Basecamp Pros and Cons – With 3 Basecamp Alternatives

Businesses today rely heavily on the concerted efforts of its teams and members for its success. This has, therefore, created the need for software that allows collaboration and communication among members to complete a project. Among the most famous of this kind of software is Basecamp which is a project management tool that keeps communication and exchange of information in just one place. The software turns ordinary teams into more productive and better-organized ones without needing frequent meetings. It is equipped with the tools necessary for setting up to-do lists and schedules, allows the creation and uploading of files and documents, and is chat-enabled for members to communicate among themselves.

Basecamp is easy on the eyes because it is organized with icons on the main page instead of with boring linear lists. It allows users to comment on files and assign tasks and notifies them about the user’s recent action. Everything that users talk about occurs in one place, removing the need to send emails and messages on various other platforms and software.

One of Basecamp’s strongest points is its easy setup process which is beneficial, especially for virtual teams.

Top 3 Basecamp Alternative Software

Basecamp Uses

Basecamp has a lot of uses for business and personal purposes, as well as integrations and tools that make project management a lot easier and more fun. We have compiled the top most important of these in the following items.

1. Assigning priorities. Basecamp has the capacity to break down big projects into smaller chunks to make tracking easier. It is also equipped with the visual text editor where users can add details and deadlines for each item before assigned to the specific person.
2. Posting announcements and updating communication. This is done through the message board which brings all communications about a single topic together.
3. Chatting and discussing. Basecamp allows informal conversations among team members through its group chat functionality. Quick communications without the fuss are possible with the software, replacing instant-messaging tools.
4. Tracking progress and deadlines. This is made possible through its schedule feature that allows users to be updated of the task lists that have been added to the system. Real-time updates are provided to remind of tasks that are due.
5. Getting updates without the fuss. Basecamp 3 is capable of automating the process of asking for progress updates from the team. The automatic feature called check-ins processes the questions about the specific tasks, the person to ask, and the time to ask it. Once it has the responses, it gathers them and forwards them over to the source of the request through an easy-to-understand format.

The Cons or Disadvantages of Basecamp

1. No time tracking as of now. One of the most important aspects of project management is time tracking to make sure that a project’s deadline is always met. This is one part of Basecamp that needs improvement.
2. No ability to archive a topic. Basecamp’s topic list can easily get crowded but it doesn’t allow its users to archive unused ones. Oftentimes, these topics stand in the way of the really important ones. Archiving them helps in decluttering without having to delete topics that may be useful in the future.
3. No starring feature. Everyone who has used Google knows how useful the starring feature is. It would be nice to have it on Basecamp so that more important topics rise above the rest. Users can easily go to the starred items section and find the specific file or message they are looking for.
4. Very simple. Simple is beautiful, so goes the saying. But that isn’t always a good thing, especially for project management software like Basecamp. Compared to other tools, it doesn’t have all of the basic features necessary for businesses and teams.

Other software that can be used as an alternative to Basecamp can be read in this article: Top 3 Software Alternatives to Basecamp

The Pros or Advantages of Basecamp

Basecamp isn’t all that bad. Let’s see the positive side of the software.

1. Storage of files and documents in one place. This is especially useful for virtual teams. It makes it easier to find older files because every project is provided with docs and files section.
2. Good pricing system. The pricing system of Basecamp is simple because it only has two options namely the free plan and the paid plan. The first one has limitations on the number of users and projects while the second one offers an unlimited number of users and projects. Aside from that, Basecamp also offers a 30-day free trial to customers who want to know more about the software.
3. On/off notification setting. Basecamp gives the user the option to switch notifications on or off. It can be scheduled according to the users’ preference or left on for those who want to be updated all the time.
4. Great communication system. Basecamp provides its users with various ways to communicate, including through the informal ‘Campfires’ or by ‘pings’ which are private messages sent to only one person.
5. Mobile capability. One other great thing about Basecamp is that it can be accessed not just on a laptop but also on Android and iOS gadgets. Everything is done the same way and the notification settings can also be controlled.
6. Good documents and files storage. Basecamp makes it easy to include documents, files, and images when sending messages. It can also be connected to Google docs so that when documents need to be attached, they can easily be dragged and dropped to upload.
7. Great client access. Clients are an important part of projects which is why Basecamp also gives them access to the software. Client emails can be forwarded straight to Basecamp and team members can share to-dos with clients.
8. Creation of hill charts. These are especially useful when tracking the progress of a project. Updates can be annotated and commented on.
9. Integrations. Basecamp can be integrated with other software and apps. It can also be connected to Bridge24 for Basecamp which expands the existing and non-existing features that are necessary to the users.

Conclusion

Basecamp is a popular project management software because it has been proven by thousands of users to be efficient and effective. Projects have never been this easy to manage, thanks to Basecamp. Even with its few disadvantages, the advantages still reign and that is more than enough reason to use the software.