Basecamp vs Microsoft Project comparison

37signals and Microsoft are both solutions in the Project Management Software category. 37signals is ranked #30, while Microsoft is ranked #3 with an average rating of 7.7. 37signals holds a 0.9% mindshare in PMS, compared to Microsoft’s 7.7% mindshare. Additionally, 66% of 37signals users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Basecamp

Read 3 Basecamp reviews

244 Views
188 Comparison Views

66% willing to recommend

Microsoft Project

Read 81 Microsoft Project reviews

4,459 Views
2,211 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Basecamp

Microsoft Project

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Basecamp and Microsoft Project are project management tools with distinct strengths. Microsoft Project is more feature-rich, suiting complex project requirements, whereas Basecamp offers simplicity for smaller team setups.

Features: Basecamp emphasizes ease of use, focusing on essential features like task lists, document storage, and communication channels that streamline team collaboration. Microsoft Project is equipped with Gantt charts, advanced scheduling, and detailed resource management, allowing it to handle sophisticated project management tasks.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Basecamp is cloud-based, allowing fast deployment with minimal onboarding, supported mainly by online resources. Microsoft Project has a more involved setup process but provides comprehensive customer support and integration options with other Microsoft services, reflecting its complexity.

Pricing and ROI: Basecamp is available at a flat rate of $99 per month, offering cost-efficient project management for teams needing basic tools and ensuring prompt ROI. Microsoft Project has several pricing tiers, starting at $10 per user per month for basic plans and up to $55 per user for premium services, justifying its higher upfront investment by providing substantial long-term benefits for larger projects.

To learn more, read our detailed Basecamp vs. Microsoft Project Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Basecamp vs. Microsoft Project

April 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Basecamp

Ranking in Project Management Software

30th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Project

Ranking in Project Management Software

3rd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Project Management Software category, the mindshare of Basecamp is 0.9%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Project is 7.7%, down from 12.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Project Management Software

Featured Reviews

Abenazzer Tadesse

Chief Operations Officer at BeOnline ICT

An easy-to-use project management solution with good stability and scalability

The recent update on the solution has made it a little bit complex. For example, to create a team and a project, there is a separate button that you need to click. Recently they updated it with only one button making it difficult for us to create teams or supply teams other than a project. Hence the solution could be more user-friendly. Additionally, some additional features need to be integrated so it'll be easy for other companies or project managers to manage software projects.

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Nurul Asyikin Wahab

Management Design Civil Structure at Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd

Efficient project management with robust data tracking and an easy setup

When I have too many elements or items in a project, it becomes cumbersome, especially during printing. Non-technical users do not need all the data, so it's primarily for technical personnel. Without guidance, it's challenging to use the app. With guidance and expert knowledge, it becomes manageable, however, it's not for non-technical teams. The worst part is handling too many items, like 1,000 items, which Microsoft Project struggles with, especially when printing. Printing on A3 size is quite burdensome, so I prefer viewing it on a tablet or computer. On a tablet or phone, I can see the full project elements depending on the screen size.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The ease of use is valuable."

"The ability to network informally is great for communicating with colleagues."

"Microsoft Project is used to track the project delivery and the project management."

"It's an easy solution to set up."

"If you work with Microsoft, it's very easy to work with this."

"They now have MS project Online and they have two levels, so it's easier to access what you need and to choose specifically what you'll use. You can start at a lower level, for example, and be more cost-effective and move up if it suits you."

"I find all the features of the solution valuable."

"Being able to get a milestone schedule or a breakdown out of it is valuable. It can integrate into Visio, which is helpful."

"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that the product's GUI is very good...The product's scalability is good."

"The most valuable feature is probably the Kanban diagram. People are familiar with the Kanban tools. When they do their scrum meetings, they have that Kanban board where you can see the different tiles for all the queries and move them from left to right. IT is familiar with that because, for development, most of the tools have that capability. It could also be more graphical, like Asana."

More Microsoft Project pros

Cons

"The product isn't easy to use. It's not very intuitive."

"The solution could be more user-friendly."

"The licensing cost is expensive and has room for improvement."

"Microsoft Project has much room for improvement. The solution is still stuck where it was in 2013. Not much has changed since then. There is a lot that can be changed in the enterprise segment."

"The Gantt set needs to be improved. The grid lines needs to be more interactive."

"The solution could be more flexible when it comes to integration."

"The tool's most valuable feature is scheduling."

"Microsoft Project is very expensive, costing roughly double what it should. We purchase perpetual licenses due to the high cost of subscriptions, which are about 1,000 Australian dollars."

"I would like to see an entire baseline, like in JIRA."

"Could be more user-friendly, and forecasting could be better."

More Microsoft Project cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Microsoft Project is an expensive solution."

"I am not involved with this."

"I do not remember the exact cost we paid but usually, they charge per user per month."

"The licensing model is somewhat complex."

"Licensing costs vary depending on the user volume. The pricing is good, I'd rate it four out of five."

"I do not have personal experience with pricing or licensing of this product."

"You do not have to invest much in terms of configuring this solution to suit your needs."

"The license is a one-time payment but it is expensive."

More Microsoft Project pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Educational Organization

68%

Computer Software Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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Has anyone moved from Microsoft Project to Smartsheet? How has your experience been with Smartsheet?

Hi @Eire Zimmermann, I helped an organization evaluate both MS-Project and Smartsheet when they were conducting their PM tool RFP. The short of it is this, MS Project is not caught up with the mo...

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What do you like most about Microsoft Project?

The product's initial setup phase is easy.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Project?

The issue with Microsoft is that the license is per personnel, making it expensive.

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Comparisons

No data available

Jira vs Microsoft Project

Compared 15% of the time

Microsoft Project Server vs Microsoft Project

Compared 12% of the time

Planisware vs Microsoft Project

Compared 9% of the time

Freshservice vs Microsoft Project

Compared 7% of the time

Asana vs Microsoft Project

Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Project Management Software

March 2025

Download Basecamp product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Project

March 2025

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Also Known As

No data available

Project Pro, MS Project

Overview

Basecamp is a web-based project-management tool developed by Basecamp and launched in 2004, with a new version being launched in 2012. Basecamp offers to-do lists, wiki-style web-based text documents, milestone management, file sharing, time tracking, and a messaging system. Basecamp Classic also offers integration with Basecamp's own Campfire product, and features APIs that are used by a host of web and mobile apps. Basecamp Classic's interface is available in different languages (e.g. Spanish, French, Italian, German, Finnish and Japanese). The newer version of Basecamp currently only supports English as the interface language.

37signals

Microsoft Project helps you get started quickly and execute projects with ease. Built-in templates and familiar scheduling tools help project managers and teams stay productive.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Ashland Addison Florist Co., Victory Auto Wreckers, Ideal Box Co., Hollymatic Corp.

Aston Martin, ABANCA, Airbus Group, Capita, Cardiff University, City of Saskatoon, Intel, Pegasus Airlines, South Australia Power Network (SAPN), Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing

Buyer's Guide

Basecamp vs. Microsoft Project

April 2025

Free Report: Basecamp vs. Microsoft Project

Find out what your peers are saying about Basecamp vs. Microsoft Project and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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