Basecamp vs ProofHub
We give Basecamp a 3.6 GPA and ProofHub a 3.2, out of 4.0. Basecamp grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Basecamp
Flat-priced project management with chat, to-dos and files
ProofHub
Flat-price project management and team collaboration tool
How we grade them
| 3.6GPABasecampExcellent | 3.2GPAProofHubVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BFreelancer is a flat $25 a month for up to 20 users. Fill it and it's far cheaper per head than the $8 or so a user that's typical here. With one or two of you it's dear. And it only covers 3 active projects. Need 10 and it's Studio at $59. | BEssential is a flat $45 a month billed annually, $50 monthly, for unlimited users. Fill it with ten or twenty people and it's far cheaper per head than per-user tools. With two of you it's dear. And custom roles, workflows and API access wait for Ultimate Control at $135. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree for personal use with no credit card, but it's a single project with 1 GB of storage and up to 5 users. Enough to see how it works, not enough to run a business on. Paid plans get a 30-day trial. | CNo free plan. There's a 14-day free trial with no credit card needed, and after that the account expires unless you add payment details. |
| Features | AEach project gets a message board, to-do lists, kanban-style Card Tables, Campfire chat, a schedule and file storage. Hill Charts show where work stands, the Lineup plots every project on a timeline, and client mode controls what clients see. | ATasks on boards, in tables with custom fields, on a Gantt chart with dependencies or on a calendar. Then discussions, chat, notes, request forms, time tracking with timesheets, and proofing, where files get marked up and approved in place. Custom roles and workflows need the top plan. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 from about 20,900 App Store ratings. Every project gets the same page of tools, so once you've seen one you've seen them all. | BNo app rating on record, so a B at best. It's hosted, so there's nothing to install, and tasks, chat and files live in one place. No per-user fee means you can add everybody without doing sums first. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. There's a public API, and it links up with Zapier, Unito and Zoho Flow, plus time trackers like Harvest, Toggl, Clockify and Everhour. | AWeb, iPhone and Android, though on a computer it's browser only. It connects to Slack, Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Calendar, FreshBooks and QuickBooks. There's an API as well, but only on Ultimate Control. |
| Best for | flat-fee projects with clients in the room | big teams tired of paying per user |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Basecamp and ProofHub. How we grade
Where they differ
- Basecamp starts at $25 per month, flat rate for up to 20 users (Freelancer). ProofHub starts at $45 per month, billed annually (flat price, unlimited users).
- Basecamp has a free plan. ProofHub does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Basecamp lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Basecamp also covers templates and calendar.
- ProofHub also covers Gantt & timelines, forms, team chat and reports.
At a glance
| Basecamp | ProofHub | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $25 per month, flat rate for up to 20 users (Freelancer) | $45 per month, billed annually (flat price, unlimited users) |
| Free plan | Free plan for personal use: 1 project, 1 GB of storage and up to 5 users. No credit card required. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial on Freelancer, Studio and Pro; 45 days on Unlimited Edition. No credit card required. | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | 37signals LLC | ProofHub |
| Price read from | basecamp.com | proofhub.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Basecamp
- Agencies and studios that bring clients into projects
- Teams that prefer a flat monthly fee to per-user pricing
- Companies replacing separate chat, file and task tools
ProofHub
- Large teams that would pay more under per-user pricing
- Agencies and creative teams that proof and approve files with clients
- Teams that want tasks, chat and time tracking in one flat-price tool
Worth knowing
Basecamp
- Paid plans are limited by active projects: 3 on Freelancer, 10 on Studio and 25 on Pro.
- The Free plan covers a single project with 1 GB of storage and 5 users.
- Every person added counts as a user, clients included, and Freelancer is capped at 20 users.
- Unlimited Edition is billed annually only, and a paid plan cannot be downgraded to the Free plan.
ProofHub
- There is no free plan: after the 14-day trial an account expires unless payment details are added.
- Essential is limited to 40 projects and 15 GB of storage and leaves out custom roles, workflows, reports and API access.
- Ultimate Control's advertised $89 a month (billed annually) applies to the first three months; it then costs $135, or $150 billed monthly.
- ProofHub lists mobile apps for iOS and Android only; on a computer it is used in the browser.
Key features
Basecamp
- Message Board
- Announcements and discussions are kept as posts inside each project, intended as a replacement for internal email.
- To-dos and Card Tables
- To-do lists support assignees, due dates, attachments and subtasks. Card Tables are Basecamp's version of kanban boards.
- Campfire chat
- Group chat is built into Basecamp, so a team does not need a separate chat app alongside its projects.
- Schedule and Lineup
- A per-project calendar holds deadlines, milestones and events, and the Lineup plots every project on a timeline by start and end date.
- Hill Charts and Automatic Check-ins
- Hill Charts show where a piece of work stands, and Automatic Check-ins ask the team recurring questions on a set schedule.
- Client mode
- Clients can be brought into a project, with control over what they can and cannot see, project by project.
ProofHub
- Board, table, Gantt and calendar views
- Tasks are managed on boards arranged by workflow stage, in a table with custom fields, on a Gantt chart with dependencies, or on a calendar with events and milestones.
- Proofing
- Files are reviewed with markup tools and approved in place, and file versioning keeps earlier revisions.
- Discussions, chat and announcements
- Discussion topics gather ideas and files, chat covers one-on-one and group conversations with teams and clients, and announcements go to the whole team.
- Time tracking
- Time is logged by hand or with a timer against tasks that carry estimates, and timesheets can be sent to FreshBooks or QuickBooks for invoicing.
- Forms and notes
- Request forms let teams and clients submit work requests, support queries or tickets, and notes keep documents organized and shareable.
- Custom roles and workflows
- On Ultimate Control, custom roles decide who can access what and custom workflows define task stages. The plan also adds project and resource reports and activity logs.
Plans
Basecamp
Free$0
One project for personal use, 1 GB of storage and up to 5 users.
Freelancer$25
per month, flat rate
Up to 3 active projects, 5 GB of storage and up to 20 users, with no per-user fees.
Studio$59
per month, flat rate
Up to 10 active projects, 25 GB of storage and unlimited users.
Pro$99
per month, flat rate
Up to 25 active projects, 100 GB of storage and unlimited users.
Unlimited Edition$299
per month, billed annually
Unlimited projects and users, 1,000 GB of storage, priority support and personalized onboarding.
ProofHub
Essential$45
per month, billed annually ($50 billed monthly)
Flat price for unlimited users: 40 projects, 15 GB of storage and the core features. No custom roles, workflows, API access or white labeling.
Ultimate Control$135
per month, billed annually ($150 billed monthly)
Unlimited users and projects, 100 GB of storage, custom roles, workflows, white labeling, IP restrictions and API access. Promoted at $89 for the first 3 months.
Ways to pay less
Basecamp
- Nonprofit
10% off for registered nonprofits
Basecamp's pricing FAQ gives registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits 10% off after verification.
- Education
Free for classroom use
Basecamp is free for K-12 schools, homeschoolers and universities as long as it is used for class work only.
ProofHub
- Annual discount
Lower monthly rate on annual billing
Essential is $45 a month billed annually against $50 billed monthly, and Ultimate Control's regular price is $135 against $150.
- Other savings
Ultimate Control at $89 for the first 3 months
New accounts and upgrades pay $89 a month on annual billing, or $99 on monthly billing, for the first three months. ProofHub says it may end the offer without notice.
- Nonprofit
40% off Ultimate Control for nonprofits
ProofHub's nonprofit page offers 40% off the Ultimate Control plan, shown as $89 instead of $150 a month paid annually, requested by email after signing up.
