Basecamp vs Pivotal Tracker

Last Updated:

Our analysts compared Basecamp vs Pivotal Tracker based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Project Management Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Pivotal Tracker Software Tool

Product Basics

Basecamp is a cloud-based solution for team collaboration and management. It allows users to create to-dos, assign them to one or more people, add shared and searchable file attachments and more. It makes it easier to stay organized when there are multiple concurrent projects, each with its own team and needs. Streamline project communication by keeping specific teams together, with all project-related files in one location. It gives each project its own separate space, avoiding clutter and other confusion between projects.

It is suitable for all sizes of teams like SMBs to groups in large companies. Subscriptions are scalable, with levels for different storage amounts and number of users. It also offers a free tier and application for iPad/iPhone and Android.
read more...
Pivotal Tracker is a cloud-hosted project planning solution that facilitates real-time communication and collaboration within cross-functional agile teams. Businesses can keep a tab on progress throughout a project’s lifecycle. It helps teams delegate and prioritize tasks, list actionable components and set deadlines. Project status, conversations and workflows are stored at a central location for easy accessibility and defining priorities.

It computes the time required to complete a project or smaller tasks based on previous data. Managers can use this data to estimate delivery time for every project subject to workforce availability and other conditions. It offers an iteration module that helps prioritize project tasks and divide them into manageable subtasks. Project status, everyday tasks and resource availability are displayed on a shared calendar.
read more...
$15/User, Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
$0 Monthly, Quote-based
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Organized Projects: Divide work into separate projects, and each project is organized by default. It includes everything related to the project; all the individuals involved, each discussion, document, file, assignment, significant date and more. 
  • Inbuilt Chat Features: Avoid wasting money on external communication platforms with its built-in chat features. Gather around Campfire, a group chat for casual conversations, fast Q&As, sharing links, quick riffs or work discussions. Pings allow private chat with one or multiple people. 
  • Add Team Members: Add assigned team members and their details to a project. Client team members can also be added to help keep them in the loop and increase the project’s transparency. 
  • Centralized Notification: Its Hey! Menu feature centralizes notifications from new messages and assigned tasks to minimize notification interruptions. Helps users focus on work and access all notifications from one box. 
  • Streamline Work Process: Integrate the system with third-party tools to increase efficiency and effectiveness of work processes. 
  • Any Device: Available on iOS, Android, iPad, Mac, Windows and browser, users can access the system from anywhere at any time to send messages, share and collaborate on files and documents, define deadlines and provide feedback. 
  • Solve Problems: Users can use hill charts to sequence work and decide which problems to solve in which order; it also shows where the work stands and how it is moving. 
  • Basecamp Personal: The free tier provides space for up to three projects with one-gigabyte of data storage and access to 20 users. Freelancers can use it to organize their work and collaborate, or small businesses can use it on projects that involve few people. 
read more...
  • 360-Degree View: Control projects across the board with complete visibility into their status and progress. Synchronize updated information with team members to reduce reporting time. Generate a history of project developmental progress while highlighting critical aspects that need to be tackled. 
  • Effective Communication: Share documents as well as concerns with team members with clear and effective lines of communication. Deal with customer feedback effectively by providing feasible project delivery timelines. 
  • Real-Time Collaboration: Get access to a virtual environment that fosters conversation and doesn’t need constant refreshing. Get regular updates via email, RSS, Campfire or Twitter. Let developers attach mock-ups that could be turned into working tools. 
  • Integrations: Create a variety of integrations and tools with REST API. Seamlessly integrates with external modules like Slack, Jira, GitHub, Jenkins, Zendesk and others. 
  • iOS Compatibility: Access integrated mobile interface on iOS devices and tackle critical issues on-the-go. Record stories from anywhere and get access to all business aspects in offline mode. 
read more...
  • To-Do Lists: Assign to-dos to one or more people, add notes and file attachments for all work or projects. It automatically follows up with team members if tasks are overdue. 
  • Hey! Menu: Supports a single inbox for notifications, mentions, to-do assignments, new messages and project completion. Set working hours to keep notifications on hold until the user is back on the clock. 
  • Client Access: Share and get feedback with customers about information and files. Communications can be kept private, and email correspondence is maintained to keep project data and communication organized in one place. 
  • Pings: Direct messages or private conversations can be held with other users on the same account. Users can ping an individual or a group of people, and the conversation is visible to only selected people. 
  • Schedules: Each project includes a schedule showing any dated to-dos and events for that project. Sync schedules with Google Calendar, iCal and Outlook to get reminders in the project and personal calendars. 
  • Activity: The Activity button will display any to-dos, late assignments, upcoming deadlines and other assignment information and reports. 
  • File Storage: A space for sharing documents, files and images is included in every project. Use drag-and-drop functionality to upload files from Google Docs or a computer. Each file contains a complete version history, reorder and color code files to keep it organized. 
  • Message Boards: Post messages or announcements, embed pictures or files and share with everyone or selected individuals. Viewers can applaud and comment on these messages for instant feedback. 
  • Search and Bookmarking: Enter a keyword or name using the search feature to locate a project, ping history or find pictures, files or individuals without rummaging through the entire program. Important data can also be bookmarked. 
  • Automated Check-In: Setup customized questions throughout the day or a chosen time instead of holding a status meeting. Meetings can help remote teams collaborate and share work updates or what they were up to on the weekend.  
read more...
  • Stories: Use stories to track actionable work items and project progress. Customize stories with categories like features, chores and bugs to construct new features, prevent bugs and restrict technical debts. Gauge a story’s complexity while prioritizing and allocating points by iteration using drag-and-drop functions. 
  • Velocity: Businesses can measure their speed and trajectory using velocity. Find out the pace at which teams are completing stories and gaining points per iteration. Get a realistic picture of project delivery time based on points earned in recent iterations. Encourage a consistent rhythm within teams to meet stringent deadlines. 
  • Workspaces: Set-up an ideal workspace by arranging multiple projects and juggling responsibilities on a single screen. Use the drag-and-drop tool to move stories between projects and find things by searching backlogs. Store all work across teams and projects into the ‘my work’ panel. Have an accessible location that contains all stories to plan future to-do lists. 
  • Analytics: Gauge team performance with broad trends and minute details that illustrate a project’s health. Identify fluctuations and trends to get a reality check of team productivity. Drill down reports to monitor project health closely by iterations, releases, epics and more. Gather requisite data for the teams to detect and remove bottlenecks from the elementary level. 
  • File Sharing and Labels: Enrich stories with presentations, mock-ups and other files from Google Drive or a computer. Organize stories with searchable labels for a more visible workflow. 
  • Notifications: Stay updated by configuring message notifications on desktop or mobile. Users can involve people in conversations with mentions and follow stories they like. 
read more...

Product Ranking

#16

among all
Project Management Software

#15

among all
Project Management Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

65
we're gathering data
30
we're gathering data
60
we're gathering data
75
we're gathering data
Show More Show More

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Basecamp
Pivotal Tracker
+ Add Product + Add Product
Customizations Dashboards And Reporting Mobile Capabilities Platform Features Project Planning And Scheduling Project Tracking Task Management Team Collaboration Time Tracking And Management 30 60 75 62 49 27 66 99 43 0 25 50 75 100
14%
14%
72%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
40%
0%
60%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
57%
0%
43%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
50%
4%
46%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
25%
8%
67%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
0%
14%
86%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
58%
8%
34%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
92%
8%
0%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
0%
0%
100%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

89%
0%
11%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
63%
0%
37%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A

User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 19492 reviews
Great User Sentiment 565 reviews
85%
of users recommend this product

Basecamp has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 19492 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

85%
of users recommend this product

Pivotal Tracker has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 565 user reviews from 6 recognized software review sites.

5.0 (35)
n/a
4.1 (4950)
4.1 (95)
n/a
4.32 (122)
4.3 (13386)
4.3 (117)
n/a
4.3 (129)
n/a
4.6 (26)
4.2 (1121)
4.1 (76)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Basecamp and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Team Collaboration.

Team Collaboration Award

we're gathering data

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

General Accessibility: It is intuitive and user-friendly, as observed by 70% of users who referred to its general accessibility.
Project Management: Provides robust functionality for planning, progress tracking, managing and organizing projects, as noted by nearly 100% of users who mentioned project management.
Communication: Its built-in chat features for sending important messages to members, direct messages, sharing data and updates ease communication across departments and teams, as stated by nearly 98% of users who refer to communication.
Scheduling: Nearly 100% of users who specified scheduling said that the scheduling project module has led to increased operational efficiency.
Show more
Simple Interface: Pivotal Tracker's straightforward design makes it easy to learn and navigate, even for those new to project management tools. Users appreciate the intuitive layout and lack of unnecessary complexity.
Effective Prioritization: The platform's emphasis on prioritizing tasks helps teams focus on the most important work first. Users find the ranking and backlog management features particularly useful for maintaining project clarity.
Collaboration Features: Pivotal Tracker facilitates team communication and collaboration through features like shared workspaces, comments, and @mentions. This helps keep everyone on the same page and promotes efficient teamwork.
Iteration Planning: The software's iterative approach to project management allows teams to break down large projects into manageable chunks. Users find this helpful for setting realistic goals and tracking progress over time.
Show more
Administrator Navigation: Over 91% of users who mentioned administrator navigation reported that it is not easy for task managers to add tasks, move them around or control access.
Integration: Around 90% of the reviewers who specified integration said that its software integrations are limited, and some are slow to adapt.
Notification: The system has limited notifications that can be delayed, as noted by 77% of reviewers who mention notifications.
Show more
Limited Project Views: Pivotal Tracker's singular view can feel restrictive for teams accustomed to Kanban boards or Gantt charts, potentially hindering workflow visualization.
Estimation Challenges: The platform's story point estimation system, while promoting relative sizing, can be confusing for new users and may require additional training for accurate implementation.
Collaboration Constraints: The absence of real-time collaborative editing features can lead to version control issues and communication challenges, especially for distributed teams.
Show more

Basecamp provides members with access to the same project, even if they are in different time zones. Team members can share their ideas via the platform through its connectivity functions, including a forum. Suggestions can be worked out, and conversations can be saved to ensure that all members are on the same page. Reviewers noted that there are limited ways to activate notifications and integrate software. Overall, it is an efficient tool for managing projects, tracking progress, monitoring schedules and sharing updates among team members.

Show more

Pivotal Tracker shines as a project management tool built for Agile development teams, especially those using Scrum. Its strength lies in its intuitive interface and features tailored to Agile methodologies, like user story mapping and sprint planning. Users appreciate its simplicity and ease of use, making it a breeze to get started and manage projects without a steep learning curve. The platform's real-time collaboration features keep everyone on the same page, fostering transparency and efficient communication within teams. However, some users find Pivotal Tracker's simplicity limiting for complex projects that require extensive customization or advanced reporting capabilities. Additionally, while it integrates with popular tools like GitHub and Slack, the range of integrations might not be as extensive as some competitors like Jira or Asana. Pivotal Tracker's core strength is its laser focus on Agile principles, making it ideal for software development teams or organizations that heavily rely on Agile methodologies. Its user-friendly interface and collaborative features streamline sprint planning, backlog management, and progress tracking, ultimately boosting team productivity and project delivery. However, for teams with complex project needs or those seeking a broader range of features and integrations, exploring alternatives like Jira or Asana might be worthwhile.

Show more

Screenshots

Top Alternatives in Project Management Software


Airtable

Asana

ClickUp

Jira

LiquidPlanner

MeisterTask

Microsoft Project

monday.com

ProofHub

Smartsheet

TeamGantt

Teamwork

Wrike

Zoho Projects

Related Categories

Head-to-Head Comparison

WE DISTILL IT INTO REAL REQUIREMENTS, COMPARISON REPORTS, PRICE GUIDES and more...

Compare products
Comparison Report
Just drag this link to the bookmark bar.
?
Table settings