Basecamp vs Notion
Basecamp and Notion are both project management tools. Basecamp is aimed at small businesses and agencies, while Notion is aimed at small businesses and freelancers. Notion costs less, from $12/mo versus $25/mo for Basecamp. Both have a free plan.
| Pricing | Freemium · $25 | Freemium · $12 |
| Starting price | $25/mo | $12/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days | — |
| Built for | Small businesses, Agencies | Small businesses, Freelancers, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web, ios, android, macos, windows | web, ios, android, macos, windows |
| Country | US · 2004 | US · 2016 |
| 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 Notion if
Startups and small teams (2–50 people) that want docs, wiki and simple project tracking in one place, and individuals who like building their own systems.
- Replaces several tools (docs, wiki, light PM, CRM) for small teams
- Extremely flexible data model; databases with relations and rollups
- Huge template ecosystem and integrations via API and Zapier/Make
Look elsewhere if: Engineering teams that need a strict issue tracker with cycles and estimates, finance teams that live in spreadsheets, or organizations that need offline-first access.
Basecamp vs Notion 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
Notion
- Free$07-day page history, 10 guests, limited Notion AI trial
- Plus$12/member/mo$10/mo billed yearly; 30-day history, unlimited guests
- Business$24/member/mo$20/mo billed yearly; 90-day history, Notion Agent, AI notes
- EnterpriseCustomUnlimited history, zero data retention with LLM providers
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
Notion · Key features
- Block-based editor with slash commands, synced blocks and 50+ content types
- Relational databases with table, board, calendar, gallery, timeline and list views
- Templates, buttons and database automations for repeatable workflows
- Notion AI: Q&A across workspace plus Slack, Drive and GitHub connectors
- Public publishing with custom domains (Notion Sites) and SEO settings
- Granular sharing: teamspaces, guests, page-level permissions and SSO on Business
Cons
- No native structure means workspaces sprawl without governance
- Slower on large databases; offline mode is limited
- Per-seat pricing adds up for large teams, AI bundled only in Business and up
Basecamp vs Notion: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Basecamp or Notion?
Notion starts at $12/mo and Basecamp at $25/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Basecamp and Notion have a free plan?
Yes, both Basecamp and Notion have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.