Once Campfire

Open source alternative to Slack, Basecamp, Google Chat and Twist

4.8K stars
MIT
Active this week
Last commit today

Last verified Nov 5, 2026

Run a self-hosted group chat for your team on your own server, MIT-licensed, with no subscription fees or recurring charges.

Visit website GitHub4.8K Deploy on Hostinger

Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs, the quick start and the FAQ

who it's for

Who Once Campfire is for#

Teams switching from Slack or Basecamp

If your team uses Slack or Basecamp and wants to cut recurring costs, Campfire covers the core chat workflows: rooms, direct messages, search, file sharing, and mobile access. The switch requires a server and someone to run one command.

Skip if:

Teams that depend on Slack's app directory (GitHub, Jira, Salesforce integrations) or Basecamp's project management features (to-dos, check-ins, file storage, schedules) will find Campfire cannot replace those workflow automations.

Security and compliance teams needing on-premises chat

Campfire runs on your own infrastructure with all data stored locally. It supports air-gapped networks with no outside internet access, making it viable for regulated industries, government environments, and organizations with strict data residency requirements.

Skip if:

Teams that need built-in audit logs, e-discovery, or enterprise compliance certifications (SOC 2, HIPAA) will need to evaluate whether they can build those controls around a self-hosted MIT codebase.

Developers studying a production-grade Rails codebase

Campfire ships the full Ruby on Rails source code under the MIT license. The codebase includes reference implementations in Django, Laravel, Express, Elixir, Go, Rust, and C, each benchmarked against each other. It is a learning resource for teams building web applications or studying different language runtime performance.

Skip if:

Teams looking for reliable chat with minimal maintenance overhead will find the codebase focus is a poor fit. If you just want chat running and nothing to modify, pick a managed option.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Team chat tools should not charge every month forever. Slack's per-seat billing adds up fast. A 20-person team pays several hundred dollars a month; a 100-person team can pay thousands. Basecamp bundles chat into its project management subscription, tying communication costs to to-dos, file storage, and timelines that teams using a separate project tool do not need. Neither service lets you export and self-host your own conversation history.

The harder challenge is lock-in. All past messages, files, and search history live on vendor servers. If pricing changes, the service goes down, or the product shifts direction, teams have no path to their own data. Organizations in regulated industries or high-security environments often cannot use cloud-hosted services at all, leaving them with no viable option among the major commercial platforms.

how Once Campfire solves it

How it solves it#

ONCE CLI single-command install

Campfire installs on any Linux server with one curl command. The ONCE CLI handles the full setup, including initial configuration, SSL, and automatic daily updates. No separate orchestration tools or manual Docker configuration needed.

Multi-room chat with access controls

Create rooms for teams, projects, or topics and control who has access. Rooms display unreads at a glance, with private rooms limited to invited members and open rooms accessible to everyone in the organization.

Direct messages and @mentions

Every team member gets a direct messaging inbox alongside room access. @mentions notify specific people in any room. Previous searches are saved to the sidebar for quick access, and Web Push notifications work on desktop and mobile.

Mobile access via PWA

Campfire runs in the mobile browser as a Progressive Web App that can be added to a home screen and delivers push notification badges, matching native app behavior. No App Store distribution required.

HTTP API for chatbot integrations

Campfire exposes a simple HTTP API for sending and receiving messages and attachments. Teams can build internal bots and automations without a third-party integration marketplace. The API is documented in the GitHub repository.

Air-gapped and offline-capable deployment

Campfire runs on networks with no outside internet access, making it suitable for research facilities, secure government environments, and other high-security deployments where cloud-hosted services are not an option.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

MIT license with full source codeThe entire Campfire codebase is MIT-licensed and published on GitHub. Teams can fork it, modify it, and ship their own version commercially with no restrictions beyond attribution. Unlike proprietary chat services, the license does not expire or change with pricing tiers.
No subscription or per-seat billingOne install on your own server covers your entire organization. There are no recurring fees, no per-seat pricing tiers, and no contracts. The only ongoing cost is the server.
Single-container deployment at any scaleThe Docker image bundles the web app, background jobs, caching, file serving, and SSL into one container. A 2 GB server handles 250 concurrent users; the same architecture scales to 64 GB for 10,000 users, with no additional services to wire up.
Multiple language implementations availableBeyond the Rails (Ruby) reference implementation, Campfire has verified, shared-test implementations in Django, Laravel, Express, Elixir, Go, Rust, and C. Teams that prefer a different language runtime can run the same application with its own performance characteristics.

Trade-offs

-No native iOS or Android appsCampfire delivers mobile access as a Progressive Web App. It runs in the mobile browser and can be added to the home screen for push notifications and icon badges. Teams that require a dedicated App Store app will not find one, and the PWA does not support offline mode.
-No data import from Slack or BasecampCampfire does not support importing message history from Slack, Basecamp, or other chat services at this time. Past conversations, files, and search history stay in the old system. Teams switching to Campfire start with an empty history.
-Single-machine deployment onlyThe Docker image is designed for a single-machine deployment with no built-in clustering or high-availability configuration. Teams that need geographic redundancy or zero-downtime failover must build that layer themselves or accept the limitations of a single server.

versus alternatives

Once Campfire vs alternatives#

Campfire vs Slack

Both are web-based team chat with rooms, direct messages, file attachments, and mobile access. The key difference is pricing model: Slack charges per active user each month, while Campfire is a self-hosted install with no ongoing subscription.

Feature	Campfire	Slack
License	MIT	Proprietary
Pricing	Free (self-hosted)	Per-seat subscription
Self-hosting	Yes	No
Mobile	PWA	Native apps (iOS/Android)
App integrations	HTTP API	Extensive marketplace
Data location	Your server	Slack's cloud

Campfire is the better choice when your team wants to eliminate recurring messaging costs and does not depend on Slack's integration marketplace. It covers basic chat without the complexity Slack has added over the years, and your message history stays on your own infrastructure. Slack is worth considering when native iOS/Android apps are required, or when your workflows depend on first-party integrations with Jira, Salesforce, GitHub, or similar services that Campfire's HTTP API cannot replicate without custom development.

Campfire vs Basecamp

Campfire and Basecamp are both from 37signals. Basecamp is a full project management and team communication platform; Campfire is a standalone group chat application. Where Basecamp bundles messaging alongside to-dos, file storage, schedules, and check-ins under a subscription, Campfire is chat only, free to self-host, and MIT-licensed.

Feature	Campfire	Basecamp
License	MIT	Proprietary
Pricing	Free (self-hosted)	Per-team subscription
Self-hosting	Yes	No
Scope	Chat only	Chat, tasks, files, schedules
Data location	Your server	Basecamp's cloud
Mobile	PWA	Native apps (iOS/Android)

Campfire is the right choice for teams that need only self-hosted chat and want to avoid a broader project management subscription. Teams already paying for Basecamp get messaging as part of the bundle; running Campfire alongside it only makes sense when on-premises message storage or data ownership is a hard requirement. Teams that rely on Basecamp's project management features (to-dos, check-ins, file storage, milestones) will not find them in Campfire.

install · quick start

Quick start#

bash

Install Campfire on your server by first setting up the ONCE CLI, then deploying Campfire.

```bash
curl https://get.once.com | sh
once deploy ghcr.io/basecamp/once-campfire --host chat.example.com
```

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: JavaScriptRuby
Frameworks: Rails
Databases: SQLite
Cache: Redis

frequently asked

FAQ#

How much does Campfire cost?

Campfire is free. The software is MIT-licensed and hosted on GitHub. You need a server to run it, which you pay for separately. The ONCE CLI and all future updates are provided at no charge by 37signals.

Can we import our message history from Slack or Basecamp?

No. Campfire does not support data import from Slack, Basecamp, or other chat services at this time. Switching to Campfire means starting fresh. Past message history stays in the old system unless you export and archive it separately before switching.

Does Campfire have native iOS and Android apps?

No native apps are published to the App Store or Google Play. Campfire is a Progressive Web App: it runs in the mobile browser and can be installed on the home screen for push notifications and icon badges. For most team chat use cases the PWA behaves like a native app, but it does not support offline mode.

How does Campfire handle software updates?

Each Campfire instance pings 37signals' server once a day to check for updates. When one is available, it downloads and installs automatically. Automatic updates can be disabled if you prefer to manage them manually.

Can Campfire run on a network with no internet access?

Yes. Since Campfire runs on your own server and the application itself does not require a connection to outside services, it works on air-gapped networks. This makes it suitable for research facilities, government environments, and other high-security deployments where cloud-hosted services are not permitted.

Looking for more

Other ways to replace Slack, Basecamp, Google Chat and Twist#

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Teams needing internal chat and customer omnichannel in one tool

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Async-first teams that need organized, low-noise conversations

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All 18 Slack alternatives 8 open source Slack alternatives, ranked

by category

Open source tools in these categories#

153

Communication & Collaboration

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Business & Productivity

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Keep it running 24/7, even when your laptop is off. A Hostinger VPS gives it a server of its own.

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Campfire vs Slack

Feature	Campfire	Slack
License	MIT	Proprietary
Pricing	Free (self-hosted)	Per-seat subscription
Self-hosting	Yes	No
Mobile	PWA	Native apps (iOS/Android)
App integrations	HTTP API	Extensive marketplace
Data location	Your server	Slack's cloud

Campfire vs Basecamp

Feature	Campfire	Basecamp
License	MIT	Proprietary
Pricing	Free (self-hosted)	Per-team subscription
Self-hosting	Yes	No
Scope	Chat only	Chat, tasks, files, schedules
Data location	Your server	Basecamp's cloud
Mobile	PWA	Native apps (iOS/Android)