Basecamp vs Smartsheet

Basecamp and Smartsheet are both project management options. Basecamp lists 8 features across 5 platforms; Smartsheet lists 7 features across 5 platforms — see the full breakdown below, sourced from each vendor's own site rather than ratings or reviews.

Side-by-side summary

ComparingBasecampSmartsheet

CategoryProject ManagementProject Management

Alternatives tracked44

PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android

Pricing modelFree + paid plansPaid plans

Best for Basecamp

Teams, companies, and nonprofits who want centralized project coordination instead of scattered email, chat apps, and browser tabs.

Best for Smartsheet

Project and portfolio managers, enterprise PMOs, and IT teams who want spreadsheet-familiar tools with enterprise-grade governance.

Feature comparison

Every feature listed here comes directly from each vendor's own official site.

Basecamp

Message boards for team-wide discussions
To-do lists with assignments and due dates
Card table for Kanban-style workflow tracking
Hill charts for visualizing project progress
Campfire group chat for real-time messaging
Document and file storage
Team schedule and calendar
Automatic check-in questions for async updates

Smartsheet

Grid and spreadsheet-style work views
Gantt charts for timeline and dependency tracking
Workflow automation to reduce manual work
Forms and centralized intake and approval workflows
Role-based dashboards and reporting
Resource planning and workload balancing
Integrations with Microsoft, Salesforce, Slack, and Jira

Pros and cons

Basecamp

Pros

Message boards for team-wide discussions
To-do lists with assignments and due dates
Card table for Kanban-style workflow tracking
Hill charts for visualizing project progress
Campfire group chat for real-time messaging
Document and file storage
Team schedule and calendar
Automatic check-in questions for async updates

Cons

The Free plan is limited to one project, 1 GB of storage, and 5 users.
Freelancer, Studio, and Pro cap active projects at 3, 10, and 25 respectively; unlimited projects require the much higher-priced Unlimited plan.

Smartsheet

Pros

Grid and spreadsheet-style work views
Gantt charts for timeline and dependency tracking
Workflow automation to reduce manual work
Forms and centralized intake and approval workflows
Role-based dashboards and reporting
Resource planning and workload balancing
Integrations with Microsoft, Salesforce, Slack, and Jira

Cons

Pro is restricted to 1-10 members and is available only to new customers on the current pricing page.
Business requires at least 3 members, while Enterprise and Advanced Work Management use custom pricing.

Key differences

Basecamp lists Message boards for team-wide discussions, To-do lists with assignments and due dates, Card table for Kanban-style workflow tracking, Hill charts for visualizing project progress, Campfire group chat for real-time messaging, Document and file storage, Team schedule and calendar, Automatic check-in questions for async updates that Smartsheet doesn't list.
Smartsheet lists Grid and spreadsheet-style work views, Gantt charts for timeline and dependency tracking, Workflow automation to reduce manual work, Forms and centralized intake and approval workflows, Role-based dashboards and reporting, Resource planning and workload balancing, Integrations with Microsoft, Salesforce, Slack, and Jira that Basecamp doesn't list.

Choose Basecamp if…

Choose Basecamp if this fits: Teams, companies, and nonprofits who want centralized project coordination instead of scattered email, chat apps, and browser tabs. Compared with Smartsheet specifically, Basecamp also offers Message boards for team-wide discussions, To-do lists with assignments and due dates, Card table for Kanban-style workflow tracking, and 5 more features that Smartsheet doesn't list.

Visit Basecamp

Choose Smartsheet if…

Choose Smartsheet if this fits: Project and portfolio managers, enterprise PMOs, and IT teams who want spreadsheet-familiar tools with enterprise-grade governance. Compared with Basecamp specifically, Smartsheet also offers Grid and spreadsheet-style work views, Gantt charts for timeline and dependency tracking, Workflow automation to reduce manual work, and 4 more features that Basecamp doesn't list.

Visit Smartsheet

Explore the Smartsheet alternatives decision guide

Facts on this page are sourced from each vendor's official site (linked below), not from ratings or reviews. Products change — verify anything that matters to your decision directly on the vendor's own site before switching. See our Disclaimer and Sources Policy.