Basecamp Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Basecamp costs Free to $349 per user/month as of June 2026, with 3 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Free (free), Pro at $15/user/month, and Pro Unlimited at $349/user/month. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: Yes
Basecamp offers 3 pricing tiers: Free, Pro, Pro Unlimited. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Pro at $15/user/month, Pro Unlimited at $349/month. The Pro plan is freelancers, startups, and smaller teams.
Yes, Basecamp offers a freemium plan as of June 2026. The free tier includes 3 features with limits on projects and users. Paid plans start at $15/user/month (Pro). Pricing verified from 10 sources by CostBench.
Basecamp offers a freemium model with limited features; upgrade to unlock more.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- 1 project
- Up to 20 users
- 1GB storage
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Unlimited projects
- 500GB storage
- Pay-per-user
- Self-guided onboarding
- 24/7/365 support
- 30-day free trial
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| projects | 1 | Unlimited/Higher |
| users | 20 | Unlimited/Higher |
| storage_gb | 1 | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Unlimited projects or 500GB storage
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Basecamp branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Pro Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Pro $15/user/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 3 included | 6+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Basecamp branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Single small project | Freelancers, startups, and smaller teams |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Basecamp free?
Yes, Basecamp offers a freemium plan with 3 core features included. However, there are limits on projects, users that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Basecamp's free plan?
Basecamp's free plan includes: 1 project, Up to 20 users, 1GB storage. Key limits include projects: 1, users: 20, storage_gb: 1.
03 What's NOT included in Basecamp's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Unlimited projects, 500GB storage, Pay-per-user, Self-guided onboarding, 24/7/365 support. You'll also have Basecamp branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Basecamp's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Unlimited projects or 500GB storage, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $15/user/month.
05 Is Basecamp's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Basecamp's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.