Basecamp vs ClickUp
Basecamp and ClickUp are both project management tools aimed at small businesses and agencies. ClickUp costs less, from $10/mo versus $25/mo for Basecamp. Both have a free plan.
| Pricing | Freemium · $25 | Freemium · $10 |
| Starting price | $25/mo | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days | — |
| Built for | Small businesses, Agencies | Small businesses, Agencies |
| Platforms | web, ios, android, macos, windows | web, ios, android, macos, windows |
| Country | US · 2004 | US · 2017 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Basecamp if
Agencies and remote companies that value calm communication over detailed planning, especially at 30+ users on a flat plan.
- Simple, consistent structure every project shares
- Flat pricing with unlimited users from the Studio plan up
- Promotes async, written communication
Look elsewhere if: Teams needing dependencies, resource planning or engineering workflows.
Choose ClickUp if
Agencies and SMBs that want maximum functionality per seat and will invest in setup.
- Extremely feature-rich for the price
- Free plan is unusually generous
- Highly customizable hierarchy and fields
Look elsewhere if: Teams that want an opinionated, minimal tool (Linear, Basecamp) or enterprises needing predictable performance at scale.
Basecamp vs ClickUp pricing
Basecamp
- Free$01 project, 1 GB storage, up to 5 users
- Freelancer$25/mo3 active projects, 5 GB storage, up to 20 users
- Studio$59/mo10 active projects, 25 GB storage, unlimited users
- Pro$99/mo25 active projects, 100 GB storage, unlimited users
- Unlimited$299/moBilled annually; unlimited projects and users, 45-day trial
ClickUp
- Free Forever$060 MB storage, unlimited tasks and members
- Unlimited$10/user/mo$7/user/mo billed yearly; unlimited storage
- Business$19/user/mo$12/user/mo billed yearly; 5K automations
- EnterpriseCustomSAML SSO, HIPAA, data residency
Basecamp · Key features
- Message boards, to-dos, schedules, docs and files per project
- Campfire real-time chat and Pings for DMs
- Automatic check-ins (recurring questions)
- Hill Charts and Lineup for progress and timelines
- Card Table kanban and Timesheets
- Client access with 'Clientside' visibility controls
Cons
- No Gantt, dependencies or custom fields
- Limited integrations; relies on Zapier
- Active-project caps on lower plans force upgrades
ClickUp · Key features
- 15+ views including list, board, Gantt, calendar, mind map, workload
- Docs, whiteboards and chat inside the workspace
- Custom fields, statuses and templates per space or list
- Automations and ClickUp Brain AI for summaries and writing
- Time tracking, goals, dashboards and sprints
- Hierarchy: spaces, folders, lists, tasks, subtasks, checklists
Cons
- Complexity and clutter; onboarding takes effort
- Performance issues on large workspaces
- Frequent UI changes
Basecamp vs ClickUp: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Basecamp or ClickUp?
ClickUp starts at $10/mo and Basecamp at $25/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Basecamp and ClickUp have a free plan?
Yes, both Basecamp and ClickUp have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.