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Basecamp vs Redmine
Basecamp vs Redmine
A side-by-side look at Basecamp (the paid SaaS) and Redmine (the open source alternative). Use this page to decide if the switch fits your team and workflow.
| Basecamp | Redmine | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Flat-fee project management and team coordination. | Classic Rails-based issue tracker used for decades. |
| License | Proprietary SaaS | GPL-2.0 |
| Pricing | Basecamp Pro Unlimited $299/month for unlimited users. | Free to self-host · optional paid hosted plan |
| Self-host option | No | Yes — difficulty 3/5 |
| Hosted cloud available | Yes (only option) | Yes |
| Desktop apps | Varies by product | Web only |
| Mobile apps | Official apps typically available | iOS, Android |
Ad slot — between tables
Best for
Teams wanting a mature, long-established alternative.
Redmine strengths
- Very mature — rock solid reliability.
- Plugin ecosystem for almost anything.
- Multi-project with roles and workflows.
Redmine weaknesses
- UI feels dated.
- Rails deployment is heavier than Go/Node alternatives.
- Community is slower than modern competitors.
What's the catch with Basecamp?
- Opinionated workflow — not for every team.
- No native Gantt or sprint features.
- Cloud-only.
Still unsure?
Check the full list of alternatives to Basecamp: see Basecamp alternatives, or learn more about Redmine on its project page.
Recommended reading
When self-hosting goes wrong: seven failure modes and how to avoid them
An honest retrospective on the ways self-hosted setups break — not in theory, but in practice — and the small habits that prevent most of them.
Will the open source project you depend on still exist in three years?
Bus factor, maintainer burnout, funding models, and the signals that separate OSS projects that survive from those that quietly decay.
From SaaS to self-hosted: a 30-day migration playbook
A week-by-week plan to move one service off SaaS and onto your own server without breaking your team's workflow.