All industries · head to head
Folk vs Basecamp
Folk
All industries
The CRM that works for you, not the other way around
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Basecamp
All industries
Project management & team collaboration software
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Folk no native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones; Basecamp the free tier allows one project and 1 GB of storage
- They diverge on capability: Folk covers Contact management, Basecamp covers Message boards.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Folk and Basecamp actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), 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 Folk
- Contact management
- Email tracking
- Mail merge
- Chrome extension
- Tags & groups
- Notes & activities
- Import/export
- Search & filters
Only in Basecamp
- Message boards
- To-do lists
- Schedules
- Documents & files
- Group chat
- Check-in questions
- Hill Charts
- Email forwards
Both cover
- Zapier
- GDPR
- SSL
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Folk
- Contact managementnot Basecamp
- Sales outreachnot Basecamp
- Networkingnot Basecamp
- Recruitmentnot Basecamp
- Investor relationsnot Basecamp
Basecamp
- Project management for a small team in one placenot Folk
- Message boards and chat alongside to-dosnot Folk
- Client collaboration, since guests are not chargednot Folk
- Flat-rate project management for a larger team on Pro Unlimitednot Folk
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Folk
- No native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones
- Limited workflow automation capabilities compared to enterprise CRMs
- No automatic phone call tracking, requires manual entry
- Limited reporting and analytics features
- Monthly caps on email sends and enrichment credits on lower tiers
- LinkedIn Chrome extension sometimes has synchronization problems
- Email sent through Folk sometimes doesn't appear as sent in user's Outlook account
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
Folk
Free- Standard$24/month
- Pipeline management
- Email campaigns
- Contact enrichment
- Premium$48/month
- Custom objects
- Email sequences
- Dashboards
- Enterprise$80/month
- Dedicated account manager
- Custom integrations
- Priority support
Basecamp
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Basecamp review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Folk if
- You need contact management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want email tracking.
Choose Basecamp if
- You need message boards.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want to-do lists.
Questions people ask
- Is Folk or Basecamp better?
- Neither clearly leads. Folk starts at Free and Basecamp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Folk or Basecamp?
- Folk starts at Free and Basecamp at Free.
- Does Folk or Basecamp run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Folk for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Folk best used for?
- Folk is most often used for contact management, sales outreach, networking, recruitment. Of those, contact management and sales outreach are not what Basecamp is typically brought in for.
- What can Folk do that Basecamp cannot?
- Folk covers Contact management, Email tracking, Mail merge, Chrome extension. Basecamp covers Message boards, To-do lists, Schedules, Documents & files. Both handle Zapier, GDPR, SSL.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Folk: What are Folk's pricing plans?
Folk offers three plans: Standard at $24/month per member (billed annually), Premium at $48/month with custom objects and email sequences, and Enterprise from $80/month with advanced security and dedicated support. New workspaces get a 2-week free trial with all Premium features.
SourceFolk: Does Folk offer a mobile app?
Folk does not have native iOS or Android apps. The web interface technically works on mobile browsers but is built primarily for desktop use.
SourceFolk: Does Folk track phone calls automatically?
No, Folk does not automatically track phone calls. All call interactions must be manually entered into the system.
SourceFolk: What integrations does Folk support?
Folk supports over 5,000 integrations through platforms like Zapier and Make. It includes native email, calendar, and WhatsApp sync, LinkedIn extension, and can enrich contact data using its built-in enrichment tool.
Source