Updated Oct 17, 2025

Step-by-Step Guide: Building a Basecamp Clone with Adalo

Table of Contents

This tutorial walks you through creating a functional project management app using Adalo's no-code platform. You’ll replicate Basecamp-style essentials—task management, message boards, file sharing, and simple roles—without writing code.

What Is a Basecamp Clone and Why Build One with a No-Code App Builder

Basecamp combines task tracking, team communication, file sharing, and scheduling into one workspace. Building your own version with Adalo lets you tailor the workflow to your team while keeping data ownership and reducing implementation complexity.

Core Features You’ll Replicate

To-Do Lists: create, assign, schedule, and track tasks
Message Boards: threaded team discussions per project
File Storage: centralized uploads with attribution
Calendar & Milestones: due dates and key events
User Roles: simple admin/member permissions

Why Choose No-Code Over Custom Development

No-code tools replace large portions of hand-coding with visual builders and prebuilt integrations. You focus on UX and business rules instead of infrastructure. Timelines and costs vary by team and scope, but many teams find they can validate an MVP far faster than with traditional development.

Set Up Your Adalo Account

Step 1: Create Your Account & App

Go to Adalo.com → Sign Up
Verify your email, then click Create New App
Pick Mobile App or Web App (web is convenient for desktop collaboration)
Name your app (e.g., “ProjectHub”) → Start from Scratch

Design Your Database Structure

A clean relational model prevents duplication and makes filtering/permissions easier.

Step 2: Enhance the Users Collection

Add fields (Database → Users → + Add Property):

Full Name (Text)
Profile Image (Image)
User Role (Text) – e.g., Admin, Member
Department, Job Title, Phone Number (optional)
Notification Preferences (True/False)

Step 3: Create Projects

Fields:

Project Name (Text)
Description (Long Text)
Status (Text) – Planning, Active, On Hold, Completed
Start Date, Target End Date, Actual End Date (Date/Time)
Project Color (Text) for visual tags
Created Date (Date/Time – Automatic)

Step 4: Create Tasks

Fields:

Task Name (Text)
Description (Long Text)
Priority (Text) – Low, Medium, High, Urgent
Status (Text) – To Do, In Progress, Review, Done
Due Date (Date/Time)
Estimated Hours, Actual Hours (Number)
Created Date, Completed Date (Date/Time)

Step 5: Create Messages

Fields:

Message Title (Text)
Message Body (Long Text)
Message Type (Text) – Announcement, Discussion, Update
Is Pinned (True/False)
Created Date, Edited Date (Date/Time)

Step 6: Create Comments

Fields:

Comment Text (Long Text)
Created Date, Edited Date (Date/Time)

Step 7: Create Files

Fields:

File Name (Text)
File (File Upload)
File Type (Text)
File Size (Number)
Uploaded Date (Date/Time – Automatic)

Step 8: Add Relationships

Projects

Project Owner → Users (Many Projects → One User)
Team Members → Users (Many↔Many)
Tasks → Tasks (One Project → Many Tasks)
Messages → Messages (One → Many)
Files → Files (One → Many)

Tasks

Project → Projects (Many → One)
Assigned To → Users (Many → One)
Created By → Users (Many → One)
Comments → Comments (One → Many)

Messages

Project → Projects (Many → One)
Posted By → Users (Many → One)
Comments → Comments (One → Many)

Comments

Optional Task → Tasks (Many → One)
Optional Message → Messages (Many → One)
Commenter → Users (Many → One)

Files

Project → Projects (Many → One)
Uploaded By → Users (Many → One)

Build Core Screens

Step 9: Welcome / Auth

Welcome: logo/image, tagline, buttons → Sign Up and Login
Sign Up: Form (Users) → Email, Password, Full Name, User Role → on submit → Dashboard
Login: Login form → on submit → Dashboard

Step 10: Dashboard

Top bar: app name, New Project button, user avatar
Stats cards:
- Active Projects (Projects where Status = Active)
- My Open Tasks (Tasks Assigned To = Logged In User AND Status ≠ Done)
- Overdue Tasks (Due Date < Today AND Status ≠ Done)
- Completed This Week (Status = Done AND Completed Date within last 7 days)
Recent Projects list: Team Members contains Logged In User → sort newest first

Step 11: All Projects (Filterable)

Filters: Status (All/Active/Planning/Completed) + Search by name
List item: name, status badge, team avatars, progress bar
Edit/Delete buttons visible only to Admins

Step 12: Project Details

Header: name, description, status
Tabs:
- Tasks: list Tasks where Project = Current; group by status; quick “New Task” modal
- Messages: list Messages (pinned first); open thread view
- Files: list Files (name/uploader/size/date) with download/delete
- Team: team roster; admins can add/remove members

Step 13: Task Details

Inline edit: Task Name, Status, Priority
Fields: Description, Due Date, Assigned To, Estimated/Actual Hours
Comments: list + input to add
Actions: Mark Complete (sets Status=Done & Completed Date), Delete (permissioned)

Create & Manage Tasks (CRUD)

Step 14: New Task Modal

Form (Tasks): Task Name (required), Description, Priority, Due Date, Assigned To
On submit:
- Create Task
- Link to Current Project
- Set Created By = Logged In User
- Default Status = “To Do”
- Close modal & refresh

Step 15: Quick Status & Assignee Updates

In task rows: Status dropdown → Update Current Task → if Done, set Completed Date = Now
Assignee dropdown: project team members → Update Assigned To
Optional drag-and-drop: use a marketplace Kanban component (see below)

Step 16: Conditional Delete

Show Delete Task only if:
- Logged In User is Admin OR
- Logged In User = Created By
Confirm → delete → return to Project

Roles & Permissions

Step 17: Visibility Rules

Create Project buttons: show if Role = Admin
Edit Project: show if Role = Admin OR Logged In User = Project Owner
Delete Project: Admin only
Task editing: allowed if (Assigned To = Logged In User OR Created By = Logged In User) or Admin override
Message moderation: users can edit/delete own; Admins (and optionally Project Owner) can pin or moderate any

Step 18: Team Invitations

In Project → Team tab: Invite Member (select a user) → add to Team Members
Optional: send in-app or push notification

Integrations & Payments

Step 19: Zapier (Notifications & Automation)

Enable Zapier
Useful Zaps:
- New Task → Slack message / Email
- Task assigned → Email to assignee
- Due soon → Reminder
- Project completed → Team summary

Step 20: External Data (Scale with Xano/Airtable)

Use External Collections
Backends: Xano, Airtable
Benefits: larger datasets, custom APIs, advanced queries

Step 21: Stripe (Premium Plans)

Install Stripe integration
Add Subscription Plans collection (Plan Name, Price, Features, Stripe Price ID)
Upgrade screen:
- Display plans → Stripe payment component
- On success: set user plan; gate premium features via visibility rules

Marketplace Components (Kanban, Calendar)

Step 22: Kanban Board View

Browse the Marketplace for “Kanban/Board”
Add to Project Details as an alternative view
Columns: To Do / In Progress / Review / Done
Enable drag-and-drop to update Status

Step 23: Calendar / Timeline

Install a Calendar component
Show task due dates & milestones
Click events → open Task Details
For Gantt-style timelines, use a premium component or external data source and embed the view

Testing & Feedback

Step 24: Preview & Device Testing

Click Preview in the builder
For mobile: use the Adalo preview app to scan the QR code and test on a device
Validate auth flows, permissions, performance, and error states

Step 25: Structured QA

Auth: sign up, login, reset password
Projects: create/edit/delete (admin only), add team
Tasks: create/update/assign/complete/delete
Messages/Files: post, pin, upload, download, delete
Permissions: verify role-specific visibility and actions

Step 26: Collect Feedback

Invite a small pilot group
Provide tasks (“Create a project and assign 3 tasks”, “Post a message”, “Upload a file”)
Gather notes via a feedback form or quick interviews
Prioritize fixes by frequency, severity, and effort

Publishing to Web, iOS, and Android

Step 27: Web App

On a paid plan with custom domains, open Publishing → Web
Configure favicon, SEO, and analytics
Set up custom domain (DNS as instructed; SSL is automatic)
Domain pricing varies by registrar—check your provider

Step 28: Apple App Store (iOS)

Requirements:

Apple Developer account ($99/year)
Icons, screenshots, privacy policy URL, listing metadata

Process:

Adalo → Publishing → iOS
Upload assets & metadata
Generate IPA
Upload to App Store Connect (Transporter)
Submit for review
- Note: Apple does not guarantee review times; many reviews complete within a few days, but timing varies

More: Adalo iOS publishing

Step 29: Google Play (Android)

Requirements:

Google Play Developer account (one-time $25)
Icons, screenshots, privacy policy, content rating

Process:

Adalo → Publishing → Android
Upload assets & metadata
Generate AAB (App Bundle; required for new apps)
Upload to Play Console, complete listing & questionnaires
Submit for review
- Note: Timelines vary (often a few days, longer for new accounts)

More: Adalo Android publishing

Why Adalo Works Well for Basecamp-Style Project Management

Built-in relational DB: Users ↔ Projects ↔ Tasks ↔ Messages/Comments ↔ Files — Database help
Cross-platform publishing: Ship to iOS, Android, and web from one project (verify behavior per platform) — Adalo product
Marketplace components: Kanban boards, calendars, charts, advanced lists — Marketplace
Integrations: APIs, webhooks, external data/services — Custom Actions · External Collections

Cost & Resources

Adalo plans/limits: current details — https://www.adalo.com/pricing
Stripe fees (optional monetization): vary by region/method; U.S. online cards are typically ~2.9% + $0.30 — https://stripe.com/pricing
Developer programs: Apple $99/year — https://developer.apple.com/programs/ · Google Play $25 one-time — https://play.google.com/console/about/

Additional Resources

Adalo Help Center — https://help.adalo.com/
Adalo Marketplace — https://www.adalo.com/marketplace
External Collections — https://help.adalo.com/integrations/external-collections-with-apis
Custom Actions — https://help.adalo.com/integrations/custom-actions
Optimize Performance — https://help.adalo.com/performance/optimize-app-performance
Xano Integration — https://www.adalo.com/integrations/xano
Airtable Integration — https://www.adalo.com/integrations/airtable
Zapier — https://zapier.com/ · Make — https://www.make.com/
iOS Publishing — https://www.adalo.com/ios-app-apple-app-store
Android Publishing — https://www.adalo.com/native-android-app-google-play-store

‍Note: This Basecamp-style build is a prototype using Adalo’s UI and database. For true real-time collaboration, email-in & advanced notifications, granular/enterprise permissions (SSO/SCIM), Gantt/hill charts, and large-scale file storage, extend with external backends (e.g., Xano), storage (e.g., AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage) via External Collections / Custom Actions, and handle heavy processing server-side. Always test performance on real devices and confirm your privacy/compliance posture (e.g., GDPR/CCPA) before publishing.