Softwr

Project Management · head to head

Basecamp vs Tempo Timesheets

Basecamp logo

Basecamp

Project Management

Project management & team collaboration software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tempo Timesheets logo

Tempo Timesheets

Project Management

Time tracking for Jira

From
$1/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Tempo Timesheets tempo license size must match Jira license size
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Basecamp and Tempo Timesheets actually diverge.

Attributes where Basecamp and Tempo Timesheets differ
AttributeBasecampTempo Timesheets
Starting priceFree$1/month
Free tierYesNo
Founded2004Unknown

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Project Management).

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 Tempo Timesheets

Nothing recorded that Basecamp does not also cover.

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

Tempo Timesheets

  • Allocating developer time across multiple Jira projects to balance workloadnot Basecamp
  • Tracking project profitability by correlating billable hours against actual costsnot Basecamp
  • Managing PMO budget forecasts as teams report time against initiativesnot Basecamp
  • Measuring AI-assisted work productivity within engineering projectsnot Basecamp
  • Analyzing portfolio ROI by comparing planned budgets against actual spendnot 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

Tempo Timesheets

  • Tempo license size must match Jira license size
  • Cloud platform limited to maximum 100,000 users
  • Additional complementary products (Financial Manager, Capacity Planner, Structure PPM) require separate licensing

Pricing, plan by plan

Basecamp

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 active project
    • 1 GB storage
    • 5 maximum users
  • Freelancer$25/month
    • 3 active projects
    • 5 GB storage
    • 20 maximum users
  • Studio$59/month
    • 10 active projects
    • 25 GB storage
    • Unlimited users
  • Pro$99/month
    • 25 active projects
    • 100 GB storage
    • Unlimited users

Tempo Timesheets

$1/month
  • 1-10 users$1/month
    • Per-user pricing tier
    • Small team access
  • 11-100 users$5.21/month
    • Per-user pricing tier
    • Volume discount applied
  • 101-250 users$3.66/month
    • Per-user pricing tier
    • Further volume discount
  • 251-1,000 users$1.81/month
    • Per-user pricing tier
    • Large team discount

Which should you pick?

Choose Basecamp if

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

Choose Tempo Timesheets if

Nothing in the data separates Tempo Timesheets from Basecamp on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Tempo Timesheets review

Questions people ask

Is Basecamp or Tempo Timesheets better?
Neither clearly leads. Basecamp starts at Free and Tempo Timesheets at $1/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Basecamp or Tempo Timesheets?
Basecamp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Basecamp and $1/month for Tempo Timesheets.
Does Basecamp or Tempo Timesheets run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Basecamp for free?
Yes. Basecamp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tempo Timesheets starts at $1/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 Tempo Timesheets is typically brought in for.
What can Basecamp do that Tempo Timesheets cannot?
Basecamp covers Message boards, To-do lists, Schedules, Documents & files.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Basecamp: Does Basecamp charge per user?

No, Studio tier and higher include unlimited users at no additional charge. The Free plan supports up to 5 users, and Freelancer supports up to 20 users.

Source
Tempo Timesheets: How does Tempo pricing scale with team size?

Tempo uses a progressive per-user pricing model. 1-10 users cost $1/user/month, 11-100 users cost $5.21/user/month, and prices decrease significantly for larger teams, reaching as low as $0.25-$0.39/user/month for 5,001+ users.

Source
Basecamp: How much storage does each Basecamp plan include?

Free includes 1 GB; Freelancer includes 5 GB; Studio includes 25 GB; Pro includes 100 GB; Unlimited includes 1 TB and can be expanded to 6 TB for an additional $100/month.

Source
Tempo Timesheets: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, a free trial is available through the Atlassian Marketplace. You can test Tempo before committing to a paid subscription.

Source
Basecamp: What trial periods does Basecamp offer?

30-day free trial is available for all plans except Unlimited, which offers a 45-day free trial. No credit card required.

Source
Tempo Timesheets: What payment options does Tempo offer?

Tempo offers both monthly and annual payment options. Annual subscriptions typically provide savings compared to month-to-month billing.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Basecamp

More on Tempo Timesheets

Keep looking

Other head to heads