All industries · head to head
Basecamp vs Signal

Basecamp
All industries
Project management & team collaboration software
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Basecamp the free tier allows one project and 1 GB of storage; Signal signal must be installed on a phone before the desktop app can be used, so there is no phone-free desktop-only account
- They diverge on capability: Basecamp covers Message boards, Signal covers End-to-end encryption.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Basecamp and Signal actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (All industries).
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 Signal
- End-to-end encryption
- Disappearing messages
- Screen security
- Group chats
- Voice calls
- Video calls
- File sharing
- No data collection
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 Signal
- Message boards and chat alongside to-dosnot Signal
- Client collaboration, since guests are not chargednot Signal
- Flat-rate project management for a larger team on Pro Unlimitednot Signal
Signal
- Private messagingnot Basecamp
- Secure group communicationnot Basecamp
- Confidential conversationsnot Basecamp
- Journalism communicationnot Basecamp
- Family messagingnot 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
Signal
- Signal must be installed on a phone before the desktop app can be used, so there is no phone-free desktop-only account
Pricing, plan by plan
Basecamp
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Basecamp review.
Signal
Free- FreeFree
- End-to-end encrypted messaging
- Voice and video calls
- Group chats
Which should you pick?
Choose Basecamp if
- You need message boards.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want to-do lists.
Choose Signal if
- You need end-to-end encryption.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
- You also want disappearing messages.
Questions people ask
- Is Basecamp or Signal better?
- Neither clearly leads. Basecamp starts at Free and Signal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Basecamp or Signal?
- Basecamp starts at Free and Signal at Free.
- Does Basecamp or Signal run on more platforms?
- Basecamp runs on Web. Signal runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, 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 Signal is typically brought in for.
- What can Basecamp do that Signal cannot?
- Basecamp covers Message boards, To-do lists, Schedules, Documents & files. Signal covers End-to-end encryption, Disappearing messages, Screen security, Group chats.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- Basecamp vs Clockwise
- Basecamp vs Reclaim.ai
- Basecamp vs Trello
- Basecamp vs Roadmunk
- Basecamp vs Toggl Plan
- Basecamp vs GanttPRO
- Basecamp vs MeisterTask
- Basecamp vs Sunsama
- Basecamp vs Craft Docs
- Basecamp vs Freedcamp
- Basecamp vs Hive
- Basecamp vs Kanbanize
- Basecamp vs LiquidPlanner
- Basecamp vs Nifty
- Basecamp vs Paymo
- Basecamp vs Pipefy
- Basecamp vs Podio
- Basecamp vs ProofHub
- Basecamp vs Zoom
- Basecamp vs Microsoft Teams
- Basecamp vs Loom
- Basecamp vs RingCentral Video
- Basecamp vs Slack
- Basecamp vs Telegram
- Basecamp vs Webex by Cisco
- Basecamp vs Chanty
- Basecamp vs Chatwork
- Basecamp vs Flock
- Basecamp vs Google Chat
- Basecamp vs Grasshopper
- Basecamp vs Lark
- Basecamp vs Mattermost
- Basecamp vs Quo
- Basecamp vs Rocket.Chat
- Basecamp vs TeamViewer
- Basecamp vs Textline
- Signal vs Clockwise
- Signal vs Reclaim.ai
- Signal vs Trello
- Signal vs Roadmunk
- Signal vs Toggl Plan
- Signal vs GanttPRO
- Signal vs MeisterTask
- Signal vs Sunsama
- Signal vs Craft Docs
- Signal vs Freedcamp
- Signal vs Hive
- Signal vs Kanbanize
- Signal vs LiquidPlanner
- Signal vs Nifty
- Signal vs Paymo
- Signal vs Pipefy
- Signal vs Podio
- Signal vs ProofHub
- Signal vs Zoom
- Signal vs Microsoft Teams
- Signal vs Loom
- Signal vs RingCentral Video
- Signal vs Slack
- Signal vs Telegram
- Signal vs Webex by Cisco
- Signal vs Chanty
- Signal vs Chatwork
- Signal vs Flock
- Signal vs Google Chat
- Signal vs Grasshopper
- Signal vs Lark
- Signal vs Mattermost
- Signal vs Quo
- Signal vs Rocket.Chat
- Signal vs TeamViewer
- Signal vs Textline

