Softwr

All industries · head to head

Basecamp vs Time Doctor

Basecamp logo

Basecamp

All industries

Project management & team collaboration software

From
Free
Rated
-
Time Doctor logo

Time Doctor

Productivity

Employee time tracking and productivity monitoring

From
$4/month
Rated
-

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; Time Doctor historical tracking data retention is capped by plan: 3 months on Basic and 6 months on Standard, versus 2 years on Premium and Enterprise
  • They diverge on capability: Basecamp covers Message boards, Time Doctor covers Time tracking with timer.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Basecamp and Time Doctor actually diverge.

Attributes where Basecamp and Time Doctor differ
AttributeBasecampTime Doctor
Starting priceFree$4/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows
CategoryAll industriesProductivity
Founded20042011

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Time Doctor

  • Time tracking with timer
  • Activity monitoring
  • Screenshots
  • GPS tracking
  • Webcam monitoring
  • Reports and invoicing
  • Mobile apps
  • Team management

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 Time Doctor
  • Message boards and chat alongside to-dosnot Time Doctor
  • Client collaboration, since guests are not chargednot Time Doctor
  • Flat-rate project management for a larger team on Pro Unlimitednot Time Doctor

Time Doctor

  • Productivitynot Basecamp
  • Collaborationnot Basecamp
  • Task managementnot Basecamp
  • Organizationnot 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

Time Doctor

  • Historical tracking data retention is capped by plan: 3 months on Basic and 6 months on Standard, versus 2 years on Premium and Enterprise
  • HRIS and Payroll native integrations are paid add-ons at $200 per integration per month
  • Software Cost Insights add-on costs $3 per user per month on top of the base plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Basecamp

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Basecamp review.

Time Doctor

$4/month
  • Basic$4/month
    • Time tracking
    • Reports
    • Mobile apps
  • Standard$6/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Activity monitoring
    • Screenshots
  • Premium$10/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • GPS tracking
    • Webcam snapshots

Which should you pick?

Choose Basecamp if

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

Choose Time Doctor if

  • You need time tracking with timer.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want activity monitoring.

Questions people ask

Is Basecamp or Time Doctor better?
Neither clearly leads. Basecamp starts at Free and Time Doctor at $4/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Basecamp or Time Doctor?
Basecamp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Basecamp and $4/month for Time Doctor.
Does Basecamp or Time Doctor run on more platforms?
Basecamp runs on Web. Time Doctor runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use Basecamp for free?
Yes. Basecamp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Time Doctor starts at $4/month.
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 Time Doctor is typically brought in for.
What can Basecamp do that Time Doctor cannot?
Basecamp covers Message boards, To-do lists, Schedules, Documents & files. Time Doctor covers Time tracking with timer, Activity monitoring, Screenshots, GPS tracking.

Related pages

Other head to heads