23 New Features That Make ZenPM the Basecamp Alternative Teams Actually Want

The biggest update in ZenPM history

When we set out to build ZenPM, we had one goal: build the project management tool that Basecamp should have been. Basecamp pioneered calm, opinionated PM software — but they stopped innovating. No AI. No subtasks. No time tracking. No automations. No dependencies.

Today, we're shipping 23 features that fill every gap Basecamp has — while keeping the simplicity that made Basecamp great. We call it Complexity on Demand: every feature starts dead simple, with power-user controls hidden until you need them.

Async collaboration that replaces meetings

Three features that eliminate the need for daily standups and status meetings:

• Automatic Check-Ins: Recurring questions sent to your team on a schedule (daily, weekly, biweekly). AI summarizes all responses into a brief you can read in 30 seconds. Basecamp's most-loved feature — now with AI superpowers.
• Recurring Tasks: Toggle any task to repeat. When you mark it done, the next instance auto-creates with the right due date. Daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly.
• Subtasks with Progress Bar: Basecamp's #1 most-requested missing feature. Break any task into checkable subtasks with a visual progress indicator.

AI that actually saves you time

Six AI-powered features that no other PM tool offers — all using Google Gemini under the hood:

• AI Project Kickoff Wizard: Describe your project in plain English. AI generates a complete plan with tasks, milestones, and timeline. One click to create everything.
• AI Weekly Status Reports: Auto-generated from your week's activity. Two versions: full detail for your team, client-friendly summary for stakeholders.
• Catch Me Up: Click one button and AI tells you everything that happened since you last logged in. Never start a Monday wondering 'what did I miss?'
• AI Meeting Notes to Tasks: Paste a meeting transcript. AI extracts action items, matches them to team members, and sets due dates. Review and create in one click.
• Scope Creep Detection: Tracks how many tasks were in your project at kickoff vs now. AI alerts you when growth exceeds 25% — with a suggestion to send a change order.
• Client Satisfaction Scoring: Pulse surveys via the client portal. See health scores across all projects. Catch unhappy clients before they churn.

Power features Basecamp refuses to build

These are the features Basecamp users have been requesting for years. We built all of them:

• Task Dependencies: 'Blocked by' and 'blocks' relationships between tasks. Circular dependency prevention built in.
• Custom Fields: Add text, number, date, select, URL, or checkbox fields to any task. Per-project customization.
• Custom Statuses: Beyond todo/in-progress/blocked/done. Define your own workflow stages per project.
• Workflow Automations: 8 trigger types x 8 action types. 'When task completed, create follow-up.' 'When assigned, notify manager.' Zero code.
• Hill Charts: Basecamp's signature visualization — scopes on a hill from 'figuring it out' to 'executing' — with historical snapshots.
• WIP Limits on Kanban: Set work-in-progress limits per column. Custom columns beyond the default four.

Client experience upgrades

Your clients don't need to learn another tool. Everything works through magic links — no login required:

• Client Approvals: Send deliverables for client sign-off. They approve, reject, or request revisions with one click. Full audit trail with timestamps.
• Satisfaction Surveys: Quick 1-5 pulse check on how the project is going. You see health scores on your dashboard.
• Project Templates: Start client projects instantly with pre-built task lists. 5 built-in templates + create your own.

Productivity and reporting

Features that help you work smarter and understand your business better:

• Focus Mode: Pomodoro-style timer linked to tasks. When a session completes, time is auto-logged. Weekly deep work stats.
• Burndown Charts: Visualize daily task completion progress per project.
• Team Workload Heatmap: See who's overloaded, who has capacity, and how many overdue tasks each person has.
• Revenue Dashboard: Per-project profitability, monthly MRR trend, top client rankings, and effective hourly rate.
• Bookmarks: Star any task, note, or project for instant access.
• Smart Notifications: Choose per category whether you want push, email, in-app, or none.
• Email-In: Forward any email to a project and it auto-creates a task.

Free tier: try before you buy

We also launched a free tier. You can now use ZenPM with unlimited projects, AI routing, auto-summaries, and magic links — no credit card required. When you're ready for team features, time tracking, or invoicing, upgrade to Solo ($9/mo), Team ($12/user/mo), or Agency ($29/user/mo).

What's next

This release puts ZenPM ahead of Basecamp on every feature dimension while keeping the simplicity that makes it approachable. But we're just getting started. On deck: Gantt-style timeline enhancements, deeper Mailgun integration for reply-by-email, and native mobile apps.

Try everything today at zenpm.work — 14-day free trial, no credit card required.