Basecamp vs. Microsoft Project

Trying to decide between Basecamp and Microsoft Project?
You could spend your time comparing features

Basecamp vs. Microsoft Project
Or, you can just get started.

Modern work is messy. Documents are in one place. Tasks are in another.
Oh, and don’t forget about all that important stuff buried in email threads
and private chats. Most of us spend our days jumping from app to app
trying to get a handle on all the messages and notifications.


With this flood of interruptions that keeps you from the work you were hired to do, no one would blame you for screaming out JUST LET ME DO MY JOB at that next chime of a notification.

But work doesn’t have to be this way…

For nearly two decades, we’ve been refining Basecamp to be the simplest way to manage projects, communication, and collaboration. No complicated interfaces or unnecessary features you get charged extra for each month. Just a place for you to do your best work, without the constant interruptions.

Our simplicity is why so many leave competitors like ClickUp, Asana, Microsoft Project and monday.com for Basecamp. It’s dialed in and ready to go, right out of the box. Most teams that switch are up and running in under 10 minutes, finishing their day feeling more organized and energized about work than they’ve ever felt before.

If you’re ready to get back to doing your job, and stop looking for something, emailing someone, or sitting in some pointless meeting, it’s time for Basecamp.

The difference between
Microsoft Project and Basecamp

Talk to enough Microsoft Project users and you’ll see a pattern. Out-of-Date. Clunky. Difficult. Confusing. By trying to cram in every feature under the sun, users are forced to spend just as much time searching for what they need to do their jobs as they spend doing the job itself (you know, the thing they were hired to do).

That’s what makes Basecamp different. For nearly two decades, we’ve built project management software that is refreshingly simple. The features that save you time, not waste it. Think of it as project management’s greatest hits. Everything you need, and more importantly, nothing you don’t.

Of course, Basecamp has a ton of great features. But you won’t see us stack them up line by line to compare ourselves against ClickUp, Microsoft Project, monday.com, or anyone else. Because truthfully, most feature tables are just bullshit disguised as value.

And the last thing work needs is more bullshit.

What Basecamp won’t do…

Basecamp is a powerful project management tool.
But part of what makes us special is what we won’t do, such as:

  • Blow up your phone with excessive notifications and messages.
  • Make it easier for coworkers to invite you to pointless meetings.
  • Force you to spend even more time reading and replying to emails.
  • Ask you to dedicate weeks of your life setting up your dashboard.
  • Make it harder to find those docs and files you need.
  • Send your coworkers and clients asking “How do I use this Basecamp thing?”

Why do people switch from
Microsoft Project to Basecamp?

We have a few ideas. But it’s probably better to let real users
who really did switch from Microsoft Project to Basecamp tell you themselves…

For my purposes, Basecamp provided more capability and was simpler and more intuitive for project management than Microsoft Project. Michael S.
Unlike Microsoft Project, I really like that Basecamp lets you build templates, integrate with other platforms, and share projects with just the right people/teams. Sara D.

Still want that list of features?

We don’t throttle features here at Basecamp. And unlike Microsoft Project,
we don’t ask you to pick from dozens of pricing plans (or charge
you a fortune by classifying your team as “Enterprise”).


Basecamp’s pricing plans can be counted on a single hand, and come without the hidden fees that have become standard for most software subscriptions. No matter which Basecamp plan you choose, you get access to our entire collection of powerful project management and work collaboration tools, including:

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