Basecamp Personal: It's Almost Backpack Reinvented

I've had a soft spot in my heart for web apps for quite some time, so it's no surprise that I picked up a small gig posting to GreatWebApps.com (now closed) years back, and then became editor of Web.AppStorm later on (where I still work). It's rather amazing seeing what can be done just from a browser, and exciting to know that anyone on any computer can use the app, no matter what OS they're running. As someone who used to use Windows and envy the shiny new apps Mac users regularly got, I've always found that inspiring about web apps.

One of the first web apps I fell in love with was 37signals' Backpack. I loved its free-form nature, and found it a handy productivity tool in college. In fact, one of the first app tutorials I wrote online was about Backpack. I was thus sad to see it closed last year, but also excited to see many of the features I'd loved about it in the new-and-redesigned Basecamp. The new Basecamp was good enough that I got our whole AppStorm team using it for collaboration, and it's worked great … but I've always wished I could use it for my own projects without paying $20/month.

That wish has come true now with the newly released Basecamp Personal, a lite version of the new Basecamp that gives you 1 project for a one-time $25 fee. Check out my full review over at Web.AppStorm for more info. In short, it's the best of Basecamp (including the great email integration) designed for tiny teams - or even individual projects.

The neatest thing is that it's a one-time payment, something rather unusual for web apps. In fact, monthly payments are my biggest frustration with web apps, and that's the reason I don't use more of them in my daily life. I buy a lot of apps on iOS, OS X, and even on the web, but am wary of spending money on subscriptions since they can cost so much over time. Now, some of my favorite web apps - Pinboard, Typerighter, Kirby, and now Basecamp - have personal account for a one-time payment, and that makes them much easier to recommend for most people who won't want to pay per month.

Plus, the new Basecamp is nice enough that it'd sell itself anyhow, if it wasn't for the subscription price (and hey, that's even reasonable enough that for a team the size of AppStorm's, Basecamp is far cheaper than most competing products. Really.).

37signals, you've made me a fan all over again.

Thoughts? @reply me on Twitter.