Trello vs Basecamp

by Gralio Feb 02, 2025

Trello and Basecamp are project management tools with key differences. Trello is visually driven, using Kanban boards for task management, while Basecamp focuses on centralized communication and collaboration. Trello's strength lies in its intuitive interface and integrations, while Basecamp excels at streamlining team communication. Choose Trello for visual task management and Basecamp for all-in-one team collaboration.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 7397 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 day, 17 hours, 35 minutes of reading.

Logo of Trello
Trello
Logo of Basecamp
Basecamp

About

Trello is a visual project management tool that helps teams organize tasks and collaborate more effectively. Using boards, lists, and cards, teams can easily track progress on projects, from simple to-do lists to complex workflows. Trello offers a high level of customization with features like templates, integrations with other popular apps, and no-code automation. Its intuitive interface makes it easy for anyone to use, regardless of technical skill. Trello offers various pricing plans to suit different team sizes and needs, including a free plan for small teams.
Basecamp is a software application designed to simplify teamwork and communication within organizations of all sizes. It offers a centralized platform for managing projects, assigning tasks, sharing documents, scheduling deadlines, and engaging in real-time discussions, all in one place. Basecamp aims to streamline workflows, enhance team collaboration, and reduce reliance on lengthy meetings and email threads. Its straightforward design promotes clarity and ease of use.

Summary

Main difference
Trello excels in visual project management with Kanban boards, customizable workflows, and an intuitive interface, making it ideal for task-oriented teams. Basecamp offers a comprehensive suite of tools for team communication, file sharing, and project discussion, making it better for teams prioritizing centralized collaboration.

Relative strengths of Trello (compared to Basecamp)

  • Superior Kanban-style task management with customizable boards and lists.

  • Integrates seamlessly with popular apps like Google Drive, Slack, and others, extending functionality.

  • User-friendly interface, easy to learn and use, even for non-technical users.

Relative weaknesses of Trello (compared to Basecamp)

  • Lacks built-in time tracking and advanced reporting features.

  • Limited free version and file upload restrictions can be frustrating.

  • Mobile app, while functional, could be improved for a better mobile experience.

Who should use Trello VS. Basecamp

Trello is a visual project management tool ideal for teams seeking a simple, customizable way to organize tasks and boost collaboration. Its drag-and-drop interface and integrations with popular apps make it easy to use, although some users find the free version limiting. Trello is praised for its visual simplicity, making project tracking effortless.

Basecamp is a project management and team collaboration software ideal for teams of all sizes, especially those working remotely or on complex projects. Users praise its consolidated to-do lists and real-time notifications. However, some users mention the lack of time-tracking and advanced reporting features. It simplifies teamwork by centralizing communication and tasks.

  • Best for small to medium-sized businesses.

  • Ideal for IT, marketing, and other project-heavy industries.

  • Best for small to medium-sized businesses.

  • Suitable for most industries, especially those requiring remote team collaboration and efficient task management.

Trello and Basecamp features

Supported
Partially supported
Not supported
Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need
  • Message Board
    Partially supported

    Trello supports discussions via card comments and third-party chat integrations.

    Supported

    Basecamp offers a centralized message board for focused discussions, replacing scattered email threads.

  • Visual project views
    Supported

    Trello offers Timeline, Table, Calendar, Dashboard, Map, and Workspace views.

    Supported

    Basecamp supports visual project views with features like Lineup, Markers, Move the Needle, and Mission Control.

  • Kanban board
    Supported

    Trello has built-in Kanban boards for task and workflow management.

    Supported

    Basecamp supports Kanban-style boards called "Card Tables".

  • Time Tracking
    Partially supported

    Trello does not natively support time tracking but can be integrated with third-party time tracking applications to track time spent on tasks and projects.

    Supported

    Basecamp supports time tracking natively in Classic and via an add-on in versions 3 and 4.

  • Client portals
    Partially supported

    Trello does not natively support dedicated client portals but can be integrated with external tools to provide similar functionality.

    Supported

    Basecamp provides dedicated client portals for accessing project information and collaborating.

  • Collaboration features
    Supported

    Trello supports collaboration features such as comments and file sharing, enabling team members to work together on tasks.

    Supported

    Basecamp provides features for commenting on tasks and sharing files.

Qualities

  • Value and Pricing Transparency
    +0
    Neutral sentiment
    -0.17
    Neutral sentiment
  • Customer Service
    -0.14
    Neutral sentiment
    -0.14
    Neutral sentiment
  • Ease of Use
    +0.85
    Strongly positive sentiment
    +0.83
    Strongly positive sentiment
  • Reliability and Performance
    +0.62
    Rather positive sentiment
    +0.5
    Rather positive sentiment
  • Ease of Implementation
    +0.61
    Rather positive sentiment
    +0.57
    Rather positive sentiment
  • Scalability
    -0.51
    Rather negative sentiment
    -0.67
    Rather negative sentiment
Trello and Basecamp Pricing
Trello offers a free plan for up to 10 collaborators per Workspace and paid plans billed per user monthly or annually (annual billing shown).
Plans

See full Pricing page

No data

User sentiment

Neutral
-0.17
We couldn't find a pricing page for Basecamp.

Trello and Basecamp review insights

7397 reviews analysed from and

Users love

  • Easy to use and understand, with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
  • Highly customizable boards, cards, and lists, adaptable to various workflows.
  • Seamless integrations with popular apps like Google Drive and Slack.
  • Trello’s visual simplicity makes project and task tracking easy.
  • Like that you can create and be a part of many different projects and the system will consolidate all of your to-dos.
  • The notification feature is great to keep updates in real time.
  • Ability to copy and paste projects so you can use the steps/to-dos created today for the next time you do the project.
  • Ease of Use

Users dislike

  • Free version limits are frustrating, especially for larger teams and file uploads.
  • The mobile app is good, but could be more tailored to mobile use.
  • Retrieving archived items is difficult and could be improved.
  • Some find the interface cluttered, especially with multiple cards and boards.
  • Calendar should be able to sync as it was yours so everything to schedule seems to be done from your google account.
  • It lacks advanced reporting features, which makes tracking project progress less detailed than I\'d like.
  • It does not include built-in time tracking.
  • No Time Tracking.It does not include built-in time tracking.

Trello and Basecamp Ratings

  • G2
    4.4/5
    (2489)
  • G2
    4.1/5
    (2508)
  • Capterra
    4.4/5
    (2400)

Company health

Employee growth

No data
5% increase in the last year

Web traffic

No data
16% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

No data
No data

How do Trello's customizable views compare to Basecamp's centralized platform for communication?

Trello's customizable views, including Kanban boards, lists, and calendars, focus on visual task management and workflow organization, allowing users to tailor their view to their specific needs. Basecamp, on the other hand, emphasizes centralized communication and project management. While Basecamp does offer to-do lists and project organization features, it prioritizes streamlining communication through message boards, real-time chat, and client portals, rather than offering multiple customizable views of tasks and projects like Trello.

Which product better facilitates client interaction, Trello's integrations or Basecamp's client portals?

Basecamp's client portals offer a more direct and focused way to facilitate client interaction compared to Trello's integrations. While Trello's integrations allow connection with various other platforms, Basecamp's client portals provide a dedicated space specifically for client communication and collaboration within the project context. This centralized approach can streamline client updates, feedback sharing, and file access, leading to clearer communication and stronger client relationships.

What are the advantages of Trello?

Trello's advantages include its ease of use and intuitive interface, highly customizable boards, lists, and cards for flexible workflows, seamless integrations with popular apps, and a free plan available for small teams. Its visual approach to project management makes it simple to track progress and manage tasks, making it ideal for teams seeking a straightforward yet powerful project management solution.

What are the disadvantages of Trello?

Trello's free version has limitations, especially regarding team size and file uploads. Some users find the interface cluttered when dealing with numerous cards and boards. Retrieving archived items can be difficult. While the mobile app exists, some users find it lacking compared to the desktop version. Finally, Trello lacks robust reporting features for detailed progress tracking.

Alternatives to Trello and Basecamp

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CogniSaaS
CogniSaaS is a software platform designed for onboarding new customers and managing projects, particularly for enterprise SaaS companies. It aims to streamline customer projects, improve team collaboration, and provide data-driven insights to optimize project delivery and revenue recognition. CogniSaaS offers features like task management, customer collaboration tools, timesheet tracking, reporting dashboards, and resource management functionalities. Their focus on customer success and industry best practices sets them apart.
Logo of monday.com
monday.com
monday.com is a customizable work platform designed to streamline workflows and improve team collaboration. It offers a suite of products, including monday work management, monday sales CRM, and monday dev, each tailored to specific team needs. With features like dashboards, automations, and integrations, monday.com enables businesses to manage projects, track progress, and make data-driven decisions. Its flexible and adaptable design caters to various industries and scales as organizations grow.
Logo of ClickUp
ClickUp
ClickUp is a comprehensive work management platform designed to consolidate various work processes into one centralized location. It offers a wide array of features including task management, project planning, document collaboration, communication tools, goal setting, and automation options. ClickUp aims to enhance team collaboration, improve visibility across projects, and streamline workflows for increased productivity regardless of team size or industry.
Logo of Linear
Linear
Linear is a software platform designed for product development teams of all sizes to manage projects and build products efficiently. It provides tools to streamline and track issues, manage sprints, and build product roadmaps. Linear enables teams to collaborate on ideas, plan projects, visualize progress, and gain insights from real-time data analytics. It integrates with popular tools like Slack and Figma, making it a comprehensive solution for managing modern software development workflows.
Logo of Asana
Asana
Asana is a work management platform designed to help teams organize tasks, projects, and goals in one shared space. It offers tools to improve team collaboration, transparency, and accountability. Used by companies of all sizes, it's particularly beneficial for managing complex projects and keeping everyone aligned on priorities. Features include task assignments, progress tracking, deadline setting, and communication tools. Asana aims to streamline workflows, enhance team productivity, and provide a clear overview of project statuses.
Logo of Winio
Winio is a project collaboration software designed to simplify teamwork. It provides a central platform for teams to manage tasks, share files, and communicate more effectively. Winio aims to reduce reliance on email and chat apps by offering a dedicated space for focused project discussions and knowledge sharing. Its simple interface caters to teams of all sizes looking for an easy-to-use tool to streamline their workflow and boost productivity.

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