Basecamp vs. Slack

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Basecamp
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Basecamp is a web-based project-management tool. Basecamp offers features standard to project management platforms, as well as mobile accessibility, unlimited users, and 3rd party integrations. Basecamp is priced by space requirements and concurrent projects.
$15
per month per user
Slack
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Slack is a group messaging or team collaboration app that aims to simplify communication for businesses. Features include open discussions, private groups, and direct messaging, as well as deep contextual search and message archiving, and file sharing. Slack integrates with a number of other tools, such as MailChimp, Dropbox, and Google Drive. Slack was acquired by Salesforce in December 2020. The product is free to use, and also has paid plans with more features and greater controls. The…
$0
Pricing
BasecampSlack
Editions & Modules
Basecamp Plus
$15
per month per user
Basecamp Pro Unlimited
$299
per month (billed annually)
Basecamp Free
Free
Limited Capabilities
Free
$0
Pro
$7.25*
per month per user
Business+
$12.50*
per month per user
Enterprise
Contact Sales
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BasecampSlack
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details*Per active user, per month, when paying once a year. Pro is $8.75 USD per active user when paying month to month. Business+ is $15.00 USD per active user when paying month to month.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BasecampSlack
Considered Both Products
Basecamp
Chose Basecamp
Each platform has pros and cons. We ultimately switched away from Kantata (formerly Mavenlink) because our clients were more familiar with Basecamp.
Chose Basecamp
I like Trello too, but our organization prefers Basecamp so that's what I stick to
Chose Basecamp
We still use all of the other products but basecamp is great for project management.
Chose Basecamp
in my opinion, it is Inferior, clunky, ugly product as compared to the others. I only selected Basecamp on recommendations from someone else who was using it, and have moved on to ClickUp. This Basecamp app failed to notify myself, my teammates and the client so many times, …
Chose Basecamp
I've also used ClickUp and Asana. My personal favorite is ClickUp although it is limited in how it integrates with Slack which caused me to switch to Asana. ClickUp has a ton of features, including on their free plan and in my opinion is much better than Basecamp. Asana is …
Chose Basecamp
Although I favored the alternative products' price models, Basecamp is unrivaled in terms of user-friendliness.
Chose Basecamp
Both programs are good. We went with the one that most people on the team felt comfortable with so we would have the most buy-in. I also like the continual updates and feedback Basecamp takes to heart. Basecamp also has some functionality that met the needs of the organization …
Chose Basecamp
Basecamp is clean, simple, and easy to use.
Chose Basecamp
We found that Basecamp worked better for our needs than these competitors. ML is a bit slow for our purposes, and it doesn't handle images/video in as nice of a way. Invision could potentially work alright for our needs but would require too many different screenshots being …
Chose Basecamp
Basecamp is more user friendly, has a better graphics design, easier to use for less experienced people... able to track progress better.
Chose Basecamp
Basecamp is a feature-rich and user-friendly platform that outpaces other solutions we've explored. The vast number of integrations available, as well as the years of dedicated developers as well as the natively available mobile apps, really make Basecamp a leader in this …
Chose Basecamp
Basecamp is the best application we've found for our team to interface with external clients. It makes project management simple, and allows our clients visibility into their projects, which in turn builds trust, fosters open communication, and improves customer satisfaction. …
Chose Basecamp
Trello is less expensive and the free version works pretty well. For the paid version, Trello is also a really great tool. Overall, I do like Basecamp better. It's a more simple layout and structure to the software. I like the communication threads better on Basecamp. Trello …
Chose Basecamp
Basecamp is probably my least favorite. As a project manager, I'm always auditing our workflow and processes, so I try to run at least trials of project management software to get a feel for if they would help us do things more efficiently. I struggled the most with Basecamp.
Chose Basecamp
We tried other software while selecting paid plans of Basecamp; its customer service is fast and very prompt in comparison to others. Interface and UI & UX is also very good, which is very good for team members. The team loves this product and they are very happy with it. We …
Chose Basecamp
Asana has an expanded list of capabilities over Basecamp. If you're looking for a simple tool, Basecamp is your go-to. If you need something that makes it easy to schedule recurring tasks, dependencies, mass updates, seeing a project map, and capacity of your team, Asana is the …
Chose Basecamp
Trello, Gantify. We selected Basecamp because we liked the card system, even though it was lacking some of the other features we liked from other platforms.
Chose Basecamp
We moved from Basecamp to Monday.com. Monday is much better suited to an environment where most projects are similar to other projects you are currently working on or have already completed. Monday isn't as "social" or as "community building" as Basecamp, but we've always used …
Chose Basecamp
[Basecamp is] simpler to use less ramp-up. It's cheaper per user and allows for a better mobile experience.
Chose Basecamp
Basecamp if far simpler than ClickUp. We use Clickup to manage our internal task management, as it provides more customization, additional views and more room for extreme detail in tasks. We used Basecamp for clients because of its simplicity and ease-of-use. Basecamp requires …
Chose Basecamp
Unlike others, Basecamp has been easy for us to store information and move our projects forward efficiently.
Chose Basecamp
Pretty good, but [Basecamp] has its drawbacks. Honestly I find the interface non-intuitive and sometimes have trouble figuring out how to change the status of a task. Perhaps it has something to do with the way it was originally set up by the admin, but I'm not sure. I liked …
Chose Basecamp
Basecamp is simple to understand, easy to use, and does not come with the bloat and complications of a solution like Teams. It is certainly more organized and easy to follow than simply having a group chat on Slack and Viber. If you need to easily find information, it can be …
Chose Basecamp
We have not used any other project management software. We started with Basecamp and we've never felt the need to use another program.
Slack
Chose Slack
Slack is far superior to Google Chat. There is much better organization and separation of groups/topics using channels and folders. I also believe that Slack is better than Teams. It has many integrations and functionality that make it similar, while also being more of a modern …
Chose Slack
Microsoft Teams, Discord and Google Chat
Chose Slack
Microsoft Teams is slightly more user friendly, due to it being connected to email. It connects to your calendar and is helpful to keep everything together. The notifications are a bit more helpful on Miro because it is live. I enjoy the ease of communication on Teams. It's …
Chose Slack
Slack is far superior to other interoffice communications I have used. It has more features for messaging like the ability to include emojis or react to messages. You can also edit and share messages between conversations. I'm not sure how other platforms have evolved but I …
Chose Slack
not much function as Slack offering. Public & Private Groups creation not available in Hangout
Chose Slack
I evaluated Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams and Google Chat. Slack stood out for its user friendly interface, powerful integrations and fast flexible communication. Microsoft teams felt more formal and complex, while Google chat lacked features. Slack best matched our …
Chose Slack
our team's current non-Microsoft(Google) tech stack, hard-coded into our workflow. It's infinitely more customizable than Teams, easily meeting our requirements. Additionally, Slack has unlimited external users, whereas Teams has limitation, so Slack is the obvious choice for …
Chose Slack
Slack works great with Salesforce and seems the most trendy. MS Teams has some more connectivity with the MS suite which is nice though and a bit more robust as a communication platform when using it for both chat and video. We use a combo of Zoom and Slack for internal …
Chose Slack
I have used Teams, Instagram, and WhatsApp for business, but Slack stands out for how organized and work focused it is. Unlike WhatsApp, which is more casual, or Instagram, which is not built for very professional and secure work chats, Slack keeps everything structured with …
Chose Slack
Trello is a task management tool platform that best complements Slack. Even though you can tag different team members to boards or specific tasks, Slack provides a more robust platform to communicate and share files, ideas, or issues about a task. And can be used as a general …
Chose Slack
I think obviously Slack is much much better than Google chat, in my previous organisation, we used to communicate everything via Google chat or email or Google meet, it was difficult to manage because those application combined had less options and features than Slack.
Chose Slack
I'm not a huge fan of Microsoft in general, I utilize Google and Slack more for my day to day.
Chose Slack

More Intuitive & Simpler Interface – Slack is easier to set up and navigate.
Faster Adoption – No need for complex Microsoft ecosystem integration.
Chose Slack
Slack has just been the best communications tool for our team. Slack integrations are the best, the fact that its multi-device functional and has great features like file sharing at a fast speed, screen sharing, quick and easy to use. I do not think we would ever consider and …
Chose Slack
Slack: It's easy to strike up a chat right away with one-click calls or huddles. By simply pressing the call button, both users are involved without the need to arrange a meeting. Microsoft Teams: With calendar invites, time slot choices, and numerous confirmation processes, …
Chose Slack
The UI is difficult to understand and also to find a particular chat it is difficult to search in Teams. Also Slack has cool features like Slack Workflows and To do lists and Slack Canvas which makes life more easier. Slack apps to integrate existing app and also I use Slack to …
Chose Slack
It is superior to other products in its ability to communicate quickly with other colleagues. I can collaborate and work on multiple projects with colleagues. It is just an amazing product to use at work. I like the ease of using the tool. It’s a much better product than teams …
Chose Slack
I absolutely hate Microsoft teams, I dislike Google chat, I really like Slack. The main reason for that rating boils down to UI and usability. At my company, we have to use teams and chat still when we are interacting with customers or certain other departments within the …
Chose Slack
Slack offers better chat then google chat for mobile devices AWS the Slack chat bot is more informative and efficient to use Azure dev ops and Slack are great to have side by side
Chose Slack
We did not found the same level of features on all these products. Where Slack is better than other ones, is that you are interacting with other really fast, you can jump in open channels, private channels, be updated about topics and also manage different workspaces. The …
Chose Slack
Slack is still one of the best Chat tools on the market, but Zoom Team Chat (Zoom Workplace) is coming up quickly and overall, provides a great tool that is included at no cost.
I believe that Slack still has some development advantages over the competitors at this point still, …
Features
BasecampSlack
Project Management
Comparison of Project Management features of Product A and Product B
Basecamp
7.9
Ratings
3% above category average
Slack
8.2
Ratings
6% above category average
Task Management9.40 Ratings8.20 Ratings
Resource Management8.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Gantt Charts2.00 Ratings6.90 Ratings
Scheduling6.90 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Workflow Automation7.00 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Team Collaboration10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Support for Agile Methodology6.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Support for Waterfall Methodology6.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Document Management9.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Email integration7.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile Access9.60 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Timesheet Tracking10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Change request and Case Management8.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Budget and Expense Management7.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Search00 Ratings8.70 Ratings
Visual planning tools00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Professional Services Automation
Comparison of Professional Services Automation features of Product A and Product B
Basecamp
6.8
Ratings
10% below category average
Slack
-
Ratings
Quotes/estimates8.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Invoicing6.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Project & financial reporting8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with accounting software4.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Communication
Comparison of Communication features of Product A and Product B
Basecamp
-
Ratings
Slack
8.8
Ratings
10% above category average
Chat00 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Notifications00 Ratings9.10 Ratings
Discussions00 Ratings9.60 Ratings
Surveys00 Ratings8.10 Ratings
Internal knowledgebase00 Ratings7.80 Ratings
Integrates with GoToMeeting00 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts00 Ratings8.70 Ratings
Integrates with Outlook00 Ratings8.90 Ratings
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Basecamp
-
Ratings
Slack
8.7
Ratings
10% above category average
Versioning00 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Video files00 Ratings8.80 Ratings
Audio files00 Ratings9.10 Ratings
Document collaboration00 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Access control00 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Advanced security features00 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Integrates with Google Drive00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Device sync00 Ratings9.10 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BasecampSlack
Small Businesses
Stackby
Stackby
Score 9.0 out of 10
Stackby
Stackby
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
InEight
InEight
Score 8.3 out of 10
Troop Messenger
Troop Messenger
Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
InEight
InEight
Score 8.3 out of 10
HCL Connections
HCL Connections
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
BasecampSlack
Likelihood to Recommend
9.3
(0 ratings)
9.4
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(0 ratings)
9.2
(0 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Performance
7.3
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.8
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Online Training
5.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.7
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Configurability
8.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
BasecampSlack
Likelihood to Recommend
Small to mid-size would be a great fit [for Basecamp]. It's simple to use and does not require a ton of ramp-up. Unlike other platforms that require you to learn their terminology in order to use the platform this works well for the non technical user whom just needs to put in simple task updates[.]
Read full review
Slack is really effective for smaller teams to use as an internal communication platform. I think that it's still suitable even for companies of up to 500-1000 employees, but for larger teams it's less appropriate (or would require more aggressive organization, e.g. keeping channels protected and on an invite-only basis). It's really helpful for small team-to-small team communication too (like in our case where we create external channels to support POCs/business partnerships). It's not great for direct collaboration (e.g. it's hard to iterate on a project spec or a document together, directly in Slack) but it's well suited for conversational coordination, like planning meetings or asking informational questions.
Read full review
Pros
  • Task management - It is very easy to add, organize and discuss tasks within Basecamp's interface.
  • The "Campfire" function is great for communicating when you just have a quick question for someone on the team.
  • Notifications - Basecamp lets you decide how often and about what you'd like to be notified. The ability to respond to messages in Basecamp directly via email saves a lot of time.
Read full review
  • Huddles Run smoothly without any interferences.
  • Smooth individual calls quick and easy without any interruptions.
  • seamless notifications across multiple devices
  • The ability to easily tag a team member to urgently attend to a specific escalation.
  • Slack being user friendly and able to integrate easily with other platforms and apps.
  • How to easily open up different channels for different escalations and needs.
  • a safe direct messaging option.
Read full review
Cons
  • High Learning Curve. It's true that it can be easy to use, but to use well and effectively takes some time to learn. It's recommended to have an agreed-upon system in your team of what tools to use and when.
  • Notification Overload. If people aren't careful they could send a notification to everyone when only a couple people were meant to be prompted. And since emails are sent by default, you could have your mailbox overloaded with unnecessary updates. This is where it takes a bit of training in your team to have an agreed-upon system.
  • Lack of organization with Archived Projects. I will often need to reference an archived project to make a new one, but there is only a list of archived projects in alphabetical order, with no way to organize by archive date, or even search.
Read full review
  • Undoubtedly Slack’s search function is powerful but sometimes it is difficult to find specific messages or files in very active channels with high message volumes. This needs an improvement.
  • I have experienced notification issues on my phone. I am not receiving notifications and have missed important updates as a result. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app, but the problem still persists.
  • The Business Plus plan does not include support for data loss prevention or offline backup providers.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
When I bring new people onto a project, it's immediately obvious how to use Basecamp. I don't have to worry about teaching them the features or walking them through it, it's just incredibly user-friendly. For this reason, I'll continue to renew my subscription even as new people are brought onto production jobs or the client changes.
Read full review
Slack sitll lacks in functionality. It's better than Skype for Business in many ways, but it is still another chat/message board app. It has limits in free version and paid versions. Also Windows app has errors that bother me, for example, I see number on one of my team's icons. It suggests that one of channels has unread messages; I check all channels - no unread messages, but that "1" still appears
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Usability
I would give it a ten but we have some very minor issues. Those have all been easy to work around and I still really like Basecamp. We also have trouble with some clients who can only handle email—but those are rare cases when technology is just not their thing.
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The product is fantastic, it keeps everyone connected and ensures detailed connection.
User interface of Slack software is very is very straightforward no need for training.
Availability of unlimited tutorials and demos.
Slack can be easily tailored to perform specific tasks.
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Reliability and Availability
I've never experienced downtime while using Basecamp, or been unable to access it when I needed it. That's not to say they've never had downtime, but I've been lucky enough not to encounter any, and I work odd hours, including late nights when maintenance is often undertaken.
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Yes, the app works 24/7. I don't even recall having any period that we could not use since the implementation. Even the maintenance periods are barely noticeable and our work is not impacted by it when it happens.
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Performance
No answers on this topic
Slack is a soft app, we don't have many issues with it. I recall one or two people complaining about something during our usage period, but I didn't have a bad experience. When the app is slow, usually the problem is with my computer or my internet. The app works just fine.
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Support Rating
For the many reasons I've given, Basecamp is a very strong program. There are a few features I can imagine that might make it even better, but I don't have a basis for comparison to be able to say that there is definitely a better one out there. I've noticed that Basecamp has evolved a bit from the time I started using it until now, so that makes me think that the producer of this program values it and believes in continuous improvement. If you could use the features offered by Basecamp, I would think you could use it with confidence.
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Whenever I've had to troubleshoot an issue with Slack (which, to be honest, has not happened very often), their online documentation has been easy to locate, easy to understand, and effective in resolving my issue. Slack's ever-growing popularity also means that there's a large community of practice out there that can be depended upon.
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Implementation Rating
Decide the process before implementation - i.e. when it's due 8/9 does that mean 8am, noon, 5pm, 11:59pm? Check your to-do list frequently Set-up templates - just not with the dates (they can be funky)
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I was not part of the implementation team, but I recall being 100% happy and excited to learn and use a new tool. I'm still am to be honest.
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Alternatives Considered
Basecamp is the best application we've found for our team to interface with external clients. It makes project management simple, and allows our clients visibility into their projects, which in turn builds trust, fosters open communication, and improves customer satisfaction. It's easy to learn and use, and has just enough customizability to work for many different types of projects.
Read full review
I like Slack better than ClickUp, because I would spend 30-60 minutes a day updating my ClickUp tasks. The way ClickUp was used was very micromanaging. I billed by the hour, so I was willing to put in the time to alert the boss what tasks I was working on.
One of my jobs used Hive - I mostly just ran it in the background in case anyone messaged me. I did not use it often.
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Return on Investment
  • It has helped keep every project organized, with all assets in one accessible place for everyone involved.
  • It has helped with scheduling and assigning tasks so that everyone knows what is expected of them.
  • It has helped keep all client correspondence in one place and within the project so that everything can be found immediately.
  • The search function is very helpful.
Read full review
  • Slack has been incredibly helpful in connecting various tech apps and ecosystems, creating a more streamlined and responsive process.
  • Slack has made it significantly easier to communicate with our team members across multiple time zones, creating a more engaging environment for our all-remote team.
Read full review
ScreenShots