Migrating from Trello to Basecamp
Trello scores 4.4/5 on G2 — 0.3 points ahead of Basecamp (4.1/5). If you're making the switch, here's how to migrate your team from Trello to Basecamp step by step.
At a Glance
- Extremely intuitive drag-and-drop Kanban interface — virtually zero learning curve, new users productive within minutes
- Generous free tier with unlimited cards, unlimited Power-Ups, and up to 10 boards per Workspace
- Butler automation engine is powerful and accessible, allowing no-code workflow automation with rule-based, calendar, and due date triggers
- Flat-rate pricing with unlimited users — dramatically cheaper for large teams compared to per-seat tools like Jira or Asana
- Extremely easy to learn — most teams are productive within hours, not weeks, with an intentionally simple interface
- Built-in communication tools (message boards, Campfire chat, automatic check-ins) reduce dependence on Slack or email
You leave behind
- −workflow automations
- −custom fields
- −AI features
Migration Steps
Audit and export your current workspace
Before touching Basecamp, document what lives in Trello: projects and tasks, custom fields, automations, integrations, and team permissions. Export a full CSV backup — most tools support this from Settings → Export. Pay particular attention to any custom fields and workflow automations that your team relies on daily.
Set up your Basecamp workspace
Create your Basecamp workspace and replicate your project structure using tasks and projects. Run with a single pilot team before migrating everyone.
Map your workflow equivalents
Find the closest Basecamp equivalent for each Trello feature your team relies on. projects and tasks in Trello maps to tasks and projects in Basecamp. Prioritise the critical path: task creation, status tracking, and assignment.
Import your data
Basecamp supports CSV import for tasks and projects and has 20+ native integrations. For automations that don't have a native equivalent in Basecamp, Zapier or Make can bridge the gap. Start with your most active project rather than importing everything at once.
Onboard your team
Run a 30-minute walkthrough covering the daily workflow: how to create tasks and projects, update status, and find your board. Basecamp has a gentle learning curve — most PMs are fully productive within 1–2 days. Focus the session on the UI differences rather than feature training.
Run Trello in parallel for two weeks
Keep Trello read-only while your team works primarily in Basecamp. This reduces risk and lets people reference historical context — old decisions, archived tickets, past sprint data — without slowing the migration. After two weeks with no new work going into Trello, archive the workspace and make Basecamp the official home.
Ready to switch?
Read the full Basecamp review for pricing, integrations, and team fit details.