project management tool · head to head
Basecamp vs Notion
Comparison Summary
Notion scored 6.9 and Basecamp scored 5.6 on our project management tool test script.
Notion: Notion was the fastest app in our project-management test: it started in about 5 seconds, imported 200 rows in 10 and drew a 500-task board instantly, and all four views, including a timeline, are free. But it is a database tool more than a task manager: there are no automations on the free plan, recurring tasks are scheduled templates, its AI turned our subtasks into untitled pages, and the free plan is built for one person.
Basecamp: Basecamp is calm and quick: the Windows app opened in about 3 seconds, used the least memory of any app we tested here, and kept due dates, weekend days and weekly repeats exactly as entered. But it is not a task manager in the usual sense. There are no priorities, custom fields, dependencies, automation rules, Gantt chart or built-in AI, it imports only Markdown or plain text, and the free plan is a single project.
Editor's Verdict
Choose Notion if…
Best for: Individuals and small teams who want tasks living next to their docs and wiki, and who are happy to build their own setup.
- All four views free, including a timeline; eleven view types in all
- The CSV import recognised all seven columns and imported 200 rows in about 10 seconds
- Priorities, dependencies and other custom properties are free
Choose Basecamp if…
Best for: Small teams and client work that need one calm place for to-dos, messages, files and a calendar, without fields and charts.
- The fastest and lightest desktop app in our tests: about 3 seconds from a cold start and under 1.3 GB of memory
- Due dates stay as entered, weekends included, and recurring to-dos have clear repeat options
- Markdown import of 500 to-dos in under 40 seconds, with done to-dos ticked
Head to Head
Task by task
The same prompts, pasted word for word into each app on a clean Windows 11 PC. On the 8 tasks both apps were graded on, Basecamp completed 1 and Notion completed 5.
| Task | Basecamp | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| P1 · Build a project | Partial≈ 15–20 min | Pass≈ 16 min |
| P2 · Views | Partial≈ 5 min | Pass≈ 4 min |
| P3 · Rules | Partial≈ 5 min | Partial≈ 5 min |
| P4 · 200-row import | Fail≈ 5 min | Pass≈ 3 min |
| P5 · Scale | Pass≈ 2 min | Pass≈ 10 s import |
| P6 · Permissions | Partial≈ 3 min | Pass≈ 10 min |
| P7 · AI | Fail– | Partial≈ 20–40 s each |
| P8 · Leave | Partial≈ 5 min | Partial≈ 30 min |
Measured on the same PC
| Measurement | Basecamp | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Admin rights | No | Not needed |
| On disk | 527 MB | 400 MB |
| Starts with Windows | No | No |
| 40-task project | ≈ 15–20 min | ≈ 16 min |
| Views on the free plan | 2 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Cold start | ≈ 3 s | ≈ 5 s |
| Memory | 0.9 – 1.2 GB | 0.9 – 1.4 GB |
| Left after uninstall | ≈ 120 MB | ≈ 540 MB |
Pros and cons
Basecamp
+ What works
- The fastest and lightest desktop app in our tests: about 3 seconds from a cold start and under 1.3 GB of memory
- Due dates stay as entered, weekends included, and recurring to-dos have clear repeat options
- Markdown import of 500 to-dos in under 40 seconds, with done to-dos ticked
- A free plan forever, and flat paid prices instead of per-user fees
- Complete export of every to-do and date as a browsable website
− What falls short
- No priority, status or custom fields, so our brief's priorities had nowhere to go
- No dependencies, no automation rules and no built-in AI assistant
- No Gantt chart or timeline; the Kanban Card Table is separate from to-dos
- No CSV import: only Markdown or text files, with titles and done state only
- Pasting a list makes one to-do, and dates can only be clicked in a calendar
- Free plan: one project, three people, 1 GB
Notion
+ What works
- All four views free, including a timeline; eleven view types in all
- The CSV import recognised all seven columns and imported 200 rows in about 10 seconds
- Priorities, dependencies and other custom properties are free
- Notion AI summarised our project and answered “what is overdue?” correctly
- Removing a member or cutting them to view-only took effect on their next page load
- No admin rights, no startup entry and no services
− What falls short
- No automations on the free plan
- Recurring tasks are templates that create a new page on a schedule, not tasks that repeat when completed
- Asked for subtasks, the AI created five untitled pages without asking first
- Free plan is for one person: with more members you get a limited number of blocks, and Member and Can edit roles need Plus
- Risky defaults: invites default to Workspace owner, shared pages to Full access, and anyone with your domain can join
- Pasting a list filled names and dates but left the select columns empty
- The workspace export leaves out private pages unless you switch them on
Privacy and security
What we saw on our own test PC. Each review also lists what the vendor states about data handling, training and certifications.
Basecamp
Signed installer
The installer is signed by 37signals LLC with a valid certificate.
No background services
The app added no startup entry, services or listening ports.
Invite-only projects
New projects are visible only to people you add; outside collaborators and clients get limited access.
No AI by default
The app has no built-in AI assistant reading your projects.
Notion
Installs without a click
The web installer installed and opened Notion before we pressed Install, and sent a small event log with an anonymous device ID before we signed in. It adds no startup entry or services.
Permissive defaults
Invites default to Workspace owner, page sharing to Full access, joining by link is on, and setup pre-ticks joining for anyone with your email domain.
Marketing emails
You have to tick a box at sign-up to refuse marketing emails. Sharing workspace data to improve the AI was off by default.
Left after uninstalling
A 477 MB profile folder with the local database and logs, plus a 64 MB browser profile from the installer.
Features & Pricing
| Basecamp | Notion | |
|---|---|---|
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| macOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | — | — |
| iOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Paid from | $29/mo | $10/mo |
Basecamp plans
- Free$0
- Freelancer$29/mo
- Pro$79/mo
- Pro Plus$99/mo
- Pro Unlimited$199/mo
From Basecamp's pricing page, checked Oct 30, 2026.
Notion plans
- Free$0
- Plus$10/seat/mo
- Business$20/seat/mo
- EnterpriseCustom
From Notion's pricing page, checked Oct 30, 2026.
Who makes them
- Company
- Basecamp:37signals LLC
- Notion:Notion Labs, Inc.
- Headquarters
- Basecamp:Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Notion:San Francisco, California, USA
- Founded
- Basecamp:1999
- Notion:2013
- Funding
- Basecamp:Privately held; run by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson.
- Notion:About $343 million raised in total, including a $275 million round in October 2021 at a reported $10 billion valuation.
Timelines, official links and sources are in each review: Basecamp · Notion.
Read the full reviews
This page compares the two side by side. Each full review has the complete test log, every screenshot, the scoring notes, pricing, security and company details.
Basecamp reviewSituational 5.6 Basecamp is calm and quick: the Windows app opened in about 3 seconds, used the least memory of any app we tested here, and kept due dates, weekend days and weekly repeats exactly as entered. But it is not a task manager in the usual sense. There are no priorities, custom fields, dependencies, automation rules, Gantt chart or built-in AI, it imports only Markdown or plain text, and the free plan is a single project. Read the full review → Notion reviewSituational 6.9 Notion was the fastest app in our project-management test: it started in about 5 seconds, imported 200 rows in 10 and drew a 500-task board instantly, and all four views, including a timeline, are free. But it is a database tool more than a task manager: there are no automations on the free plan, recurring tasks are scheduled templates, its AI turned our subtasks into untitled pages, and the free plan is built for one person. Read the full review → Project Management Alternatives
ClickUp Recommended Small teams that want lists, boards, Gantt charts, automations and AI in one free workspace and do not mind a busy, heavy app 7.4 Read reviewReview 
Airtable Situational Teams who want a flexible database behind their projects, with automations and reliable CSV in and out 6.8 Read reviewReview 
Asana Situational Teams ready to pay for Starter or Advanced who want a polished, fast-to-learn project tool with strong import and export 6.7 Read reviewReview 
