Software · head to head
Basecamp vs Calendly
Calendly
Software
Scheduling automation platform for eliminating back-and-forth
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Basecamp the free tier allows one project and 1 GB of storage; Calendly the free plan allows one event type and one calendar connection, so it cannot handle different meeting formats
- They diverge on capability: Basecamp covers Message boards, Calendly covers Calendar sync.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Basecamp and Calendly actually diverge.
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 Basecamp
- Message boards
- To-do lists
- Schedules
- Documents & files
- Group chat
- Check-in questions
- Hill Charts
- Email forwards
Only in Calendly
- Calendar sync
- Automated scheduling
- Custom availability
- Time zone detection
- Reminder emails
- Buffer time
- Meeting polls
- Embed on website
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 Calendly
- Message boards and chat alongside to-dosnot Calendly
- Client collaboration, since guests are not chargednot Calendly
- Flat-rate project management for a larger team on Pro Unlimitednot Calendly
Calendly
- Sales meetingsnot Basecamp
- Interview schedulingnot Basecamp
- Customer callsnot Basecamp
- Office hoursnot Basecamp
- Webinar registrationnot 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
Calendly
- The free plan allows one event type and one calendar connection, so it cannot handle different meeting formats
- Automated reminders and multiple calendars need Standard at $10 per seat per month
- Round-robin routing, lead qualification and Salesforce integration require Teams at $16 per seat per month
- SAML single sign-on, audit logs and domain control are Enterprise only, starting at $15,000 a year
- Advertised prices are the annual rates
Pricing, plan by plan
Basecamp
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Basecamp review.
Calendly
Free- FreeFree
- 1 event type
- 1 calendar connection
- Basic confirmation email
- Standard$10/month
- Unlimited event types
- Multiple calendars (up to 6)
- Integrations with HubSpot, Mailchimp, Stripe, PayPal
- Teams$16/month
- All Standard features
- Salesforce integration
- Round-robin meetings
- Enterprise$15000/year
- All Teams features
- Salesforce routing lookup
- Microsoft Dynamics 365
Which should you pick?
Choose Basecamp if
- You need message boards.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want to-do lists.
Choose Calendly if
- You need calendar sync.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want automated scheduling.
Questions people ask
- Is Basecamp or Calendly better?
- Neither clearly leads. Basecamp starts at Free and Calendly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Basecamp or Calendly?
- Basecamp starts at Free and Calendly at Free.
- Does Basecamp or Calendly run on more platforms?
- Basecamp runs on Web. Calendly runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Basecamp for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Calendly is typically brought in for.
- What can Basecamp do that Calendly cannot?
- Basecamp covers Message boards, To-do lists, Schedules, Documents & files. Calendly covers Calendar sync, Automated scheduling, Custom availability, Time zone detection. Both handle Slack, SOC2, GDPR.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Calendly: Does the free tier include automatic reminders?
No. The free plan only includes a basic confirmation email when someone books. Automated reminder workflows, SMS reminders, and follow-up sequences require the Standard plan ($10/month or higher).
SourceCalendly: Can I offer multiple meeting types on the free plan?
Only one event type can be active at a time. You can create multiple event types, but only one booking link works simultaneously. Switching between different meeting lengths requires manually activating another event type.
SourceCalendly: Does Calendly work with Apple Calendar and iCloud?
No longer for new users. As of August 20, 2024, new users cannot connect iCloud or Apple Calendar. Existing connections continue to work, but Calendly ended support for new Apple Calendar integrations citing Apple's security changes.
SourceCalendly: What platforms can I use Calendly on?
Calendly is available on Web, iOS, and Android. Browser extensions are available for Safari. There are no dedicated Windows or Mac desktop applications.
SourceCalendly: What does the Standard plan ($10/month) add over free?
Unlimited event types, multiple calendar connections (up to 6), integrations with HubSpot, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, and webhooks, plus automated reminders and email sequences.
Source