Open Source Basecamp Clone

Posted on April 5th, 2010

 

Successful project management is crucial to even the smallest company. Having the right tools can make all the difference. I’m sure you’ve heard of Microsoft Project and possibly Basecamp as well, right? These are definitely some of the most popular software choices out there for project mangers but they can also be very expensive.

MS Project licenses can cost a ton of money depending on how many you need. Basecamp charges $24 per month for their smallest hosted plan. Enter ProjectPier. ProjectPier is an open source project management tool that’s been around for a while which you host on your own web server. It was built to basically clone the functionality of Basecamp but since it’s open source it’s free to install and use. Take a look at the screenshot below to see what my install looks like.

ProjectPier Screenshot

As you can see not only can ProjectPier mimic most of the functionality of Basecamp, it can also be made to look almost identical as well. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Download and install the latest beta of ProjectPier (v0.8.5.0) located here
  • Configure your ProjectPier installation by following the install guide
  • Once fully configured download and install the free BaseQamp theme for ProjectPier located here

After following the steps outlined above, you’ll have a great tool to manage all those projects on your plate along with some extra cash in your wallet each month.