Simple project management, built for architecture.

Basecamp is famous for its simplicity and its philosophy. Message boards, to-do lists, file storage, schedules, and chat — that’s it. No feature bloat, no overwhelming dashboards. The flat-rate pricing (unlimited users) is refreshing in a world of per-seat charges. And the ability to invite clients directly into projects — giving them access to message boards and updates — works well for basic communication.

For many teams, that philosophy is exactly right. Architecture practices often find themselves drawn to Basecamp’s simplicity after struggling with overly complex tools. The communication features genuinely work, and Basecamp’s opinions about work culture resonate with small, thoughtful practices.

The trade-off is intentional minimalism. There’s no time tracking — by design. No billing or budget management — by design. No structured project stages, no deliverable tracking, no decision logs — also by design. Basecamp believes these features don’t belong in a project management tool.

For an architecture practice, that means Basecamp handles communication but leaves everything else to other tools. You still need something for time tracking, something for billing, something for project stage management, and something for reporting. The simplicity you gained with Basecamp gets lost in the complexity of juggling four other systems.

Setout takes the ethos of simplicity seriously — clean interfaces, focused screens, no unnecessary complexity. But it also understands that architecture practices have specific needs that can’t be left to other tools. Stages, deliverables, time tracking, fee structures, and reporting are all built in, designed specifically for how architecture practices work.

If you value Basecamp’s philosophy and your practice mainly needs team communication with some client visibility, it’s a genuinely great tool at a great price. If you need structured project management, time tracking, and billing alongside that communication, Setout brings it all together.