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Project Management

Basecamp vs Bonsai: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of Basecamp and Bonsai. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: Basecamp starts at $15/mo and Bonsai starts at Custom pricing. Compare all 7 pricing tiers side by side.

Last updated: March 16, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026
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Basecamp vs Bonsai: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureBasecampBonsai
Starting Price$15/moCustom pricing
Number of Plans34
Free TierYesNo
Pricing Modelflatper-seat
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Basecamp and Bonsai are both priced at $15/mo, making them equally accessible Project Management tools. Together they offer 7 pricing plans with 67 features compared, so the best choice comes down to which features match your needs.

Basecamp stands out with a free plan for getting started. Basecamp uses flat pricing while Bonsai uses per-seat pricing, which may affect your total cost at scale.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Project Management needs.

Pricing Plans
Basecamp
Basecamp
Try it free
Bonsai
Tier 1
FREE
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Completely free
  • One project
  • 1 GB storage space
  • Up to 20 users
  • Upgrade later if you need more projects, storage space, or users
  • Pay-per-user pricing
  • Unlimited projects
  • 500 GB storage space
  • 24/7/365 customer support
  • Purchase optional Timesheet and Admin Pro Pack upgrades
  • Month-to-month billing
  • Extended 60-day free trial
  • Fixed price no per-user charges
  • Unlimited projects
  • 5 terabytes storage space
  • Priority 24/7/365 customer support ? Jump to the front of the queue when you contact support
  • Includes Timesheet upgrade ? Track hours/time spent working on projects
  • Includes Admin Pro Pack upgrade ? Gives account owners and admins greater control over access, permissions, and more
  • Personal onboarding with our team ? One of our experts is happy to walk your team through Basecamp to get you up to speed
  • Billed in one lump sum annually for simplified accounting. Or $349/month if you prefer to pay monthly.
Start with FREE
Basic
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Time tracking
  • Task management
  • Unlimited projects
  • CRM
  • Service library
  • iOS & Android app
  • Unlimited clients
Start with Basic
Tier 2
PLUS
$15/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Pay-per-user pricing
  • Unlimited projects
  • 500 GB storage space
  • 24/7/365 customer support
  • Purchase optional Timesheet and Admin Pro Pack upgrades
  • Month-to-month billing
Start with PLUS
Essentials
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Everything in Basic plus
  • Invoices & Payments
  • Proposals & Contracts
  • All templates
  • Forms & Questionnaires
  • Scheduling
  • Client portal
  • Expense tracking
  • Income tracking
Start with Essentials
Tier 3
PRO UNLIMITED
$299/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Extended 60-day free trial
  • Fixed price no per-user charges
  • Unlimited projects
  • 5 terabytes storage space
  • Priority 24/7/365 customer support ? Jump to the front of the queue when you contact support
  • Includes Timesheet upgrade ? Track hours/time spent working on projects
  • Includes Admin Pro Pack upgrade ? Gives account owners and admins greater control over access, permissions, and more
  • Personal onboarding with our team ? One of our experts is happy to walk your team through Basecamp to get you up to speed
  • Billed in one lump sum annually for simplified accounting. Or $349/month if you prefer to pay monthly.
Start with PRO UNLIMITED
PremiumPopular
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Everything in Essentials plus
  • Project insights
  • Workload management
  • Gantt view
  • Deals pipeline
  • Custom fields & properties
  • Client tasks & messaging
  • Profit & Productivity reports
  • Remove Bonsai branding
  • Integrations (QuickBooks, Zapier, Calendly, Google)
Start with Premium
Tier 4
—
Elite
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Everything in Premium plus:
  • Custom permissions
  • Timesheet locking
  • Add markup to expenses
  • Xero integration
  • Custom data import
Start with Elite

Swipe to compare plans →

Basecamp

Simple project management and team communication in one place

View all Basecamp plans

Bonsai

Business management for freelancers with contracts and invoicing

View all Bonsai plans
Our Pick

Basecamp

Basecamp offers a free plan.

Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.

Best value: Basecamp

Try Basecamp free

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Basecamp if:

  • •You need a free plan with Completely free, One project—Basecamp offers no-cost access with no credit card required
  • •You want more features built-in—Basecamp offers 3 additional features across its plans
  • •You prioritize Basecamp's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)

Choose Bonsai if:

  • •You need 4 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
  • •Your team needs custom enterprise pricing—Bonsai offers negotiated terms for large deployments
  • •You prioritize Bonsai's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)

Basecamp offers a free plan [1], eliminating the cost barrier for evaluation, while Bonsai requires paid subscription from the start. This gives Basecamp a significant advantage for teams with budget constraints or extended trial periods. Once you outgrow Basecamp's free tier, upgrading to a paid plan at approximately $15/mo provides substantial additional functionality. Compare this pricing path against Bonsai's tiering starting at Custom pricing to assess total cost of ownership over 12 months. Basecamp's 3 tiers provide flexibility at different budgets, while Bonsai's 4 tiers structure may force you into higher-cost plans than necessary for your use case. If evaluation cost matters to your decision, Basecamp is the obvious starting point with zero financial commitment. Use the free tier to validate core functionality before committing to paid plans from either tool.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Basecamp vs Bonsai

How many pricing plans does Basecamp have vs Bonsai?
Basecamp offers 3 pricing plans, while Bonsai offers 4 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does Basecamp or Bonsai offer a free plan?
Basecamp offers a free plan, while Bonsai does not. If budget is a concern, Basecamp lets you get started at no cost.
What is the most popular Bonsai plan?
The Premium plan is Bonsai's most popular tier, priced at Custom pricing. Key features include Everything in Essentials plus, Project insights, Workload management.
Does Basecamp or Bonsai offer custom enterprise pricing?
Bonsai offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. Basecamp lists all its pricing publicly.
What pricing models do Basecamp and Bonsai use?
Basecamp uses a flat pricing model, while Bonsai uses per-seat pricing. The right model depends on your team size and usage patterns.
How do Basecamp and Bonsai compare for Project Management?
Both Basecamp and Bonsai are Project Management tools. Basecamp offers 3 plans starting at $15/mo, while Bonsai offers 4 plans starting at Custom pricing. Review the feature breakdowns above to see which better fits your Project Management needs.

Sources

  1. Basecamp Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
  2. Bonsai Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page

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