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
BASECAMP & CLICKUP / COMPARISON
Basecamp vs ClickUp: which is better for client work?
A simple flat-priced tool against a feature-rich per-user one. They differ most in how clients are counted. Checked on each vendor's site.
THE DECISIONBasecamp is the calmer tool and keeps clients away from internal work by default. ClickUp does far more for a lower entry price, and read-only client access does not use up a paid seat.
QUICK ANSWER
Choose Basecamp when simplicity and a predictable bill matter: capped plans run from $29 to $99 a month, and Pro Unlimited is $199 a month billed annually. Choose ClickUp when you want depth and a low per-user cost: Core is $9 and Business $17 per user billed yearly, with forms and time tracking included. Neither lists approvals, invoicing or contracts.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Small agencies choosing between the simplest and the most configurable of the mainstream project tools.
How each one counts a client
Basecamp counts every person the same. Clients, contractors and guests take a place under the plan's user cap, which is 5 on Freelancer, 10 on Pro and 15 on Pro Plus. A growing client list pushes you up a plan even if the team stays the same size.
ClickUp counts by what the person can do. Read-only guests are unlimited on paid plans, and guests who can edit are drawn from a pool: 5 plus 2 per extra paid user on Core, 10 plus 5 on Business. A five-person agency on Business can give 30 client contacts edit access and any number read access.
Cost at three team sizes
Three people on ClickUp Business cost $51 a month billed yearly; on Basecamp, the $29 Freelancer plan covers them with two places left for clients. Ten people cost $170 on ClickUp Business, while Basecamp's $79 Pro plan covers ten users with no room for a client, so in practice they need Pro Plus at $99 or Pro Unlimited at $199.
At twenty people, ClickUp Business is $340 a month and Basecamp Pro Unlimited is $199 billed annually. Basecamp wins on price once a team is large, and ClickUp wins while it is small.
Simplicity is a feature, until you need the missing part
Basecamp gives each project the same small set of tools and hides everything from the client until you choose to show it. Teams learn it quickly and clients rarely need help. Its site lists no forms or approvals, and time tracking arrives on Pro Plus.
ClickUp has unlimited forms and basic time tracking from Core, dashboards and timesheets from Business, and attachment annotation for feedback on files. It asks for more setup and more care with permissions. On its free plan guests have full edit rights that cannot be changed, so do not invite clients there.
DIFFERENT STRENGTHS
What each one is good at.
ClickUp
- A free plan with unlimited members
- Unlimited forms and basic time tracking from the $9 Core plan
- Unlimited read-only guests on paid plans
- Tasks, docs and chat in one workspace
THE DETAILS, SIDE BY SIDE
Compare them for client work.
Basecamp and ClickUp 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 | Basecamp | ClickUp | AngelwoodOur product |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it is priced | Flat plans, capped by projects and users | Per user | Flat plans by team seats and client portals, from $99/month |
| Free plan | Personal: 1 project, 3 users | Free Forever, unlimited members | No; 14-day free trial |
| How clients get access | Clients count toward the plan's user cap; unlimited on Pro Unlimited | Guest seats capped by plan; unlimited read-only guests on paid plans | Every client gets a portal; clients need no paid seat |
| Client approvals | Not listed | Not listed; attachment annotation from Business | Included; multiple approval steps on Agency |
| Forms and intake | Not listed | 1 form on Free; unlimited from Core | Requests tracked as requested, received and reviewed |
| Branded client portal | Client mode per project, with the client's logo | No portal listed; white labelling on Max and Enterprise | 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 | Pro Plus and Pro Unlimited | Basic from Core; timesheets from Business | Timers, timesheets and utilisation reports |
How clients get access in Basecamp and ClickUp
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.
ClickUp
ClickUp caps guests who can edit. Core includes 5 guest seats plus 2 for each additional paid user; Business includes 10 plus 5 for each additional paid user. Read-only guests are unlimited on paid plans.
On Free Forever, guests are unlimited but have full create and edit rights that cannot be changed, so the free plan is a poor fit for client access.
Approvals and feedback
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.
ClickUp
ClickUp's pricing page lists attachment annotation from the Business plan, which covers feedback on a file. It does not list a client approval record or a client portal.
Billing, contracts and time
Basecamp
Time tracking is included on Pro Plus and Pro Unlimited. Invoicing, online payment, proposals and contracts are not listed.
ClickUp
Basic time tracking starts on Core and timesheets on Business; timesheet approvals are on Max and Enterprise. Invoicing, online payment, proposals and contracts are not listed.
PRICE & PLAN CONTEXT
What each one costs.
BASECAMP / 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 pageCLICKUP / PUBLISHED PRICING
$9 per user/monthCore, billed yearly (ClickUp lists a regular price of $12). Business is $17 billed yearly (regular price $25). Free Forever has unlimited members. ClickUp offers a 30-day refund.
ClickUp pricing pageEVERY PUBLISHED PLAN
Basecamp and ClickUp 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| ClickUp Free Forever | Free | Free | Unlimited members; guests get full edit rights |
| ClickUp Core | $9 per user | Not published | 5 guest seats plus 2 per extra paid user; unlimited forms; basic time tracking |
| ClickUp Business | $17 per user | Not published | 10 guest seats plus 5 per extra paid user; dashboards; timesheets |
| ClickUp Max | $100 per user | Not published | White labelling, form branding removal, timesheet approvals |
| ClickUp Enterprise | Custom | Not published | Custom price |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| ClickUp Core | $27 | $90 | $180 |
| ClickUp Business | $51 | $170 | $340 |
| ClickUp Max | $300 | $1000 | $2000 |
| Angelwood | $99 (Starter) | $249 (Growth) | $499 (Agency) |
BEFORE YOU COMMIT
What to watch for.
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.
ClickUp
- White labelling and removing ClickUp branding from forms are Max and Enterprise features. Max is $100 per user billed yearly.
- ClickUp's pricing page shows a yearly price and a higher regular price without labelling the regular price as the monthly rate, so check the monthly cost at checkout.
CHOOSE AROUND YOUR WORK
Which fits your team?
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
Choose ClickUp when…
- You want the most features for the lowest per-user price
- Clients mostly need read-only access
- Your team wants docs and tasks in the same tool
THE CLIENT SIDE
Where Angelwood fits.
Angelwood publishes this page. It is not a replacement for every use of Basecamp or ClickUp; 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 (Basecamp and ClickUp 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
Basecamp vs ClickUp FAQs
Is Basecamp or ClickUp cheaper?
ClickUp for small teams and Basecamp for large ones. ClickUp Business is $17 per user billed yearly, so ten people pay $170 a month. Basecamp's capped plans cost $29 to $99 a month, and Pro Unlimited is $199 a month billed annually for unlimited users.
Which is better for sharing projects with clients?
Basecamp keeps everything private until you mark it visible to the client, which is the safer default. ClickUp lets unlimited clients view for free on paid plans, but they are guests in your workspace and need careful permissions.
Does Basecamp have a free plan like ClickUp?
Both do. Basecamp Personal is free for 1 project and 3 users. ClickUp Free Forever has unlimited members, though guests on it have full edit rights.
Which has time tracking?
ClickUp includes basic time tracking from Core and timesheets from Business. Basecamp includes time tracking on Pro Plus and Pro Unlimited.
YOUR NEXT STEP
See how client work looks in Angelwood.
Start your 14-day free trial. Cancel before it ends and you pay nothing.