All industries · head to head
Expensify vs Basecamp
Expensify
All industries
Expense management for receipts, bills & more
- From
- $5/month
- Rated
- -
Basecamp
All industries
Project management & team collaboration software
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Basecamp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Expensify minimal offline expense entry capabilities hamper use in areas with unstable internet; Basecamp the free tier allows one project and 1 GB of storage
- They diverge on capability: Expensify covers SmartScan receipts, Basecamp covers Message boards.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Expensify and Basecamp actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Expensify
- SmartScan receipts
- Expense reports
- Corporate cards
- Reimbursements
- Travel booking
- Mileage tracking
- Multi-currency
- Real-time syncing
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.
Expensify
- Expense reportingnot Basecamp
- Receipt managementnot Basecamp
- Travel expensesnot Basecamp
- Corporate card managementnot Basecamp
- Reimbursementsnot Basecamp
Basecamp
- Project management for a small team in one placenot Expensify
- Message boards and chat alongside to-dosnot Expensify
- Client collaboration, since guests are not chargednot Expensify
- Flat-rate project management for a larger team on Pro Unlimitednot Expensify
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Expensify
- Minimal offline expense entry capabilities hamper use in areas with unstable internet
- OCR receipt data extraction requires manual review and correction for accuracy
- Per-user pricing model increases costs for larger organizations
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
Expensify
$5/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Expensify review.
Basecamp
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Basecamp review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Expensify if
- You need smartscan receipts.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want expense reports.
Choose Basecamp if
- You need message boards.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want to-do lists.
Questions people ask
- Is Expensify or Basecamp better?
- Neither clearly leads. Expensify starts at $5/month and Basecamp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Expensify or Basecamp?
- Basecamp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Expensify and Free for Basecamp.
- Does Expensify or Basecamp run on more platforms?
- Expensify runs on Web, iOS, Android. Basecamp runs on Web.
- Can I use Basecamp for free?
- Yes. Basecamp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Expensify starts at $5/month.
- What is Expensify best used for?
- Expensify is most often used for expense reporting, receipt management, travel expenses, corporate card management. Of those, expense reporting and receipt management are not what Basecamp is typically brought in for.
- What can Expensify do that Basecamp cannot?
- Expensify covers SmartScan receipts, Expense reports, Corporate cards, Reimbursements. Basecamp covers Message boards, To-do lists, Schedules, Documents & files. Both handle Slack, SOC2, GDPR.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Expensify: How does Expensify capture receipts?
Expensify uses SmartScan technology with OCR to automatically extract data from receipt images, reducing manual data entry. Users can photograph receipts with their phone to quickly create expense entries.
SourceExpensify: What reimbursement methods does Expensify support?
Expensify supports ACH reimbursement via direct deposit after setting up a direct deposit account. Next-day reimbursement is available, or standard processing takes 3-5 business days.
SourceExpensify: How does Expensify offline mode work?
Expensify has limited offline capabilities. Users can capture receipts offline, but data syncs when internet connectivity is restored. Full functionality requires online access.
Source