The 5 Best Basecamp Alternatives for Project Management

Basecamp may be prominent in the project management tech industry, but it’s far from the only option when it comes to tools that let you assign tasks, track progress and check off to-do lists. Keep reading to learn more about five other appealing project management app and software possibilities:

  1. Kanbanize

This is an easy-to-use app that relies on Kanban boards to help you utilize lean project development principles. Each Kanban board offers a visual workflow so you can quickly see how projects are progressing and spot inefficiencies at every stage. While working on a specific Kanban board, you can assign custom roles with unique permissions.

It’s also possible to create and update boards through e-mail for maximum flexibility, efficiency and convenience. There’s a time tracking feature, too, which allows you to know right away if certain tasks are taking too long and creating bottlenecks. Check out Kanbanize by using a free trial that lets you perform 1,000 actions.

  1. Wrike

Used by notable companies including PayPal and Hootsuite, Wrike combines project management  with a real-time workspace that allows members of a team to discuss things, share documents and see their tasks — all in one place. Each team can use a preferred workflow, and all team members can see how things are progressing across the organization, even if they aren’t part of a particular project.

  1. ActiveCollab

Besides allowing people to assign tasks and track progress, this sleek interface has time tracking and invoicing features that make it extremely powerful without adding bulk. Each user gets a “My Work” dashboard that features tasks, plus respective updates. There’s also a cool task-filtering feature that lets people segment responsibilities by due dates, labels and more.

  1. Freedcamp

As the name suggests, this Basecamp alternative won’t set you back a penny. An unlimited number of users can work on a limitless number of projects, plus you get 200 MB of storage space. If you decide that’s not enough storage, a monthly fee of $2.49 bumps your amount of space up to 1 GB.

Freedcamp has plenty of helpful features, ranging from sticky-note-style Kanban boards to calendars and simple task lists. If you want to use Freedcamp with integrated apps for things like invoice creation, lead management or issue tracking, it’s possible to do that by paying reasonable usage fees.

There’s no Freedcamp app yet, so that’s something to keep in mind if you’re a project manager on the go. However, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, an app is in the works.

  1. Podio

Podio takes an especially streamlined approach to project management by consolidating processes. Furthermore, admins can swiftly control access to the interface and make adjustments as needed. If you’re tired of sifting through sprawling e-mail threads from clients, breathe easily. Podio eliminates communication hassles since you can invite clients and other external parties to use the application. Several different pricing levels are available, but the first five users are free.

These five picks are just several of the many alternatives to Basecamp you can consider when choosing a project management assistant. Although Basecamp is a very well-known option, it’s certainly not the only one worth your attention.

 

Scott Huntington
 

Scott M Huntington is a writer, blogger, and small business owner. He has written for Forbes, Time, Inc, Business Insider, and many other sites. Follow him on Twitter @SMHuntington.