There are a ton of popular project collaboration tools on the market to choose from right now—and it's not surprising to see Basecamp on the top of the list.
Basecamp isn't just one of the first project collaboration tools to be invented (way back in 2004, to be exact.) It's also made a name for itself by helping teams organize their tasks, share documents, and communicate using just one tool.
However, when it comes to offering everything modern, remote teams need to get projects done—Basecamp's features list has a few holes.
Not only does it lack time tracking and resource management tools, but it also doesn't have built-in chat or report generating features. Without these additional features, it's difficult for teams to budget, collaborate, and complete projects on time.
So, if you are a team leader who currently uses Basecamp or is considering your options, we've put together a list of 11 Basecamp alternatives to help you get the features you need in a project management tool.
Let's jump in!
11 Of The Best Basecamp Alternatives
1. Teamwork
Teamwork is a complete project management software that allows teams to take complete control over every project, task, and milestone while tracking time and budgets. Our team management software solution is the complete package for everyone from agencies to enterprise businesses.
The tool's top features include:
✔️ Planning workloads so you can manage tasks on an individual and team level ✔️ Tracking project progress with real-time status updates on tasks ✔️ Easy reporting and analytics that give you an accurate view of your workload and budgets ✔️ Easy file management thanks to integrations like DropBox, Box, and Google Drive
Teamwork brings all the tools you need to truly manage a project (team chat, customer relationship management, content collaboration hub) under one roof. For example, using Teamwork's Chat app, you can message another team member or even a client to ask them for feedback or to brainstorm some ideas without leaving the platform.
It's an easy way to stay connected with your team even when you are on the move thanks to the iOS and Android apps available for the chat tool, too.
Staying organized with Teamwork
You can also keep every project and client organized using the Portfolio feature. Every project in your pipeline is shown as a card. And inside each card, team leaders can store every task, milestone, and deadline.
Not only does this keep everything super organized (no more email chains and spreadsheets!), it gives you a way to see exactly what's happening with every project quickly.
The reason Teamwork is an excellent alternative to Basecamp is that it does everything Basecamp does—and more. Your team can still create to-do lists and store files, but the tool allows you to replace other software your team is likely already paying for.
It's simple to create detailed project reports, track your team's time, and in-depth project plans using Kanban and Gantt charts.
Throw in the integrations Teamwork has with tools like Slack, Gmail, SoftSync, MS Teams, Databox, Xero, and Harvest (just to name a few), and you've got a perfect Basecamp alternative for all your project collab needs.
Pricing Structure
Teamwork's pricing starts at $10/user per month, and you can also try-before-you-buy with a 30-day free trial. There's also a forever free plan if you only need to use a limited version of Teamwork!
2. LiquidPlanner
LiquidPlanner is a project collaboration tool aimed at product and software developers who need a more detailed overview of their work. Unlike Basecamp, LiquidPlanner has a time tracking feature, project portfolios, and the ability to create Gantt charts, which are often favored by developer teams.
The tool's top features include:
✔️ Estimated ranging technology that automatically predicts when your team should complete a project ✔️ Automated resource-leveling helps make sure your team isn't overworked, and schedules are even ✔️ Drag-and-drop features allow you to schedule projects and tasks quickly
Pricing structure
LiquidPlanner's paid plans start $45/user/month.
3. JIRA
Another Bandcamp alternative for DevOps teams is Atlassian's project management tool: JIRA. This tool has many great features that some users may feel are missing from Basecamp such as built-in workflows and Kanban boards.
JIR makes it easy for teams to create agile plans for their next software project. Another added bonus of JIRA that Basecamp lacks is its issue and bug tracking tools, which you can use to find and solve real-time issues when building out a software project.
The tool's top features include:
✔️ Customizable workflows to build agile sprints and project schedules ✔️ Kanban, Scrum, and Gantt charts with templates ✔️ Time tracking and analytics tools to stay within project budgets
Pricing structure: JIRA's pricing starts at $10/month for small DevOps teams.
4. Podio
Podio is a project management tool that has similar features as some of the other tools on this list like collaboration spaces, workflows, and task lists.
What it offers that Basecamp does not are its reporting capabilities. Podio's Extensions feature allows teams to create fully customizable reporting dashboards to track their metrics and KPIs.
The tool's other features include:
✔️ Real-time commenting so your team can communicate and collaborate on content ✔️ Basic customer relationship management tool ✔️ Customer care team includes a developer to handle technical questions
Pricing structure
Podio's pricing starts at $9/user/month.
5. Workzone
Workzone is a project collaboration tool that combines task lists with calendar and messaging features that ultimately help your team plan projects. This tool differs from Basecamp because of its dashboard.
You can see every project you are working on using the tools portfolio view feature. And you can create personalized task lists for everyone on your team and have them emailed to their inboxes at the start of each day.
The tool's features include:
✔️ Automated notifications of upcoming deadlines and milestones ✔️ Progress tracking that updates your team's workloads and budgets in real-time ✔️ File sharing and feedback tools for complete project collaboration
Pricing structure:
Workzone's pricing starts at $40/month.
6. Nifty
Nifty is a collaboration tool focused on project planning and delivery. You can discuss ideas, track tasks, and store files inside Nifty.
But unlike Basecamp, you can also automate project status reporting and track your team's time using the built-in time tracker. To top it off, Nifty integrates with 1000+ tools so you can be confident that it'll fit into your existing tech stack.
The tool's features include:
✔️ Create roadmaps and custom workflows for projects ✔️ Track goals and milestones using visual timelines ✔️ Build task lists and project plans using Kanban boards and Gantt charts
Pricing structure
Nifty's pricing starts at $39/month.
7. Freedcamp
Freedcamp may have a similar name to Basecamp, but its features list is a bit different. Like Basecamp, Freedcamp allows you to create to-do lists and plan events.
However, Freedcamp goes one step further with project templates and customer relationship management tools. With its white-label feature, you can also customize Freedcamp in your own branding, colors, and even URL.
The tool's features include:
✔️ Manage tasks using lists, Gantt charts, and Kanban boards ✔️ Shared team calendars to organize your team's schedules ✔️ Time tracking to manage budget spending
Pricing structure:
Freedcamp's pricing starts at $1.49/month.
8. Paymo
One of Basecamp’s selling points is its UX design and how easy it is to use. Paymo's selling points are similar: its clean, simple design, makes it easy for teams to plan and manage projects.
However, Paymo's feature list is larger than Basecamps when it comes to the finer details of project management. You can create subtask lists within to-do lists and track budgets using time management tools.
Even on the design front, Paymo allows you to customize colors, Kanban boards, and project plans in your own branding.
The tool's other features include:
✔️ Team management measures workloads and availability ✔️ Time tracking for individuals and tasks ✔️ Create and reuse task and project templates
Pricing structure
Paymo's pricing starts at $4.95/month.
9. Microsoft Project
Like any Microsoft product, Microsoft Project packs a punch. And when you measure it up against Basecamp, it's easy to see where Basecamp falls short.
Not only can you plan projects using interactive Gantt charts within Microsoft Project, but you can also track spending and even integrate it as an on-premise solution.
Other features include:
✔️ Visualize projects using Kanban boards and Gantt charts ✔️ Collaborate with team members using edit and tagging functions ✔️ Track billable and non-billable time using time tracking to streamline invoicing
Pricing structure
Microsoft Project's pricing starts at $7.15/month.
10. Trello
While we already mentioned JIRA in this list, it wouldn't feel right without adding Atlassian's other tool, Trello, as well. Simply put, Trello is more than just a Kanban board.
What makes it a great Basecamp alternative is its flexibility. You can build out Kanban boards to create full pipelines and Scrum and Agile frameworks for complex projects.
You can also communicate inside each card on a Kanban board with team members, add deadlines, tags, and attachments—all in one dashboard.
Trello's other features include:
✔️ Attach due dates, labels, and attachments to individual tasks ✔️ @mention team members to give feedback and updates ✔️ View project and task due dates in the integrated calendar
Pricing structure
Trello's paid plans start at $9.99/user/month.
11. Backlog
Backlog is a project collaboration tool that's perfect for DevOps teams looking for an alternative for Basecamp. Not only does it have similar checklist and file management features, Backlog focuses on specific developer collaboration needs like SVN and Git repositories.
Teams can also collaborate on tasks using wikis, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and Git graphs.
The tool's other features include:
✔️ Issue and bug tracking to catch problems in real-time ✔️ Commenting and tagging to collaborate with your team ✔️ An in-built app called Typetalk so your team can talk to each other even if they're outside the office
Pricing structure
Backlog's pricing starts at $35/month.
Find the best Basecamp alternative to fit your specific needs
The secret to successful project management is having the right toolkit. When Basecamp was released in 2004, it was the leading tool in project management software.
Other tools have since launched with more features and geared toward specific companies, like remote and DevOps teams. The question you now must answer is what tool is right for your specific team?
Do you need team time tracking and budget tools? Or do you need project management software that has Gantt charts and Kanban boards? The choice is ultimately yours, so choose wisely.