Happy Valley

Basecamp vs Zoom

Basecamp and Zoom are both team communication tools. Basecamp is aimed at small businesses and agencies, while Zoom is aimed at small businesses and enterprise. Zoom costs less, from $16.99/mo versus $25/mo for Basecamp. Both have a free plan.

Basecamp

Opinionated, calm project management

Zoom

Video meetings that became a verb

PricingFreemium · $25Freemium · $17
Starting price$25/mo$16.99/mo
Free planYesYes
Free trial30 days—
Built forSmall businesses, AgenciesSmall businesses, Enterprise
Platformsweb, ios, android, macos, windowsweb, macos, windows, ios, android
CountryUS · 2004US · 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 Zoom if

Organizations that need reliable external video meetings and are not fully on Google or Microsoft suites.

  • Most reliable video quality and familiarity
  • AI Companion included on paid plans
  • Expanding suite for chat, phone and docs

Look elsewhere if: Teams already on Workspace or Microsoft 365 for whom Meet or Teams is included.

Basecamp vs Zoom 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

Zoom

  • Basic$040-minute meetings, 100 participants
  • Pro$16.99/user/mo$14.16/mo billed annually; 30-hour meetings, 100 participants
  • Business$21.99/user/mo$18.33/mo billed annually; 300 participants
  • EnterpriseCustomUp to 1,000 participants

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

Zoom · Key features

  • HD meetings with breakout rooms, polls and reactions
  • AI Companion: meeting summaries, smart recordings, drafting
  • Team Chat, Phone, Whiteboard, Docs and Clips
  • Webinars, Events and Rooms
  • Scheduler and calendar integrations
  • Marketplace with 2,500+ apps

Cons

  • Free plan 40-minute limit
  • Suite features less mature than Slack or Google
  • Multiple add-ons for webinars, phone, rooms

Basecamp vs Zoom: FAQ

Which is cheaper, Basecamp or Zoom?

Zoom starts at $16.99/mo and Basecamp at $25/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.

Do Basecamp and Zoom have a free plan?

Yes, both Basecamp and Zoom have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.

Not sure yet?