Project Management Software
Basecamp: features, pricing and who it fits
Basecamp from 37signals charges a flat monthly fee per plan, with user counts capped at 3, 5, 10 or 15 before Pro Unlimited. It bundles to-dos, message boards, chat and scheduling. G2 reviewers miss detailed Gantt charts and advanced reporting, and SSO is not documented.
Who Basecamp is for
Best for
- Small teams or agencies that prefer flat pricing over per-seat
- Teams wanting calm async communication with to-dos and message boards
- Cost-sensitive nonprofits (10% discount) and schools (free for class work)
Look elsewhere if
- Teams needing detailed Gantt charts or advanced reporting (G2 reviewers note this)
- Buyers needing documented SSO, SOC 2 or EU data hosting
- Teams above 15 users unless on Pro Unlimited
Fit by company size
| Category | 1-10 people | 11-50 people | 51-500 people | 500+ people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Management Software | Strong fit | Strong fit | Workable | Poor fit |
Strong fitWorkablePoor fitNo data from the vendor
Basecamp features
- Task views and planning
- To-dos, Card Tables (Kanban style), scheduling; Gantt-style timeline not listed
- Workflow automation
- Automatic check-ins only; no rule-based automation listed
- Time tracking and budgets
- Listed in plan features; availability on Freelancer and Pro is unclear on the vendor's pricing page
- Reporting and dashboards
- Reports and automatic check-ins on all plans
- Pricing model and real cost
- Flat monthly fee per plan, user count capped by plan (3/5/10/15/unlimited)
- Target company size
- Small teams; 20+ users require Pro Unlimited
Basecamp pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | flat | 1 project, 3 users max, 1 GB storage |
| Freelancer | $29 | per month flat | 3 active projects, 5 users max, 10 GB, 30-day trial |
| Pro | $79 | per month flat | 8 active projects, 10 users max, 25 GB |
| Pro Plus | $99 | per month flat | 12 active projects, 15 users max, 100 GB |
| Pro Unlimited | $199 per month billed annually, or $329 per month billed monthly | flat | Unlimited projects and users, 1 TB storage (extra 1 TB $50 per month), priority 24/7 support, personal onboarding |
Annual cancellations are prorated back to the card. Cannot downgrade to Free; downgrade to a paid plan only if usage fits.
Prices as published by Basecamp on the date above. Quotes for larger teams often differ, which is what a request on SaaSBid surfaces.
Pros and cons
What users like
- Calm, straightforward interface
- Easy setup and admin (G2 sub-scores 8.6 to 8.7)
- Flat pricing is predictable
Common complaints
- Lacks advanced features such as detailed Gantt charts
- Support scores trail some competitors (8.4 on G2)
Integrations, security and hosting
- Data residency
- Primarily US hosting; EU/UK data transferred to US under DPA/SCCs
- Implementation
- Personal onboarding included on Pro Unlimited
Worth knowing before you buy
- Plans cap users (Free 3, Freelancer 5, Pro 10, Pro Plus 15); only Pro Unlimited at $199 per month annual has no cap
- Monthly billing on Pro Unlimited costs $329 per month versus $199 annual, about 40% more
- Security page lists a PCI DSS self-assessment, CAIQ v4.1 and HECVAT questionnaires; no SOC 2 for 37signals itself, and application databases are generally not encrypted at rest
- Data is primarily housed in the US with a DPA and SCCs available; no EU hosting option documented
- SSO is not mentioned in policy or pricing pages
