Software · head to head
Salesforce vs Basecamp
The short version
- Only Basecamp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Salesforce sales Cloud tiers as captured 2 January 2024: Starter Suite $25/user/month, Professional $80/user/month, Enterprise $165/user/month, all USD billed annually; Basecamp the free tier allows one project and 1 GB of storage
- They diverge on capability: Salesforce covers Contact management, Basecamp covers Message boards.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Salesforce and Basecamp actually diverge.
| Attribute | Salesforce | Basecamp |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $25/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android, Api | Web |
| Founded | 1999 | 2004 |
Identical on both: 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 Salesforce
- Contact management
- Opportunity management
- Lead management
- Reports & dashboards
- Email integration
- Workflow automation
- Mobile access
- AppExchange
Only in Basecamp
- Message boards
- To-do lists
- Schedules
- Documents & files
- Group chat
- Check-in questions
- Hill Charts
- Email forwards
Both cover
- Slack
- SOC2
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Salesforce
- Sales managementnot Basecamp
- Customer servicenot Basecamp
- Marketing automationnot Basecamp
- Lead generationnot Basecamp
- Analytics & reportingnot Basecamp
Basecamp
- Project management for a small team in one placenot Salesforce
- Message boards and chat alongside to-dosnot Salesforce
- Client collaboration, since guests are not chargednot Salesforce
- Flat-rate project management for a larger team on Pro Unlimitednot Salesforce
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Salesforce
- Sales Cloud tiers as captured 2 January 2024: Starter Suite $25/user/month, Professional $80/user/month, Enterprise $165/user/month, all USD billed annually
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
Salesforce
$25/month- Essentials$25/month
- Account & contact management
- Opportunity tracking
- Lead management
- Professional$80/month
- Everything in Essentials
- Complete CRM
- Lead scoring
- Enterprise$165/month
- Everything in Professional
- Workflow automation
- Advanced analytics
- Unlimited$330/month
- Everything in Enterprise
- Unlimited customizations
- 24/7 support
Basecamp
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Basecamp review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Salesforce if
- You need contact management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want opportunity management.
Choose Basecamp if
- You need message boards.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want to-do lists.
Questions people ask
- Is Salesforce or Basecamp better?
- Neither clearly leads. Salesforce starts at $25/month and Basecamp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Salesforce or Basecamp?
- Basecamp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $25/month for Salesforce and Free for Basecamp.
- Does Salesforce or Basecamp run on more platforms?
- Salesforce runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Basecamp runs on Web.
- Can I use Basecamp for free?
- Yes. Basecamp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salesforce starts at $25/month.
- What is Salesforce best used for?
- Salesforce is most often used for sales management, customer service, marketing automation, lead generation. Of those, sales management and customer service are not what Basecamp is typically brought in for.
- What can Salesforce do that Basecamp cannot?
- Salesforce covers Contact management, Opportunity management, Lead management, Reports & dashboards. Basecamp covers Message boards, To-do lists, Schedules, Documents & files. Both handle Slack, SOC2.