Asana
- Unlimited free guests from the Starter plan
- A client portal for updates, deliverables, feedback and approvals on Advanced
- Approvals and proofing built in on Advanced
- Forms on every paid plan, with branching on Advanced
ASANA & BASECAMP / COMPARISON
Asana vs Basecamp: which is better for client work?
Per-user pricing with free guests against flat pricing where clients count as users. Prices and caps checked on each vendor's site.
THE DECISIONBasecamp is simpler and its bill does not grow with each hire, but clients count toward its user caps. Asana costs more per person, does not charge for guests and has approvals and a client portal on Advanced.
QUICK ANSWER
Choose Basecamp when you want a simple tool and a flat bill: $29 to $99 a month on the capped plans, or $199 a month billed annually for unlimited projects and users. Choose Asana when clients must review and approve work: guests are free and unlimited from Starter, and Advanced ($24.99 per user billed annually) adds a client portal, approvals and proofing. Neither lists invoicing or contracts.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Agencies and studios comparing a flat-priced project tool with a per-user one for client work.
Flat pricing has a catch: clients are users
Basecamp's plans charge nothing per user, which is its best-known feature. The caps are on users and active projects instead, and Basecamp counts clients, contractors and guests toward the user cap. Freelancer covers 5 users in total, Pro 10 and Pro Plus 15.
Take a five-person studio with four clients and two contacts at each. That is 13 users, which is past Pro and into Pro Plus at $99 a month. Add two more clients and the studio needs Pro Unlimited at $199 a month billed annually. In Asana, the same studio pays for five seats and invites every client contact as a free guest.
Where the lines cross
On Asana Advanced, five people cost $124.95 a month billed annually, ten cost $249.90 and twenty cost $499.80. Basecamp Pro Unlimited is $199 a month billed annually for any number. Somewhere around eight staff, Basecamp's top plan becomes the cheaper of the two, and by twenty it costs less than half.
Below that size the answer depends on client contacts. A small team with many clients is cheaper on Asana because guests are free. A small team with few clients fits Basecamp's $79 Pro plan and pays less than Asana Starter for ten users.
How each handles what the client sees
Basecamp starts private. Everything in a project is visible only to your team until you mark an item as visible to the client, and client mode sets this project by project. That default suits agencies, because a stray internal comment stays internal.
Asana offers more for the client to do. Approvals and proofing are features on Advanced, and the client portal gathers updates, deliverables and feedback. Basecamp's site lists no approvals or forms feature, so sign-off there happens in conversation and not through a dedicated step.
DIFFERENT STRENGTHS
What each one is good at.
Basecamp
- Flat pricing with no per-user fees
- Projects are private to your team until you choose what clients see
- Unlimited projects and users on Pro Unlimited
- A 30-day trial on paid plans with no card
THE DETAILS, SIDE BY SIDE
Compare them for client work.
Asana and Basecamp details come from each vendor's own website, checked in November 2026. Angelwood publishes this page, so our column is marked. Scroll the table on smaller screens.
| For client work | Asana | Basecamp | AngelwoodOur product |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it is priced | Per user | Flat plans, capped by projects and users | Flat plans by team seats and client portals, from $99/month |
| Free plan | Personal plan, up to 2 users | Personal: 1 project, 3 users | No; 14-day free trial |
| How clients get access | Unlimited free guests from Starter; client portal on Advanced | Clients count toward the plan's user cap; unlimited on Pro Unlimited | Every client gets a portal; clients need no paid seat |
| Client approvals | Approvals and proofing on Advanced | Not listed | Included; multiple approval steps on Agency |
| Forms and intake | Forms from Starter; branching on Advanced | Not listed | Requests tracked as requested, received and reviewed |
| Branded client portal | Client portal on Advanced; custom domain not listed | Client mode per project, with the client's logo | Included; logo and colours on Growth, custom domain on Agency |
| Invoices and online payment | Not listed | Not listed | Invoices with online payment through Stripe |
| Proposals and e-signature | Not listed | Not listed | Proposals with e-signature, and estimates |
| Time tracking | On Advanced; timesheets are a paid add-on | Pro Plus and Pro Unlimited | Timers, timesheets and utilisation reports |
How clients get access in Asana and Basecamp
Asana
Asana lets you invite unlimited free guests from the Starter plan, and guests do not add to your licence count. That is the cheapest way on this page to let a client see a project.
Asana also sells a Client Management package at the same Starter and Advanced prices. Its client portal, which carries status updates, deliverables, feedback and approvals, is on Advanced only. Clients use the portal without taking a seat.
Basecamp
In Basecamp, everything in a project is private to your team by default, and clients see nothing until you make an item visible. Client mode controls this project by project, and you can add the client's logo to a project.
Clients, contractors and guests all count toward the plan's user cap. Freelancer covers 5 users in total, Pro 10 and Pro Plus 15; only Pro Unlimited removes the cap.
Approvals and feedback
Asana
Approvals and proofing are Advanced features in Asana. On Starter you can still send a status update on any project, because status updates are on every plan, but a formal approval step needs the higher plan.
Basecamp
Basecamp's site does not list an approvals or forms feature. Sign-off happens in conversation with the client and not through a dedicated step.
Billing, contracts and time
Asana
Asana's site does not list invoicing, online payment, proposals or contracts. Time tracking (estimated against actual time) is on Advanced, and Timesheets & Budgets is sold as a paid add-on whose price is not published on the pricing page.
Basecamp
Time tracking is included on Pro Plus and Pro Unlimited. Invoicing, online payment, proposals and contracts are not listed.
PRICE & PLAN CONTEXT
What each one costs.
ASANA / PUBLISHED PRICING
$10.99 per user/monthStarter, billed annually ($13.49 billed monthly). Advanced is $24.99 per user billed annually ($30.49 monthly) and is the plan with the client portal, approvals and proofing. The free Personal plan covers up to 2 users.
Asana pricing pageBASECAMP / PUBLISHED PRICING
$29/monthFreelancer: 3 active projects and 5 users. Pro is $79 (8 projects, 10 users), Pro Plus is $99 (12 projects, 15 users), and Pro Unlimited is $199 a month billed annually ($329 billed monthly) with unlimited projects and users. Paid plans have a 30-day trial.
Basecamp pricing pageEVERY PUBLISHED PLAN
Asana and Basecamp plans and prices.
Monthly prices in US dollars, read from each vendor's pricing page in November 2026. Scroll the table on smaller screens.
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asana Personal | Free | Free | Free, up to 2 users |
| Asana Starter | $10.99 per user | $13.49 per user | Unlimited free guests, forms, status updates |
| Asana Advanced | $24.99 per user | $30.49 per user | Client portal, approvals, proofing, portfolios, time tracking |
| Asana Enterprise | Custom | Not published | Custom price; controls over who may invite outside guests |
| Basecamp Personal | Free | Free | Free: 1 project, 3 users |
| Basecamp Freelancer | $29 | $29 | 3 active projects, 5 users |
| Basecamp Pro | $79 | $79 | 8 projects, 10 users |
| Basecamp Pro Plus | $99 | $99 | 12 projects, 15 users, time tracking |
| Basecamp Pro Unlimited | $199 | $329 | Unlimited projects and users, time tracking |
A WORKED EXAMPLE
What a team of 3, 10 or 20 pays each month.
Calculated from the published annual-billing prices above for your own team only, including seat minimums and team add-ons. Client seats, taxes and optional add-ons are not included. Angelwood's row is our own product, from our pricing page.
| Plan | 3 people | 10 people | 20 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asana Starter | $32.97 | $109.90 | $219.80 |
| Asana Advanced | $74.97 | $249.90 | $499.80 |
| Basecamp Freelancer | $29 | Covers up to 5 | Covers up to 5 |
| Basecamp Pro | $79 | $79 | Covers up to 10 |
| Basecamp Pro Plus | $99 | $99 | Covers up to 15 |
| Basecamp Pro Unlimited | $199 | $199 | $199 |
| Angelwood | $99 (Starter) | $249 (Growth) | $499 (Agency) |
BEFORE YOU COMMIT
What to watch for.
Asana
- The features agencies want most for clients (portal, approvals, proofing, portfolios) all sit on Advanced, which more than doubles the per-user price of Starter.
- Controlling which team members may invite outside guests is an Enterprise feature.
Basecamp
- The flat price is only flat inside the caps. An agency with 6 staff and 10 client contacts is already past Pro Plus's 15 users and needs Pro Unlimited.
- Plans also cap active projects (3, 8 or 12) below Pro Unlimited.
CHOOSE AROUND YOUR WORK
Which fits your team?
Choose Asana when…
- You want clients in a portal without paying for their seats
- Approvals and proofing on deliverables matter to you
- Your team is comfortable paying per user for the Advanced plan
Choose Basecamp when…
- You want one predictable bill however the team grows
- Clients should see a tidy slice of each project, not your working area
- You prefer a simple, opinionated tool to a configurable one
THE CLIENT SIDE
Where Angelwood fits.
Angelwood publishes this page. It is not a replacement for every use of Asana or Basecamp; this is what it adds for firms that do client work.
A reviewed update instead of a view of the board
Guest access shows clients your working area. Angelwood drafts a client update from your notes and from the project tool you already use (Asana and Basecamp are supported), and your team edits and approves it before the client sees anything.
A record of what the client approved
Approvals in Angelwood are requests with an owner, a date and a recorded decision, so there is a history of who approved what and when. Agency plans add multiple approval steps.
Proposals, invoices and time next to the work
Every Angelwood plan includes proposals with e-signature, invoices clients pay through Stripe in their portal, and time tracking. Neither product on this page lists invoicing or contracts.
GOOD QUESTIONS
Asana vs Basecamp FAQs
Is Basecamp cheaper than Asana?
For larger teams, yes. Basecamp Pro Unlimited is $199 a month billed annually for unlimited users, while Asana Advanced is $24.99 per user. For small teams with many client contacts Asana can be cheaper, because Asana guests are free and Basecamp counts clients toward its user caps.
Do clients count as users in Basecamp?
Yes. Basecamp's pricing counts clients, contractors and guests toward a plan's user cap: 5 on Freelancer, 10 on Pro and 15 on Pro Plus. Only Pro Unlimited has no cap.
Which is easier for clients to use?
Basecamp is the simpler product, and it hides everything from clients until you choose to show it. Asana gives clients more to do, with approvals, proofing and a portal on its Advanced plan.
Does Basecamp or Asana include time tracking?
Both do on higher plans. Basecamp includes time tracking on Pro Plus and Pro Unlimited. Asana includes it on Advanced and sells Timesheets & Budgets as a paid add-on.
YOUR NEXT STEP
See how client work looks in Angelwood.
Start your 14-day free trial. Cancel before it ends and you pay nothing.