Basecamp — Basecamp is project management software combining to-dos, messaging, file sharing, and scheduling in one system.

What does Basecamp do?

Basecamp provides a set of built-in tools for managing work: Message Boards for announcements, To-dos for tracking tasks, Card Tables (a Kanban-style board) for process tracking, Campfires and Pings for group and direct chat, a scheduling tool for deadlines and milestones, Docs & Files for storage, and Reports with Automatic Check-ins for status updates. The company describes it as an alternative to spreading work across separate apps, email, and spreadsheets. A new version, Basecamp 5, is described as a major upgrade planned for 2026.

Who is Basecamp a good fit for?

Basecamp is used across every industry by companies, teams, non-profits, freelancers, and small businesses, including bootstrapped and self-funded businesses. It also offers discounted or free access to registered 501(c)(3) non-profits, K-12 schools, homeschoolers, universities, teachers, and students for class-related use. Clients and contractors can be added to an account at no extra charge alongside paying team members.

What services does Basecamp offer?

Basecamp Free

A free plan limited to one active project at a time; a project must be deleted before starting a new one.

Basecamp Pro

Pay-per-user plan billed at $15 per employee/full user per month (clients and contractors are free), with unlimited projects, 500 GB storage, self-guided onboarding, 24/7/365 support, and a 30-day free trial. Timesheet and Admin Pro Pack are available as optional add-ons.

Basecamp Pro Unlimited

Fixed price of $299/month regardless of user count, with unlimited projects, 5 terabytes of storage, the Admin Pro Pack and Timesheet upgrades included, personal onboarding, priority 24/7/365 support, more payment options (credit card, check, ACH, wire), and a 60-day free trial.

Timesheet upgrade

An optional add-on ($50/month flat regardless of team size) for tracking time spent on tasks and running reports for resource allocation or client billing, with data export.

Admin Pro Pack

An optional add-on ($50/month flat regardless of team size) giving account owners and admins added control over permissions, such as who can send Pings, edit or delete content, enable public links, or require two-factor authentication.

What areas do they serve?

• Worldwide

How much does it cost?

Basecamp offers a Free plan (one project), a Pro plan at $15/user/month with 500 GB storage (clients and contractors free), and a Pro Unlimited plan at a flat $299/month for unlimited users with 5 TB storage. Additional storage costs $50/month per terabyte; Timesheet and Admin Pro Pack add-ons are each $50/month flat. Non-profits with 501(c)(3) status get 10% off, and K-12 schools, homeschoolers, and universities can use it free for class work after verification.

Details worth knowing

• Founded and run by Jason Fried, co-founder and CEO, under the company 37signals, in business 27 years as of the about page (pricing page states nearly three decades).
• 99.99% historical uptime.
• Over 84 million people have Basecamp accounts; customers have managed more than 60 million projects.
• Over 1.7 billion to-dos added, 350 million message board posts, 2.7 billion comments, and 2.2 billion files shared, with more than 5 petabytes of data stored.
• Average tenure of customer service team members is 9 years.
• Company states it is privately held, has zero debt, and was built without outside funding.
• Cancellation is self-serve at any time with no long-term contracts.
• A major new version, Basecamp 5, is planned for 2026.

How do you get in touch?

Prospective customers can sign up for a free account or free trial directly on the site, join a free live class, or book a personal demo. Contact by email is available at jason@basecamp.com (CEO), and dedicated addresses exist for non-profits (nonprofits@basecamp.com), teachers (teachers@basecamp.com), and students (students@basecamp.com).

Common questions

Can I switch between Basecamp plans or cancel anytime?

Yes. You can upgrade from Free to Pro or Pro to Pro Unlimited anytime, and downgrade as long as your usage fits the lower plan's limits (for example, you must delete extra projects before downgrading to Free). You can cancel anytime with no forms or calls required, and annual plan differences are prorated back to your card.

Does Basecamp offer discounts for non-profits or schools?

Yes. Registered 501(c)(3) non-profits get 10% off, and K-12 schools, homeschoolers, and universities get 100% free access for class-related use, after emailing proof of status to the relevant address.

Can I really add 1,000 users on Pro Unlimited and still pay one flat price?

Yes. Pro Unlimited is $299/month total regardless of user count, a pricing model Basecamp says it has offered for over a decade.

Do I have to pay for clients or contractors added to my account?

No. Clients and contractors can be added for free; on the Pro plan, the $15/user/month charge only applies to employees or full users.

Do I need a credit card to try Basecamp?

No credit card is required for the Free plan or for the 30-day (Pro) or 60-day (Pro Unlimited) free trials; you're only asked for payment details if you choose to continue after the trial.

What's included in the Admin Pro Pack and Timesheet upgrades?

Timesheet ($50/month flat) tracks time spent on tasks and lets you run reports or export data for billing; Admin Pro Pack ($50/month flat) gives admins control over permissions such as who can send Pings, edit content, enable public links, or require two-factor authentication. Both are included automatically on Pro Unlimited and available as optional add-ons on Pro.