Basecamp vs Todoist: Which Is Better in 2026?
Basecamp is an opinionated tool from 37signals that bundles a message board, to-do lists, a schedule, file storage and group chat into each project. Todoist is a to-do list that scales up to small teams. Basecamp’s strength is calm, written-first collaboration, especially with clients who need to see progress without learning a tool; Todoist’s is capturing and organizing tasks with almost no friction, for one person or a handful.
01Pricing
Basecamp: the Freelancer plan is a flat $25/mo, whatever the size of the team. Todoist: the Pro plan costs $5/user/mo, about $50 a month for a team of ten. At ten people Basecamp is cheaper by about $25 a month, or $300 a year. Basecamp has a free plan (up to 5 users on 1 project). Todoist has a free plan (5 personal projects with 5 people on each).
| Team size | Basecamp | Todoist |
|---|---|---|
| 5 users | $25 | $25 |
| 10 users | $25 | $50 |
| 25 users | $59 (Studio) | $125 |
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Limits | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1 project; 1 GB storage; Up to 5 users | |
| Freelancer | n/a | $25 | Up to 3 active projects; 5 GB storage; Up to 20 users | 24/7/365 support; Project templates; Time tracking; Enhanced admin features |
| Studio | n/a | $59 | Up to 10 active projects; 25 GB storage; Unlimited users | Unlimited users; Unlimited tools per project; Annual billing option |
| Pro | n/a | $99 | Up to 25 active projects; 100 GB storage; Unlimited users | 25 active projects; 100 GB storage |
| Unlimited | $299 | n/a | Unlimited projects; 1 TB storage; Unlimited users | Unlimited projects; Priority 24/7/365 support; Personalized onboarding; Annual billing by check, ACH, wire |
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Limits | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 5 personal projects; 5 people per project; 5 MB file uploads; 3 filter views | |
| Pro † | $5/user | $7/user | 300 personal projects; 100 MB file uploads; 150 filter views | Calendar layout; Task duration; Custom reminders; Unlimited activity history |
| Business † | $8/user | $10/user | Up to 500 team projects; 250 people per team project; Up to 1,000 team members | Shared team workspace; Shared templates; Team activity logs; Team roles and permissions |
Prices are per month on annual billing, except Basecamp (monthly billing; no annual price published). † marks prices taken from the vendor’s documentation or page data instead of its visible pricing page. Basecamp pricing and Todoist pricing have the full detail.
02The Two Tools
Basecamp
Basecamp is an opinionated tool from 37signals that bundles a message board, to-do lists, a schedule, file storage and group chat into each project. It leaves out Gantt charts, dependencies and most reporting on purpose. It also refuses to charge per seat, which is rare in this category.
- Best at
- Calm, written-first collaboration, especially with clients who need to see progress without learning a tool.
- Falls short
- There are no dependencies, no workload planning and little reporting, so it suits communication-heavy work better than tightly scheduled projects.
Todoist
Todoist is a to-do list that scales up to small teams. Tasks are typed in plain language, sorted into projects, and filtered by labels, priorities and due dates, with boards and calendars as alternative views. It is quick and unobtrusive, and it does not pretend to be a full project manager.
- Best at
- Capturing and organizing tasks with almost no friction, for one person or a handful.
- Falls short
- There are no Gantt charts, dependencies or workload views, and reporting is minimal.
03Which Fits Your Situation
| If you are | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | Basecamp | Flat pricing and built-in messaging replace several apps for a small company. |
| Enterprise | Neither | Neither is a natural fit for enterprise. |
| Freelancers | Todoist | A quick personal task list that costs little and needs no setup. |
| Startups | Neither | Neither is a natural fit for startups. |
| Remote Teams | Basecamp | Message boards and check-ins are built in, so discussion happens in writing instead of in meetings. |
04Verdict
Choose Basecamp if you care more about clear communication than about charts. Choose Todoist if you mostly need a shared task list, not a project-management system.
05FAQ
Is Basecamp or Todoist cheaper?
For a team of ten, Basecamp comes to about $25 a month and Todoist to about $50. Prices are per month on annual billing, except Basecamp (monthly billing; no annual price published).
Do Basecamp and Todoist have free plans?
Basecamp has a free plan (up to 5 users on 1 project). Todoist has a free plan (5 personal projects with 5 people on each).
Which is easier to learn, Basecamp or Todoist?
There is little between them: both are quick to set up.
Which is better for remote teams, Basecamp or Todoist?
Basecamp. Message boards and check-ins are built in, so discussion happens in writing instead of in meetings.