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Basecamp

Basecamp

Overview

What is Basecamp?

Basecamp is a web-based project-management tool. Basecamp offers features standard to project management platforms, as well as mobile accessibility, unlimited users, and 3rd party integrations. Basecamp is priced by space requirements and concurrent projects.

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Recent Reviews
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 18 features
  • Task Management (117)
    5.0
    50%
  • Team Collaboration (117)
    4.4
    44%
  • Document Management (109)
    3.9
    39%
  • Resource Management (98)
    3.8
    38%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Rick Gill, CD | TrustRadius Reviewer
Rick Gill, CD
Author, Analyst, Editor, Researcher
Self Employed (Information Services, 1-10 employees)
Verified User
C-Level Executive in Corporate
Marketing & Advertising Company, 1-10 employees
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Pricing

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Basecamp Business

$99

Cloud
Per Month [Unlimited Users]

Basecamp Personal

Free

Cloud
Limited Capabilities

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://basecamp.com/pricing

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

Starting price (does not include set up fee)

  • $15 per month per user
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Product Demos

Basecamp Demo

YouTube

Garmin Basecamp demo - Part III

YouTube

Garmin Basecamp demo - Part II

YouTube

Basecamp - 2-minute Demo

YouTube

Garmin Basecamp demo - Part I

YouTube

Basecamp Project Management Review

YouTube
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Features

Project Management

Project management software provides capabilities to streamline management of complex projects through task management, team collaboration and workflow automation

4
Avg 7.5

Professional Services Automation

Features that support professional services organizations

7.8
Avg 7.4
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Product Details

What is Basecamp?

Basecamp is a web-based project-management tool developed by 37signals in Chicago and launched in 2004. The Ruby on Rails framework was extracted from the Basecamp project.

Basecamp offers features standard to project management platforms, including to-do lists, wiki-style web-based text documents, milestone management, file sharing, time tracking and a calendar, and a messaging system. Mobile accessibility is supported. Notably, it supports unlimited users. It also offers integration with 37signals' own Campfire product, which expands the group messaging functionality of the core platform. Customization, accessibility, and functionality are extended further by the broad range of apps available for free from 3rd parties. A 2-month free trial is available. Pricing is dependent upon space requirements and the number of concurrent projects, not the number of users.

Basecamp Integrations

Basecamp Competitors

Basecamp Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Basecamp is a web-based project-management tool. Basecamp offers features standard to project management platforms, as well as mobile accessibility, unlimited users, and 3rd party integrations. Basecamp is priced by space requirements and concurrent projects.

Basecamp starts at $15.

Asana, Brightpod, and Birdview are common alternatives for Basecamp.

Reviewers rate Quotes/estimates highest, with a score of 8.3.

The most common users of Basecamp are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(1262)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Based on user reviews, here are the three most common recommendations for Basecamp:

  1. Learn and Utilize Basecamp's Features: Users recommend taking the time to learn about all of Basecamp's features and functions. They suggest getting training or working with someone experienced in Basecamp to fully utilize the platform. This recommendation helps users make the most out of their Basecamp experience.

  2. Set Up a Standardized System: Many users suggest setting up a system or process that everyone can follow when using Basecamp. This recommendation helps to ensure consistency and streamline project management within teams.

  3. Consider Other Tools for Advanced Functionalities: While users find Basecamp handy for organizing projects, offering instructions and feedback, some reviewers suggest using a more advanced tool, like Monday.com, for large teams collaborating on projects. They advise evaluating additional functionalities and comparing prices before deciding on Basecamp.

Overall, users recommend considering Basecamp as a low-cost option for small teams with straightforward projects. It is recommended for organizing projects, managing workflows, facilitating team cooperation, linking departments, coordinating tasks, and storing data. However, users caution against using it for purposes other than its intended use and highlight that compared to more advanced tools, it might seem basic and limited in benefits. It is also suggested to stay updated with appropriate titles and efficiently organize projects while using Basecamp. Additionally, Google Drive is recommended for file management purposes.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-3 of 3)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
June 05, 2019

Basecamp is good for beginner users of Project Management tools

Yosa Addiss | TrustRadius Reviewer
Yosa Addiss
KCDMA VP of Special Events
KCDMA (Management Consulting, 51-200 employees)
Score 4 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
Basecamp is used by our non-profit organization to organize monthly and long term projects.
Pros and Cons
  • Messaging groups of people with project updates
  • Many means of access- through mobile and desktop applications
  • Easy to use
  • It's so easy for one project to turn into a jumble of many smaller pieces
  • No hierarchy for projects
  • No timeline. It's hard to keep timelines of project components clear
Likelihood to Recommend
Basecamp is suited to individual small tasks to collaborate with others. It is a free tool and that can make it an excellent gateway into the world of project management tools. I recommend it as an option for people just starting out.
Basecamp Feature Ratings
Project Management (12)
54.16666666666667%
5.4
Task Management
50%
5.0
Resource Management
50%
5.0
Gantt Charts
50%
5.0
Scheduling
70%
7.0
Workflow Automation
30%
3.0
Team Collaboration
100%
10.0
Document Management
80%
8.0
Email integration
100%
10.0
Mobile Access
100%
10.0
Timesheet Tracking
N/A
N/A
Change request and Case Management
20%
2.0
Budget and Expense Management
N/A
N/A
Professional Services Automation
N/A
N/A
Return on Investment
  • Basecamp has been a great place to work on monthly projects where the team members change over time.
  • The archive feature is great and gives access to years of our projects all in one system.
  • The free features are really wonderful for people just wanting to try it out, or for projects with no budget.
Alternatives Considered
Basecamp is more entry level and has a much easier set up than most of the competitors. I greatly prefer Trello, but when I am working with new marketers they always suggest Basecamp. Basecamp is good, but it is just so easy to get the multiple pieces of a project jumbled together into one conversational thread.
Other Software Used
Products Replaced
No
Key Differentiators
  • Prior Experience with the Product
Colleagues choose basecamp because it is the only one they are used to and they don't know there are other options available.
Easy Tasks
  • Starting a project and inviting people to join is a very smooth and easy process
  • The mobile and desktop versions make the project easy to access
  • The email digest feature works very well.
Difficult Tasks
  • It is very difficult to keep the individual elements of a project organized. Inevitably three or more items of creative are discussed in the same message thread and approvals and files get mixed up.
Mobile Interface Availability and Impressions
Yes, but I don't use it
Usability
7
Basecamp is ok, but I don't quite understand why people like it so much. There are other free tools that work as well or better. It is always colleagues who have recently finished college who are so set to using basecamp, so perhaps it is the one they have used in school? I wonder because it is suited to one clear project, not a project with multiple pieces. Trying to manage an event that has web ads, social ads, a postcard, and a landing page is really not well suited to Basecamp, at least the way we were using it.
September 30, 2015

Getting Organized and Keeping On Task with Basecamp

Lisa Keyser | TrustRadius Reviewer
Lisa Keyser
Developer & Designer
LMK Web Design and Consulting (Information Technology and Services, 1-10 employees)
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
As a freelancer serving a variety of clients, I needed a way to organize each project. After looking at different options, I settled on Basecamp for several reasons. First, is has a tiered pricing structure that will allow my business to grow when needed. Second, it helps prevent the dreaded lost/buried email problem. When you're corresponding with over a dozen different clients in any one week, it can be impossible to keep tabs on the important emails even with a convoluted system of folders and starred items. Basecamp keeps everything organized and in one place. Third, it allows me to set deadlines that are integrated with my calendar, so I get notifications on my phone when items are due. Finally, the document storage and ability to have comment threads attached to documents is extremely useful. I can post draft design options and the client can give feedback in the same spot, rather than needing to refer to an email attachment or download from remote storage.
Pros and Cons
  • I really enjoy the ability to pick and choose which participants of a particular Basecamp will get each conversation thread and reply.
  • The To-Do list feature is one of the most useful that I've found anywhere, with the big plus that I can subscribe to the feed from my Google calendar.
  • While this feature is only for Gmail users, I'm a big fan of the new "View on Basecamp" button that appears in the preview of every email from Basecamp. That way I don't even need to open the email, I can just click the link and reply directly on the thread itself.
  • Many of my clients enjoy the ability to reply to threads via email, rather than needing to login to their Basecamp account just to send a quick response.
  • Basecamp's search feature could use some filtering. For example, I should be able to just search files or to-do lists.
  • I wish that the main projects page had more information about each project, specifically what date it started, how many people are in the project, and if there are any upcoming deadlines. While you can find this information currently, it's in several different areas. The start date in particular is a pain to find.
  • For projects with a lot of files, I would appreciate a feature that allowed sorting them into categories or some sort of hierarchical grouping. Currently they are all together with the most recently-discussed files appearing first and older ones one another page.
Likelihood to Recommend
I find Basecamp uniquely well-suited to my occupation as a freelance web designer and developer. One of newer features makes it especially suitable; recently Basecamp added the ability to define your team and hide certain items from the client. I think it would also shine as a project management tool for smaller organizations and nonprofits looking for an easy-to-use platform. It wouldn't work well in extremely large organizations, especially for its lack of a reports feature. However, smaller teams within large organizations could utilize it to keep on task with projects. When evaluating Basecamp or similar software, important questions would include: How many people will be using the Basecamp? How much file storage space do we require? Do we need the ability to generate status reports? How important is integration with other software currently in use?
Return on Investment
  • While it's difficult to quantify, Basecamp has had a very positive ROI for my business. It helps tick up my status as a professional another notch just due to the fact that I require my clients to use it.
  • Basecamp also allows me to keep better track of deadlines, thus more of my projects have been on-time since I started using it. Not only that, but my clients now have a clearer understanding of how deadlines work and what can cause delays, especially since those delays are often due to lack of feedback on the clients' part. When there are delays, clients are much more understanding since it's obvious the ball is in their court and my hands are tied.
  • Because Basecamp helps keep both me and my clients on task with assigned due dates, I find that I'm turning over projects faster, which in turn means I can take on new clients sooner. In 2014 I launched 50% more websites than the previous year, in no small part thanks to Basecamp keeping everyone on task.
Support Headcount Required
1
Business Processes Supported
  • Project Management - Working with external clients to keep projects on task and sharing documents between various parties involved
  • Internal Task Management - For internal tracking of various client to-do lists. The internal Basecamp project is maintained by direct staff and support staff to keep all lists in one spot, accessible from anywhere.
  • Contractor Collaboration - In one case, a client has various external contractors working in concert on one project, located all over the world. A single Basecamp project was setup for assignation of duties and deadlines to the various contractors as they each complete a piece of the workflow.
Likelihood to Renew
10
I can't foresee ever cancelling my account with Basecamp, but rather upgrading it when I get to that point when I'm ready to expand. One of the most exciting aspects for me is the company's continued commitment to the software in the form of consistent improvements and new features. While I've never needed to contact support, I do read each of the rare communications sent out by the team behind Basecamp, and their enthusiasm for their own software is palpable. I've recommended it to other freelancers, and I look forward to using Basecamp to continue increasing my productivity in the coming year and beyond.
Implementation Details / Implementation Partner
  • Implemented in-house
Easy Tasks
  • To-Do lists; including creating them and assigning them to individuals within the project.
  • Uploading files and getting feedback on them.
  • Collaborating with team members behind the scene and out of view of clients.
Difficult Tasks
  • If you have a lot of projects, I've found that searching for older discussion threads can be annoying.
Mobile Interface Availability and Impressions
Yes
The mobile interface works pretty well. I don't use it very often, simply because the majority of the time I'm working on my desktop, but it's been useful when I was remote and needed to respond to a discussion or share something.
Usability
9
I find it extremely easy to use, though as a tech-savvy person, it takes some fairly obnoxious software for me to have difficulty. However, I have found that occasionally some clients don't understand how the subject line and discussion body work when creating a new post, and sometimes have difficulty understanding where to respond and will create new threads with feedback, rather than replying on the old one. I don't think Basecamp can help this, however, without severely annoying those of us who find it highly intuitive.
Reliability and Availability
10
I've never experienced downtime while using Basecamp, or been unable to access it when I needed it. That's not to say they've never had downtime, but I've been lucky enough not to encounter any, and I work odd hours, including late nights when maintenance is often undertaken.
March 17, 2015

Solid inexpensive simple and effective project management tool

Verified User
Manager in Marketing
Management Consulting Company, 51-200 employees
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
We have serval use cases for Basecamp:

  • As a project management tool for software implementations.
  • Internal project management tool for our external clients as well.
Pros and Cons
  • Very easy and short learning curve.
  • Intuitive UI design.
  • Good email notifications/updates.
  • No overall timelines.
  • No calendar or actionable calendar reminders etc.
  • No approval or review processes for non account holders.
  • Not a sophisticated platform - straightforward and simple.
Likelihood to Recommend
Version control, specific routing, or permissions are not available so Basecamp is not great for creative departments.
Basecamp Feature Ratings
Project Management (14)
40%
4.0
Task Management
80%
8.0
Resource Management
70%
7.0
Gantt Charts
10%
1.0
Scheduling
60%
6.0
Workflow Automation
50%
5.0
Team Collaboration
70%
7.0
Support for Agile Methodology
N/A
N/A
Support for Waterfall Methodology
N/A
N/A
Document Management
70%
7.0
Email integration
80%
8.0
Mobile Access
70%
7.0
Timesheet Tracking
N/A
N/A
Change request and Case Management
N/A
N/A
Budget and Expense Management
N/A
N/A
Professional Services Automation
N/A
N/A
Return on Investment
  • Better project communication.
  • Better straightforward client interaction about projects.
  • No budgeting, bad calendar, and no real resource management - so very difficult to deem ROI.
Alternatives Considered
  • Workamajig,Attask
Price is better with Basecamp but the functionality suffers for it. Overall a solid product though.
Easy Tasks
  • Comment and email notification of comments is great easy to use and can be directed easily to correct individuals.
Difficult Tasks
  • Calendar is not good nor the fact that you cant set any kind of reminders.
Mobile Interface Availability and Impressions
Yes
It again is very simple straightforward and easy to learn and use but lacks sophistications of other platforms.
Usability
8
It is great for some things but lacks a lot of tools that would be helpful
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