A Basecamp alternative for nonprofits
The constraint is not process. It is that six people are doing the work of fifteen and nobody has a spare week to roll out software.
Why nonprofits use Basecamp
The flat price above a certain size is genuinely good value for a mixed group of staff and volunteers, and the written check ins suit people who are not online all day.
Where it stops
It deliberately does not schedule, so the capacity question stays unanswered.
The week nonprofits actually have
A grant deadline that cannot move, an event in three weeks, volunteers who are available on particular evenings and not others, and a staff of four wearing every hat there is. The work is not complicated. The capacity is brutal, and nothing currently shows it.
Capacity is the whole problem and nothing shows it
Everybody is already full. Taking on one more thing is a decision made without any picture of what it displaces.
In UnaTask: Hours on a calendar, for everyone, so the tradeoff is visible when it is still a choice.
Volunteers are available at specific times, not in general
A person who can help on Tuesday evenings is not the same as a person on the team, and most tools only model the second.
In UnaTask: Availability on the calendar, so the help is planned into the hours it actually exists in.
Nobody can afford a rollout
The tools that would answer this need somebody to configure them, and that somebody is also running the grant application.
In UnaTask: Useful on day one, with nothing to build first.
The annual things are rebuilt from memory every year
The gala, the report, the renewal. Same steps, twelve months apart, reconstructed each time.
In UnaTask: A template that keeps the steps and the owners from last time.
On the things nonprofits asked about
| What it does | Basecamp | UnaTask |
|---|---|---|
| Time blocking on a calendar | No | Core |
| See who has room | Partly | Core |
| Useful before you configure it | Core | Core |
| A free plan | No | Yes |
What it costs
For a team of 5, billed yearly, Basecamp is about $900 a year and UnaTask is €480 plus VAT. The two are quoted in different currencies, so we have not subtracted one from the other.
Basecamp: Free for one project. $15 per user per month, or $299 a month flat for unlimited users.
Common questions
Why do nonprofits use Basecamp?
The flat price above a certain size is genuinely good value for a mixed group of staff and volunteers, and the written check ins suit people who are not online all day.
Where does Basecamp stop working for nonprofits?
It deliberately does not schedule, so the capacity question stays unanswered.
Should we leave Basecamp?
Not necessarily, and we would rather say so. Keep Basecamp if your work is client shaped and full of discussion, and you want fewer meetings and less chat. Move if the missing piece is the week itself: hours on a calendar, for everyone, before the work is promised.
What does it cost?
€10 per seat per month, or €8 per seat billed yearly, plus VAT, with every feature included. One person working alone is free.
Can volunteers be added for a short time?
Yes. Seats can be added and removed, and the bill follows.
Basecamp details checked 2 August 2026.