Quick answer
Teamcamp - Teamcamp wins for most builders who want a free tier that can actually run a small team’s day-to-day work, while Basecamp wins if you need a simpler free workspace for one project and you care more about a no-card signup.
How the free tiers compare
These free tiers are aimed at different starting points. Basecamp is the stricter, simpler offer: one project, 1 GB storage, and up to 20 users, with a clean path to a per-seat plan or a high fixed-price unlimited plan. That makes it good for a single client job, a pilot, or a team that wants very limited structure. Teamcamp is more usable as a real operating space: unlimited projects, time tracking, invoicing, integrations, docs, whiteboards, and support, but with tighter limits on users, tasks, and storage. It is better if you need multiple active projects and basic operational features from day one. The tradeoff is sign-up friction, since Basecamp explicitly says no card is required, while Teamcamp’s card policy is not stated. After free, Basecamp’s entry paid tier is more expensive per seat, while Teamcamp’s paid ladder starts lower and scales more gradually for small teams.
Basecamp vs Teamcamp free tier, side by side
| BasecampFTV 41 | TeamcampFTV 43 | |
|---|---|---|
| ProjectsBasecamp free is project-capped; Teamcamp free is not. | One project at a time | Unlimited projects |
| UsersBasecamp is more generous on free-user count. | Up to 20 users | Up to 10 users |
| StorageSame storage cap on both free tiers. | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| TasksTask limit is only given for Teamcamp free. | Not stated | 250 tasks |
| Time trackingTeamcamp exposes more operational features on free. | Not included in free tier items | Included |
| Invoicing and paymentRelevant if you bill clients from the same workspace. | Not included in free tier items | Included |
| Credit card required for free signupOnly Basecamp explicitly says no credit card is required. | No | Not stated |
After you outgrow the free tier
Basecamp’s paid path is simpler: Plus is $15 per user per month, then Pro Unlimited is a flat $299/month billed annually with no per-user charges. Teamcamp is cheaper at entry and stays more flexible for small teams: Plus is $6 per user/month billed annually, and Pro Unlimited is $99/month billed annually for unlimited users. For small teams, Teamcamp is usually cheaper; Basecamp becomes more interesting if you want a fixed-price unlimited plan or fewer add-on decisions. No usage-based rates were provided, so there are no true usage scenarios to calculate beyond seat counts.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Basecamp | Teamcamp |
|---|---|---|
| 5 usersUsing the first paid tier pricing shown in the input. | $75/mo | $30/mo billed annually or $40/mo billed monthly |
| 10 usersAt this size, Teamcamp’s first paid tier is much cheaper. | $150/mo | $60/mo billed annually or $80/mo billed monthly |
| 20 usersBasecamp scales linearly per seat; Teamcamp’s first paid tier removes the user cap. | $300/mo | Not available on the first paid tier as shown; free tier allows up to 10 users, paid Plus says unlimited users |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Basecamp when…
- You only need one active project at a time and are fine deleting it to start another.
- You want the simplest possible free account and the signup flow matters, especially no card required.
- You are testing Basecamp with a client or internal pilot before deciding whether to move to a paid plan.
- You value a larger user cap on the free tier more than extra features, since Basecamp allows up to 20 users.
Pick Teamcamp when…
- You need unlimited projects on the free tier because your team runs several client jobs or internal workstreams at once.
- You want time tracking, invoicing, docs, whiteboards, and integrations included before paying.
- You are a small agency or studio that needs a practical free workspace with day-to-day operations in one place.
- You expect to hit task limits before user limits, since Teamcamp gives 250 tasks on free but much more workflow tooling.
- You want a cheaper first paid step for a small team, since Teamcamp’s Plus tier starts at $6 per user/month billed annually.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, Teamcamp is the better free-tier pick because it gives you more of the operational stack without paying first: unlimited projects, time tracking, invoicing, docs, whiteboards, and integrations. Basecamp is the better choice if your priority is a very simple, no-card free account and you are fine living inside one project at a time. If you expect to grow into paid usage, Teamcamp is also cheaper at the entry tier, while Basecamp only makes sense if its workflow fits you better.
Read the full listings: Basecamp and Teamcamp. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.