Basecamp vs Trello — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Basecamp starts at $15/mo. Trello starts at $6/mo. Trello is $9/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Basecamp.
Project management from 37signals (the company behind Ruby on Rails and Hey email). Positioned as the anti-Slack, anti-Asana alternative for teams that want fewer tools and less feature bloat. Distinctive for founders David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried's opinionated "work is not war" philosophy and their flat pricing: $299/mo flat for unlimited users on Pro Unlimited. Bootstrapped, profitable, cult-following in remote-first companies.
Kanban board that started as a side project at Fog Creek and sold to Atlassian for $425M in 2017. Distinctive for the simple card-drag UX that spawned dozens of clones. Free tier includes unlimited cards; paid tiers add automation (Butler), admin controls, and advanced features. Popular with side projects and small teams that would find Jira overwhelming. Now positioned as Atlassian's SMB on-ramp to the broader Jira/Confluence stack.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Basecamp monthly | Basecamp annual | Trello monthly | Trello annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Plus / Standard | $15 | $15 | $6 | $5 |
| Pro / power | Pro Unlimited / Premium | $349 | $299 | $12.5 | $10 |
| Enterprise | — / Enterprise | — | — | Custom | $17.5 |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Basecamp is worth it if… small teams (5-50 people) that want flat-fee unlimited-user project management with a strong opinion about async communication — no complex Gantt charts, no per-seat scaling. Pro Unlimited is a flat monthly rate regardless of team size (huge value at scale).
Trello is worth it if… small teams (1-20 people) that want free visual kanban boards — the tool your team already knows how to use without training. Free covers most small team needs; Standard adds unlimited boards; Premium adds timeline/calendar views.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — Basecamp is flat rate, Trello is per seat.
Choose Basecamp over Trello if…
Choose Basecamp if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (flat rate, from $15/mo).
- You match the profile Basecamp is built for: small teams (5-50 people) that want flat-fee unlimited-user project management with a strong opinion about async communication — no complex Gantt charts, no per-seat scaling.
- You need a general-purpose project management option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Trello if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $6/mo).
- You match the profile Trello is built for: small teams (1-20 people) that want free visual kanban boards — the tool your team already knows how to use without training.
- You need a general-purpose project management option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Basecamp | Trello | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $15/mo | $6/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Flat Rate | Per Seat |
| Last verified | September 14, 2026 | September 18, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 18, 2026. Tracked daily.