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Software · head to head

Basecamp vs BambooHR

Basecamp logo

Basecamp

Software

Project management & team collaboration software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
BambooHR logo

BambooHR

Software

HR software with heart

From
$10/month per employee
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Basecamp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Basecamp the free tier allows one project and 1 GB of storage; BambooHR organisations of 25 or fewer employees pay a flat rate starting at $250 a month, so a very small team pays far more per head than the listed per-employee price
  • They diverge on capability: Basecamp covers Message boards, BambooHR covers Employee database.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Basecamp and BambooHR actually diverge.

Attributes where Basecamp and BambooHR differ
AttributeBasecampBambooHR
Starting priceFree$10/month per employee
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20042008

Identical on both: 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 Basecamp

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

Only in BambooHR

  • Employee database
  • Time-off management
  • Benefits tracking
  • Performance reviews
  • Onboarding
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Mobile access
  • Document management

Both cover

  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Basecamp

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

BambooHR

  • HR system of record with employee data and documentsnot Basecamp
  • Time off tracking and approvalsnot Basecamp
  • Applicant tracking and onboardingnot Basecamp
  • Performance reviews and 1:1s on the Pro tiernot Basecamp
  • Compensation planning and benchmarking on Elitenot Basecamp

Where each one falls short

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

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

BambooHR

  • Organisations of 25 or fewer employees pay a flat rate starting at $250 a month, so a very small team pays far more per head than the listed per-employee price
  • Per-employee pricing starts at 26 employees, from $10 on Core
  • Performance management, 360 reviews and recognition all require Pro at $17 per employee per month
  • Compensation management, salary benchmarking and advanced analytics are Elite only at $25 per employee per month
  • Compliance training is rationed by tier, at 1 course on Core against 300 on Elite

Pricing, plan by plan

Basecamp

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Basecamp review.

BambooHR

$10/month per employee

No published plan breakdown. See the BambooHR review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Basecamp if

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

Choose BambooHR if

  • You need employee database.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want time-off management.
BambooHR review

Questions people ask

Is Basecamp or BambooHR better?
Neither clearly leads. Basecamp starts at Free and BambooHR at $10/month per employee, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Basecamp or BambooHR?
Basecamp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Basecamp and $10/month per employee for BambooHR.
Does Basecamp or BambooHR run on more platforms?
Basecamp runs on Web. BambooHR runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Basecamp for free?
Yes. Basecamp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BambooHR starts at $10/month per employee.
What is Basecamp best used for?
Basecamp is most often used for project management for a small team in one place, message boards and chat alongside to-dos, client collaboration, since guests are not charged, flat-rate project management for a larger team on pro unlimited. Of those, project management for a small team in one place and message boards and chat alongside to-dos are not what BambooHR is typically brought in for.
What can Basecamp do that BambooHR cannot?
Basecamp covers Message boards, To-do lists, Schedules, Documents & files. BambooHR covers Employee database, Time-off management, Benefits tracking, Performance reviews. Both handle Slack, SOC2, GDPR.
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