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Software · head to head

Asana vs Basecamp

Asana logo

Asana

Software

Manage your team's work, projects, & tasks online

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Basecamp logo

Basecamp

Software

Project management & team collaboration software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Asana the free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team; Basecamp the free tier allows one project and 1 GB of storage
  • They diverge on capability: Asana covers Multiple project views, Basecamp covers Message boards.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Asana and Basecamp actually diverge.

Attributes where Asana and Basecamp differ
AttributeAsanaBasecamp
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
Founded20082004

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Asana

  • Multiple project views
  • Task dependencies
  • Milestones
  • Portfolios
  • Goals & OKRs
  • Workflow automation
  • Resource management
  • Reporting dashboards

Only in Basecamp

  • Message boards
  • To-do lists
  • Schedules
  • Documents & files
  • Group chat
  • Check-in questions
  • Hill Charts
  • Email forwards

Both cover

  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Asana

  • Project planning & trackingnot Basecamp
  • Campaign managementnot Basecamp
  • Product launchesnot Basecamp
  • Event planningnot Basecamp
  • Agile & Scrum managementnot Basecamp

Basecamp

  • Project management for a small team in one placenot Asana
  • Message boards and chat alongside to-dosnot Asana
  • Client collaboration, since guests are not chargednot Asana
  • Flat-rate project management for a larger team on Pro Unlimitednot Asana

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Asana

  • The free Personal tier is capped at 2 users, so it does not cover a small team
  • Timeline and Gantt views, reporting dashboards and time tracking all require Starter at $10.99 per user per month
  • Portfolios, goals, workload management and approvals need Advanced at $24.99 per user per month
  • Salesforce, Tableau and Power BI integrations are Advanced or above
  • Monthly billing costs more, at $13.49 and $30.49 against the annual rates

Basecamp

  • The free tier allows one project and 1 GB of storage
  • Pro is $15 per user per month, so cost scales with headcount unlike the flat Pro Unlimited at $299 a month billed annually
  • Storage beyond the plan costs $50 a month per additional terabyte
  • Timesheet and the Admin Pro Pack are paid upgrades on Pro and only bundled with Pro Unlimited

Pricing, plan by plan

Asana

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Asana review.

Basecamp

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Basecamp review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Asana if

  • You need multiple project views.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want task dependencies.
Asana review

Choose Basecamp if

  • You need message boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want to-do lists.
Basecamp review

Questions people ask

Is Asana or Basecamp better?
Neither clearly leads. Asana starts at Free and Basecamp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Asana or Basecamp?
Asana starts at Free and Basecamp at Free.
Does Asana or Basecamp run on more platforms?
Asana runs on Web, iOS, Android. Basecamp runs on Web.
Can I use Asana for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Asana best used for?
Asana is most often used for project planning & tracking, campaign management, product launches, event planning. Of those, project planning & tracking and campaign management are not what Basecamp is typically brought in for.
What can Asana do that Basecamp cannot?
Asana covers Multiple project views, Task dependencies, Milestones, Portfolios. Basecamp covers Message boards, To-do lists, Schedules, Documents & files. Both handle Slack, SOC2, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Asana: Does Asana have a free tier?

Yes. Asana offers a free Personal plan for up to 2 users, plus free trial access to paid plans.

Source
Asana: What is the starting price for Asana paid plans?

Asana Starter plan begins at $10.99 per user per month when billed annually, or $13.49 per user when billed monthly.

Source
Asana: Does Asana integrate with other work tools?

Yes. Asana offers 200+ integrations including Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Jira, and Zoom.

Source
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Related pages

More on Asana

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