There's a Kanban view, Gantt, Timeline, and Calendar view. You can easily switch between views to get a big-picture view or see daily tasks at-a-glance. 

There's also a native time tracking functionality, something that many PM tools lack. And instead of jumping from one platform to another, you can integrate Monday with 50+ third-party tools like Slack, Dropbox, Zoom, Shopify, Google Calendar, Gmail, Todoist, and more. 

In terms of price, Monday has a free plan and four paid plans. The free plan supports only two users and offers basic features like unlimited boards and docs, 200+ templates, whiteboard collaboration, Kanban view, and more. The cheapest paid plan called Basic starts at $8 per user per month, while the Pro plan, which contains almost all advanced features, starts at $16/user/month.

Monday.com is best for:

  • Remote workforces

  • Working from home

  • Startups 

  • Small businesses

  • Medium-sized businesses

  • Large-sized businesses

Features

  • Daily team tasks

  • Shareable boards

  • Gannt timelines

  • Real-time status updates

  • Automated workflows

  • Time tracking

  • Templates

  • Zoom integration

  • iOS and Android apps

  • Timeline view

  • Calendar view

Pricing

  • Free plan

  • Basic, $8/seat per month billed annually

  • Standard, $10/seat per month billed annually

  • Pro, $16/seat per month billed annually

  • Enterprise plan, custom pricing

Monday.com 

 

8. LiquidPlanner (best alternative for risk management)

LiquidPlanner dashboard

LiquidPlanner is an intelligent project management software. It has robust features for planning tasks and projects, allocating workflow resources, and tracking progress.

LiquidPlanner differs from Basecamp because it was designed with intelligent predictive planning that includes tools to measure risk and uncertainty. For example, employees can input vacation days into the software, and the software will generate reports to let managers know what tasks will be affected by the employee's absence. 

Liquid Planner lets you view your projects and tasks in a few different ways. The primary view is a Gantt chart, but there are also Kanban boards if that's what you prefer. One helpful feature that's built into the Gantt charts is the "baseline view." This allows managers to compare a project's actual task completion timeline to the original estimated timeline.

There's a free plan that allows up to 3 users, 6 resources, 10 projects, and 300 tasks in one workspace. Additionally, there are three paid plans, ranging from $15 to $35 per user per month.

LiquidPlanner is best for:

  • SMEs

  • Large business

  • Enterprise

Features

  • Task management

  • Predictive project scheduling

  • Workload and resource management

  • Ranged estimations

  • Change tracking

  • Prioritization

  • Time management

  • Data and reporting 

  • Dashboards and views

  • Portfolio management

  • Integrations

Pricing

  • Free plan

  • Essentials, $15 per user per month, billed annually

  • Professional, $25 per user per month, billed annually

  • Ultimate, $35 per user per month, billed annually

  • Free trial

LiquidPlanner

 

9. Smartsheet (great pick if you prefer spreadsheets)

Smartsheet dashboard

Smartsheet is a spreadsheet software packed with project management features. It's a top pick if you're used to working in Microsoft Excel, or using Google Drive and Google Sheets. Almost anything you can do in a spreadsheet, you can do in Smartsheet.

Like other project management tools, it has features like different project views, workflow automation, and team collaboration. The software lets you view your projects and tasks in Grid view, Board view, Gantt chart, and Calendar. 

You can set up tasks and task dependencies. It's easy to create forms with conditional logic for workflows. There is a document builder and proofing features. Smartsheet even offers an integration with Brandfolder, the digital asset manager, for more advanced document proofing.

Unlike Basecamp, which offers a free plan, Smartsheet is the only tool on the list that doesn't let you use its software for free. Instead, you have to opt for one of the three paid plans that range from $7 to $25 per user per month. If you're interested in the Enterprise plan, contact the sales team.

Smartsheet is best for:

  • SMBs

  • Large businesses 

Features

  • Forms

  • Grid, Gantt, Card, Calendar views

  • Pre-built automation rules

  • Dependencies

  • Templates

  • Mobile apps

  • Adobe Creative Cloud Extension 

  • Document builder

  • Proofing

Pricing

  • Pro, $7 per user per month, billed annually

  • Business, $25 per user per month, billed annually

  • For the Enterprise plan, contact Smartsheet

Smartsheet

 

10. Zoho Projects (best alternative if you want to connect to a CRM)

Zoho Projects dashboard

Zoho Projects is a top-notch project management software, especially for startups and small businesses. In short, this tool has everything you need from a PM tool: affordable monthly plans, excellent ease of use, and various tools and features. 

There's also a free plan suitable for up to three users that comes packed with all the core tools for task management. The downside is that the free plan lacks advanced tools like automation and workflows or more customizable features. The cheapest paid plan starts at $4/user/month for up to 50 users, billed annually. This plan unlocks additional features like automation, Gantt charts, custom views, and unlimited projects. 

Zoho Projects offers a generous set of task management features. You'll be able to create tasks, break tasks into subtasks, add due dates and assignees, and more. You can even set up automatically recurring tasks and set dependencies onto tasks to automate your processes. 

Similar to other tools on this list, Zoho Projects lets you view your projects in a Kanban board, Gantt chart, List view, and you get Calendar views and Milestone views as well.

Zoho, just like Jira, can be used for bug tracking and logging issues. You can easily log issues and do bug tracking reports and assign them to specific support reps.

Even better, this app has amazing time tracking features. Employees can track hours on each task, and managers can review their team's timesheet entries and approve or reject them as needed.

Overall, Zoho Projects is a decent alternative to Basecamp. And it works seamlessly with Zoho CRM and other products in the Zoho suite, making it a top pick if you need to connect your PM tool with a CRM system.

Zoho Projects is best for:

  • Startups

  • Small businesses 

Features

  • Task management

  • Task dependencies

  • Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and views

  • Issue tracking and bug tracking

  • Time management

  • Collaboration tools

  • Automation and workflows

  • Human resource management

  • Roles and permissions

  • Analytics and reporting

  • Integrations and add-ons

  • Mobile apps

Pricing

  • Free plan

  • Premium, $4/user/month, billed annually

  • Enterprise, $10/user/month, billed annually

Zoho Projects

 

Which of the alternatives to Basecamp is a good choice for you?

In this article, we suggested the best alternative to Basecamp might be Teamwork, based on features and affordability. 

But this doesn’t mean Teamwork is everyone’s cup of tea. At the end of the day, the best project management tool for you will depend on a number of factors.

Are you looking for a PM tool that supports Scrum boards? Go with Jira! Do you need a cheaper alternative to Basecamp? Give ClickUp a try! And if you need a more robust tool for managing complex projects, Wrike might be a good option. 

But if you're still in two minds, consider checking out each platform's free trial to see which works best for you. 

Good luck!

 
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