Basecamp vs Wrike
Basecamp and Wrike are both project management tools. Basecamp is aimed at small businesses and agencies, while Wrike is aimed at enterprise and agencies. Wrike costs less, from $10/mo versus $25/mo for Basecamp. Both have a free plan.
Opinionated, calm project management
Configurable work management for enterprise, agency and PMO teams
| Pricing | Freemium · $25 | Freemium · $10 |
| Starting price | $25/mo | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days | 14 days |
| Built for | Small businesses, Agencies | Enterprise, Agencies, Small businesses |
| Platforms | web, ios, android, macos, windows | web, macos, windows, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2004 | US · 2006 |
| 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 Wrike if
PMOs, agencies and enterprise teams that need configurable workflows, proofing and resource planning across many projects.
- Very configurable for complex, multi-department processes
- Built-in proofing is strong for creative and marketing teams
- Enterprise-grade security and long Gartner Leader track record
Look elsewhere if: Small teams wanting a quick, simple task board (Trello, Asana) or developers needing issue tracking (Jira, Linear).
Basecamp vs Wrike 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
Wrike
- Free$0Tasks, board and table views, mobile and desktop apps
- Team$10/user/moBilled annually; 2 to 15 users, Gantt, dashboards, AI
- Business$25/user/moBilled annually; 5 to 200 users, templates, integrations
- PinnacleCustomResource planning, budgeting, advanced BI reporting
- ApexCustomWhiteboards, Wrike Integrate and two-way sync included
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
Wrike · Key features
- Cross-tagging so one task can live in several projects
- Custom item types, workflows and request forms per department
- Interactive Gantt charts with task dependencies
- Workload, capacity planning and budgeting on Pinnacle and Apex
- Online proofing and approvals for images, video and PDFs
- AI agents and Wrike MCP server for automating routine work
Cons
- Steep learning curve and needs an admin to set up well
- Resource and budget features only on quote-based tiers
- Business and above are annual-only with seat packs
Basecamp vs Wrike: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Basecamp or Wrike?
Wrike starts at $10/mo and Basecamp at $25/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Basecamp and Wrike have a free plan?
Yes, both Basecamp and Wrike have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.