Basecamp vs Trello
Basecamp and Trello are both project management tools. Basecamp is aimed at small businesses and agencies, while Trello is aimed at small businesses and freelancers. Trello costs less, from $6/mo versus $25/mo for Basecamp. Both have a free plan.
| Pricing | Freemium · $25 | Freemium · $6 |
| Starting price | $25/mo | $6/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days | — |
| Built for | Small businesses, Agencies | Small businesses, Freelancers |
| Platforms | web, ios, android, macos, windows | web, ios, android, macos, windows |
| Country | US · 2004 | US · 2011 |
| 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 Trello if
Individuals and small teams that want a visual board without process overhead.
- Simplest onboarding of any project tool
- Free plan is enough for small teams and personal use
- Flexible: works for editorial calendars, hiring, home projects
Look elsewhere if: Teams needing cross-project reporting, dependencies or capacity planning.
Basecamp vs Trello 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
Trello
- Free$0Up to 10 collaborators per Workspace
- Standard$6/user/mo$5/mo billed annually; unlimited boards, 1,000 command runs
- Premium$12.50/user/mo$10/mo billed annually; AI, views, admin controls
- Enterprise$17.50/user/moBilled annually ($210/user/yr); org-wide controls
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
Trello · Key features
- Kanban boards with drag-and-drop cards, labels and checklists
- Butler automation: rules, buttons and scheduled commands
- Power-Ups for calendar, voting, Slack, Google Drive and more
- Premium views: timeline, table, calendar, dashboard, map
- Templates for common workflows
- Mobile and desktop apps with offline support
Cons
- Weak for dependencies, reporting and resource planning
- Card detail view feels dated
- Scales poorly past a handful of boards
Basecamp vs Trello: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Basecamp or Trello?
Trello starts at $6/mo and Basecamp at $25/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Basecamp and Trello have a free plan?
Yes, both Basecamp and Trello have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.