Wrike and Basecamp are project management tools that allow team members to collaborate and track every aspect of their projects.
In this post, we compare each solution to the other to help businesses make the best purchasing decision. And although three versions of Basecamp are currently available, this comparison focuses on the latest, Basecamp 3.
Product Overviews
The following excerpts from our earlier reviews of Wrike and Basecamp summarize each solution:
Wrike: This solution is beneficial for many companies, including small businesses, business divisions within larger organizations or firms with remote workers. All users can collaborate to manage individual and team tasks from the same platform. Wrike is useful for many job roles, such as marketing, project management, product development and more. For instance, a marketing team can use Wrike to plot out tasks associated with marketing campaigns and lead generation programs.
Wrike integrates with many different apps and programs, including WordPress, Google Drive/Gmail, Outlook, Zendesk, Hubspot, QuickBooks, LinkedIn and Microsoft OneDrive, to name a few. It’s also available as a mobile app for Android and iOS devices.
Basecamp: This project management solution serves as a single source of truth for everything a company could possibly need, from emails to to-do lists, and it’s accessible on Mac, PC, Android and iOS. This way, users know their assignments, teams and deadlines, as well as any associated files. Its user-friendly interface has a customer homepage that’s separated into three different sections: Company HQ, Team and Projects. HQ is composed of company-wide announcements and notes.
There’s also another section specific to projects that users are involved in. Once a user clicks on a project, Basecamp will take the user to the project’s Basecamp, a page of useful tools, including message boards, to-dos and a timeline of all activities.
How They Stack Up
Features
Wrike: Wrike is an all-in-one project management and collaboration tool that offers users graphic timelines that give them complete visibility into the status of their projects. Wrike helps speed project delivery by letting users prioritize their tasks and connect the tasks to project plans with discussions, files and emails. Wrike also has a built-in time tracking system that allows users to track the hours they spend on tasks and projects, which in turn, allows managers to evaluate the effectiveness of their employees. Team members can collaborate on projects in real time. Wrike’s implementation process is covered in eight stages is deliberate, precise and guided.
Basecamp: Basecamp offers six core tools for each project, including to-do lists for tracking tasks. The solution also has a message board for announcements and updates and a Campfire chat tool, so users can discuss specific items within their projects. Basecamp’s schedule tool enables teams to track milestones and deadlines. The Docs & Files tool lets users access the files they need without having to ask where they are. Those files can be saved in up to 500 GB of file storage. The Check-ins feature automatically asks users for status updates on a regular basis. Basecamp can be launched from the cloud in a matter of minutes, Basecamp is ideal for freelancers as well as small-to-midsize businesses. It’s great for virtual teams and users of all experience levels because it has a short learning curve.
Bottom Line: Both solutions bring the diverse streams of any project under one roof. Wrike’s graphics provides snapshots of project status and its task-prioritization function addresses fires when they flare up. It’s drag-and-drop functionality quickly affiliates project duties. Basecamp’s project home page consolidates its six primary tools, which are text-based and streamline communications and scheduling among team members. Both solutions deliver outstanding collaboration opportunities and integrate handy plug-ins.
Shortcomings
Wrike: Some users have reported that because the software is robust, it can take time to learn the ins and outs of it.
Basecamp: Basecamp doesn’t offer time-tracking or Gantt charts. Additionally, some users have reported the layout and workflow can be confusing. Other users have noted that when they reply to direct messages, they’re taken to different web pages, which can make them lose track of the projects they were working on.
Bottom Line: Although Wrike offers real Gantt charts, Basecamp integrates with Ganttify, so users can create Gantt charts from their Basecamp projects. Some users find Basecamp’s workflow confusing, and Basecamp’s native app doesn’t offer some key features, such as time-tracking and budget and expense management, without third-party integrations. Some users, though, complain that Wrike has a steep learning curve.
Customer Support
Wrike: Wrike provides a knowledge base that contains a getting-started guide and information about billing issues, email integration, reports and more. It also offers video tutorials and live webinars. Users can submit support requests right from the knowledge base. Wrike also offers 24/7 email, phone and chat support.
Basecamp: Basecamp offers short video tutorials of the solution, as well as live classes. It also offers how-to guides and other resources, such as FAQs. Users can contact Basecamp by email or via a form on the website and should expect replies between 8 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. CST Monday through Friday. Users can also reach out to Basecamp for answers to quick questions via Twitter. Basecamp doesn’t offer phone or chat support.
Bottom Line: Both Wrike and Basecamp offer extensive, but constrained, online resources for users. Wrike enables customers to submit requests from its knowledge base, but some users say Wrike’s customer support is inconsistent. Basecamp doesn’t offer phone or chat support and responds to questions only during its business hours.
Pricing
Wrike: Wrike offers five different plans. The prices shown are per user, per month, but are billed on an annual basis.
- Free – Businesses can use the free plan for up to five users. It allows unlimited collaborators and offers 2 GB of storage space. This plan includes Wrike’s core elements, including board and spreadsheet views, real-time Activity Stream, file sharing, tasks discussion, mobile apps and cloud storage integration.
- Professional – This paid version is for five to 200 users. The pricing starts at $9.80 per user, per month and includes subtask management, storage space starting at 5 GB, shareable dashboards, Gantt charts, collaborators and advanced integration.
- Business – This version is also for five to 200 users and is priced at $24.80 per user per month. It includes advanced features such as custom fields and workflows, time tracking, report templates, user’s group and permissions, and 50 GB of storage space.
- Wrike for Marketers – This version is aimed at marketing and creative teams. It includes all the features of the Business version and offers video proofing and an Adobe Creative Cloud extension. Contact Wrike for pricing.
- Enterprise – The Enterprise version is for businesses with an unlimited number of users, or companies that have custom requirements. It includes even more advanced features, such as 100 GB of storage, two-factor authentication, real-time reporting, single sign-on and folder permissions. Contact Wrike for pricing.
Wrike offers a 15-day free trial on all its plans.
Basecamp: Basecamp costs $15 per user, per month, which includes includes 500 GB of storage and unlimited projects, integrations, support, training and security. It bills only for the company’s employees or internal contributors, so external collaborators (e.g., clients, vendors) can use the software for free.
There’s a Pro Unlimited plan for unlimited users at $299 per month (billed annually), which adds on 5 TB of storage, 24/7 priority support, a one-on-one onboarding tour and the option to pay by check.
Users can test the software with a 30-day free trial.
Bottom Line: Although Wrike functionality is flexible and customizable, companies must spend $9.80 per user, per month to fully take advantage of its project planning and collaboration features. Additionally, customers must sign annual contracts, which may not be feasible for smaller companies. Basecamp, on the other hand, doesn’t offer a free version, but does allow companies to extend their 30-day free trials. However, because Basecamp’s pricing is all-inclusive, it may be too expensive for small teams that don’t need all the features.
Takeaways
Although implementation may take up to a month, Wrike is a good solution for teams that are looking for solid reporting features, effective communication tools and button-down project organization. Basecamp is best suited for companies looking for a straightforward, web-based project management tool that’s easy to use and will work for any size group. Cloud-based and immediately available, Basecamp is ready for deployment when you are.
Before making a purchase, organizations should evaluate each tool to decide which best fits their needs.
If your organization is starting fresh with project management tools, check out our Definitive Guide to Project Management Software. It offers a full overview of key features, costs, and common challenges found with the software.
If you’re looking for project management solutions alternatives, our lineup of reviews is a good place to start.