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Migration guide

Move from Basecamp to Pike

Download Basecamp Timesheets as CSV, build project, to-do and people files from the Basecamp API or by hand, and plan five to six weeks from first export to cutover.

Available now

Basecamp’s account export is an HTML archive, and the only CSV download is the Timesheets report. Your team builds the project, to-do and people files for Pike from the Basecamp API or by hand.

  1. 1Open Reports → Timesheets, set the date range and filters, and click Download CSV. The file follows the filters and date range shown in the report.
  2. 2Build projects, to-do lists, to-dos and people as CSV from the Basecamp 4 API, or type them into the Pike templates by hand for a small account.
  3. 3Ask the account owner to run Adminland → Export data from this account for every active and archived project. Basecamp emails a link to a full HTML copy, which serves as your archive.
  4. 4Upload customers, contacts, projects, phases, members, tasks, then time entries under Workspace settings → Integrations → CSV, using the Basecamp column mapping.

Timesheet is included with the Pro Plus and Pro Unlimited packages only. On other plans Basecamp records no time, and your time history exists in whichever tool your team logged it in.

Available now

Basecamp records no invoices, rates or deals, so your invoice history exists only in the accounting system you bill from. Connect that system to Pike before you load any Basecamp file.

  1. 1Connect the accounting system your team invoices from under Workspace settings → Integrations and run Import data for customers and invoice history.
  2. 2Match each Basecamp client company to a ledger customer, and use the ledger customer number in your projects file.
  3. 3Set rates and budgets on each Pike project from your finance records. Basecamp has no field for either.

Pike imports invoice history from the ledger. Pike has no CSV template for invoices.

Entity map

What each Basecamp record becomes in Pike

Column one uses Basecamp’s labels. Basecamp stores projects, to-dos, people and, on Pro Plus and Pro Unlimited, time. Customers, rates and budgets are set in Pike.

Client companies

Pike: Customers

Carries over: Company name of the clients invited to each project.

You set in Pike: Customer number, VAT ID and currency, or the ledger customer where you connect accounting.

Template columns: customerName, customerNumber

Clients (people)

Pike: Customer contacts

Carries over: Name, email, title and company. The API shows full email addresses only to admins, owners and the person.

You set in Pike: Nothing.

Template columns: customerNumber, name, email, title

Projects

Pike: Projects

Carries over: Project name and the people on it.

You set in Pike: Project number, billing type, budget, hourly rate and project lead.

Template columns: projectNumber, title, customerNumber, leadEmail

To-do lists

Pike: Phases

Carries over: List name and project.

You set in Pike: Start and end dates.

Template columns: projectNumber, phase

To-dos

Pike: Tasks

Carries over: Title, assignees, start date (starts on), due date (due on), completed state, to-do list.

You set in Pike: One assignee per row, and a Pike status for completed and open to-dos.

Template columns: title, projectNumber, phase, assigneeEmail, startDate, dueDate, status

People (employees)

Pike: Members

Carries over: Name, email, title.

You set in Pike: Team, position, workspace role and cost profile.

Template columns: email, displayName

Timesheet entries

Pike: Time entries

Carries over: Date, hours, person, description, project, and the to-do or other item the time is logged on.

You set in Pike: Billable status and approval status. Basecamp records neither.

Template columns: date, hours, email, projectNumber, taskTitle, note

Messages, docs and files

Pike: Not imported

Carries over: Included in the HTML account export.

You set in Pike: Nothing. Keep the HTML export as your archive.

Invoices

Pike: Invoice history from accounting

Carries over: Basecamp records no invoices. Pike imports them from the ledger your team invoices from.

You set in Pike: Nothing. The CSV route does not import invoices.

Basecamp entityPike entityWhat carries overWhat you set in PikeTemplate columns
Client companiesCustomersCompany name of the clients invited to each project.Customer number, VAT ID and currency, or the ledger customer where you connect accounting.customerName, customerNumber
Clients (people)Customer contactsName, email, title and company. The API shows full email addresses only to admins, owners and the person.Nothing.customerNumber, name, email, title
ProjectsProjectsProject name and the people on it.Project number, billing type, budget, hourly rate and project lead.projectNumber, title, customerNumber, leadEmail
To-do listsPhasesList name and project.Start and end dates.projectNumber, phase
To-dosTasksTitle, assignees, start date (starts on), due date (due on), completed state, to-do list.One assignee per row, and a Pike status for completed and open to-dos.title, projectNumber, phase, assigneeEmail, startDate, dueDate, status
People (employees)MembersName, email, title.Team, position, workspace role and cost profile.email, displayName
Timesheet entriesTime entriesDate, hours, person, description, project, and the to-do or other item the time is logged on.Billable status and approval status. Basecamp records neither.date, hours, email, projectNumber, taskTitle, note
Messages, docs and filesNot importedIncluded in the HTML account export.Nothing. Keep the HTML export as your archive.
InvoicesInvoice history from accountingBasecamp records no invoices. Pike imports them from the ledger your team invoices from.Nothing. The CSV route does not import invoices.

Basecamp stores no bill rates, cost rates or budgets. Before the upload, finance sets `hourlyRate`, `billingType` and `budgetAmount` or `budgetHours` on every open project from contracts or the ledger.

Timesheet entries record hours with no billable flag. Mark internal projects `nonBillable` and set `billableStatus` on time entries per project.

Pike calculates profit from cost profiles, so an admin sets up a cost profile for everyone who logs billable time before the pilot.

The plan

Seven steps out of Basecamp

The same steps as the main migration guide, with this tool's screens and settings.

  1. Week 1

    Migration owner, account owner

    1

    1Week 1 · Migration owner, account owner

    Freeze scope and export

    Basecamp exports only time as CSV, so the export week is also when you pull projects, to-dos and people from the API.

    • Pick a cutover Friday after the month’s invoices go out from your accounting system.
    • Download the Timesheets report as CSV for every year you keep, and write down the export date.
    • Pull projects, to-do lists, to-dos and people from the Basecamp API, including archived to-dos where you need them, and keep the raw files in one folder.
    exports / rawdo not edit
    • customers.csvraw
    • projects.csvraw
    • tasks.csvraw
    • time-entries.csvraw
    • invoices.csvraw
    Cutover: Friday, week 5

    Done when: Timesheet CSV and API files in one dated folder, and a cutover Friday on the calendar.

  2. Week 1 to 2

    Operations lead, finance

    2

    2Week 1 to 2 · Operations lead, finance

    Build the Pike files

    Most columns in the Pike templates have no Basecamp source, so this week finance fills them in.

    • Give every client company a customer number, and every open project a project number, a billing type, a budget and a rate.
    • Pull full email addresses with an admin or owner login. The API redacts email for everyone else, and Pike matches people by email.
    • Check the Timesheets CSV header row. Basecamp accepts hours as decimals or hh:mm, and the Pike `hours` column takes decimals.
    customers.csvbefore / after
    • Acme
    • ACME Ltd
    • Acme retainer

    Acme

    C-104 · T&M · 1,250/h

    Done when: Every open project has a number, a customer number, a billing type, a budget and a rate.

  3. Week 2

    Workspace admin

    3

    3Week 2 · Workspace admin

    Build the workspace shell

    Admins set up Pike before the first upload, so they can give imported projects a team and a rate on day one.

    • Create teams and workspace roles. Invite admins and project leads only.
    • Connect your accounting system and run Import data for customers and invoice history.
    • Set a cost profile for everyone who logs billable time.
    Workspace setup
    • Teams and roles
    • Templates and labels
    • Cost profiles12 of 12
    • Accounting connected
    • Invite everyoneweek 4

    Done when: Finance sees the ledger’s customers and invoices in Pike. Every billable person has a cost profile.

  4. Week 2 to 3

    Workspace admin

    4

    4Week 2 to 3 · Workspace admin

    Upload in dependency order

    Customers and contacts, then projects and phases, then members, then tasks and time. Pike reports a row it cannot match with its line number.

    • Download each Pike template and map your files with the Basecamp column mapping.
    • Fix rejected rows and re-upload them. Pike matches on project number, customer number or email and updates the record.
    • Spot check three projects against Basecamp: open to-dos, assignees and last month’s Timesheet hours.
    Import datain order
    • Customers48
    • Projects112
    • Members19
    • Tasks1,430
    • Time entries
    • Deals

    Done when: Project, person and last-month hour counts match the Basecamp Timesheets report.

  5. Week 3 to 4

    Delivery lead, finance

    5

    5Week 3 to 4 · Delivery lead, finance

    One team in Pike for a sprint

    CSV has no ongoing sync, so the pilot team moves fully to Pike while everyone else works in Basecamp.

    • The pilot team logs time and works its to-dos in Pike only, from Monday. Everyone else stays in Basecamp until cutover.
    • Finance approves pilot time in Time admin and sends one invoice from Pike.
    • Check the pilot project’s margin in Pike. Basecamp has no figure to compare, so finance checks it against the contract value.

    Old tool

    Rest of team

    logs as before

    keep syncing

    Pike

    Pilot team

    approved, invoiced

    Done when: One invoice sent from Pike. No pilot team time in Basecamp after the pilot start date.

  6. Week 4 to 5

    Migration owner

    6

    6Week 4 to 5 · Migration owner

    Cutover weekend

    Close Basecamp on Friday evening and upload the time logged since your first export.

    • Friday: download the Timesheets report from the day after your first export to Friday and upload those rows.
    • Pull to-dos created or completed since export day from the API and upload them as tasks.
    • Monday: everyone logs time and works to-dos in Pike. On Wednesday, run the Timesheets report for any hours logged in Basecamp after Friday.

    Fri

    Approve. Sync. Read-only.

    Sat, Sun

    Rest.

    Mon

    All in Pike. Demo at 10:00.

    Done when: Time admin shows every active member by Monday afternoon. Basecamp shows no time after Friday.

  7. Week 5 to 8

    Finance, account owner

    7

    7Week 5 to 8 · Finance, account owner

    First month-end in Pike

    Done when finance closes a month without opening Basecamp.

    • Approve all time, invoice every billable project from Pike, and check each invoice appears in your accounting system.
    • The account owner runs the HTML export and waits for the download to finish. Cancelling during the download stops the export.
    • Cancel only after the archive is saved. Basecamp removes access at once and deletes account content 30 days after cancellation.
    Baselinebefore / Pike
    Days to invoice
    Unbilled hours at close
    Margin by project

    Done when: Month closed in Pike. HTML archive and Timesheet CSVs saved with two owners.

Rebuild

Set these up in Pike by hand

  • Bill rates and budgetsSet billing type, rate and budget on each project.Pike docs
  • Cost ratesCreate a cost profile per member. Basecamp stores none.Pike docs
  • Project templatesRebuild your Basecamp project templates as Pike project templates.Pike docs
  • Time approvalChoose who approves time for each team in Time admin.Pike docs

Questions

Moving from Basecamp: common questions

Can Basecamp export projects and to-dos as CSV?

Not from the app. The account export from Adminland is a full HTML copy, and the Timesheets report is the only CSV download. Build the other files from the Basecamp API, or by hand for a small account.

Who can run the Basecamp account export?

Only account owners. The export lists active and archived projects, including ones the owner is not on, and Basecamp emails a link when the file is ready.

We have no Timesheets report. Where is our time?

Timesheet is included with the Pro Plus and Pro Unlimited packages, and you switch it on per project. If your team logged time elsewhere, export it from that tool for the Pike time entries template.

Why are client emails redacted in our API pull?

The Basecamp API returns full email addresses only to account admins and owners, and to the person. Run the pull with an admin login.

How long does Basecamp keep our data after we cancel?

Basecamp’s cancellation policy deletes account content 30 days after cancellation and from backups within 60 days. Access ends the moment you cancel, so finish the export first.

Support through the move and after it

Migration support comes with every plan: we map your exports, run the imports with you and check the counts before cutover. After go-live, hypercare until the first month-end closes in Pike. Then we hand over to your admins and stay close for as long as you use Pike. Email hello@usepike.com with your source tool and we will say which route fits.

  • Switch playbook
  • Basecamp vs Pike
  • Migration guide for every tool

Basecamp documentation used for this guide

  • Basecamp: Export your Basecamp data
  • Basecamp: Timesheets
  • Basecamp: New in Basecamp, Timesheet
  • Basecamp 4 API: Timesheets
  • Basecamp 4 API: People
  • Basecamp 4 API: To-dos
  • 37signals: Cancellation policy

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