Basecamp vs Mural: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Basecamp and Mural to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Basecamp
5.9/10
Basecamp is a project management and team communication app from 37signals, with flat monthly pricing aimed at small teams, agencies and freelancers working with clients.
Mural
7/10
Mural is a visual collaboration whiteboard for teams that run workshops, brainstorms, agile planning and retrospectives, with facilitation tools and enterprise security controls.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.9/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Analytics | 3/10 | 4/10 |
| Cost | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Support | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | $29/mo Freelancer | $12/user/mo Team+ |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $79/mo Pro | Free Free |
| Features | ||
| Task management | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| App integrations | ||
| Client collaboration | ||
| Collaboration tools | ||
| File sharing | ||
| Kanban boards | ||
| Docs | Not listed | |
| Gantt charts | Not listed | |
| Reporting | Not listed | |
| Scheduling | Not listed | |
| Task lists | Not listed | |
| Team messaging | Not listed | |
| Timeline view | Not listed | |
| Whiteboards | Not listed | |
Basecamp vs Mural cost by team size
Basecamp and Mural cost the same at 1 user; Mural costs less from 5 users.
| Team size | Basecamp | Mural |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | FreeFree |
| 5 users | $29/moFreelancer | FreeFree |
| 10 users | $79/moPro | FreeFree |
| 25 users | $329/moPro Unlimited | FreeFree |
| 50 users | $329/moPro Unlimited | FreeFree |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Basecamp
- Higher Support score (8/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for small business (9/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for startups (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Includes Task management, which Mural lacks
- Includes Time tracking, which Mural lacks
Why choose Mural
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs $79/mo
- Higher Security score (9/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Integration score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (9/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for mid-market (7/10 vs 5/10)
Pros & Cons
Basecamp
Pros
- There are no per-user fees on any plan, and Pro Unlimited allows unlimited users, including clients and contractors.
- Client mode lets agencies control exactly what clients see in each project.
- Each project bundles chat, message boards, to-dos, a calendar and files in one place, which reviewers say cuts down miscommunication.
- Hill charts and The Lineup give a simple visual sense of progress without heavy setup.
- Support is offered 24/7/365 on paid plans, with priority support on Pro Unlimited.
Cons
- Reporting is basic, and reviewers say they have to track metrics in other tools.
- There are no Gantt charts, dependencies or advanced workflow automation for complex project planning.
- Reviewers report that search and finding older content across many projects is difficult.
- The Freelancer, Pro and Pro Plus plans cap active projects, which pushes growing teams to the $329 a month Pro Unlimited plan.
- Some users find the interface crowded and say the mobile app feels weaker than the web version.
Mural
Pros
- Facilitation features and LUMA frameworks make it strong for running structured workshops.
- Free visitors can view or edit individual murals, so external participants do not need a paid seat.
- Enterprise security includes SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, SCIM, audit logs, data residency and BYOK.
- Broad integrations with Teams, Zoom, Jira, Azure DevOps, Asana and Confluence.
- Reviewers on G2 and Capterra rate it highly for ease of use, with about 4.5 to 4.6 stars.
Cons
- It is not a project or task manager, so there are no Gantt charts, no time tracking and no task assignment.
- Reviewers complain that menus and functions move around often between releases.
- The Free plan caps editable murals at three.
- The Business plan is annual-only, and SSO is not available on cheaper tiers.
- Large boards with many collaborators can feel cluttered.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Mural scores higher on our Project Management criteria: 7/10 against 5.9/10 for Basecamp. The largest gap is in Security: 6/10 for Basecamp and 9/10 for Mural.
Mural costs less for 10 users: free on its Free plan, against about $79/mo on its Pro plan for Basecamp, billed monthly.
Yes, both Basecamp and Mural have a free plan.
Mural is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 4/10 for Basecamp.
Basecamp has Task management and Time tracking, which Mural lacks.
