Alternatives · Team Chat
ONCE Campfire alternatives
ONCE Campfire compared with 5 alternatives: Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Element and Slack.
ONCE Campfire is free to use. All 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan.
5 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 6, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| ONCE CampfireThis tool | Free | Free | Web |
| Mattermost | Free plan | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Rocket.Chat | Free plan | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Zulip | Free plan · from $3.50/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Element | Free plan | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Slack | Free plan · from $7.25/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
How each one differs from ONCE Campfire
- Free plan
Mattermost
Self-hosted team messaging with playbooks, calls and boards
- Only Mattermost lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
- ONCE Campfire also covers file sharing.
Suits: Organizations that must keep chat on their own servers or air-gapped networks
- Free plan
Rocket.Chat
Open-source, self-managed chat for security-focused teams
- Only Rocket.Chat lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Rocket.Chat is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
Suits: Organizations that must host chat themselves for data sovereignty
- Free plan · from $3.50/mo
Zulip
Open-source team chat that organizes channels by topic
- Zulip starts at $3.50 per user / month self-hosted (billed monthly); Cloud from $6.67 billed annually. ONCE Campfire is free.
- Only Zulip lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
Suits: Distributed teams that prefer asynchronous, topic-organized conversations
- Free plan
Element
End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard
- Only Element lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Element is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Element also covers video calls.
Suits: Governments and regulated organizations that self-host encrypted chat
- Free plan · from $7.25/mo
Slack
Channel-based team messaging with huddles, workflows and AI
- Slack starts at $7.25 per user / month, billed annually. ONCE Campfire is free.
- Only Slack lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- ONCE Campfire is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Slack also covers workflow automation, documents and video calls.
Suits: Teams that want conversations organized by channel rather than email threads
Limits worth knowing in ONCE Campfire
- There is no hosted version: someone has to install and maintain it on a server you control.
- There are no native iOS or Android apps; phones use the mobile web or a Progressive Web App.
- Slack and Teams data cannot be imported.
- The site describes text chat only and mentions no voice or video calling.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to ONCE Campfire?
The alternatives to ONCE Campfire in this directory are Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Element and Slack. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with ONCE Campfire.
Is there a free alternative to ONCE Campfire?
Yes. Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Element and Slack have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which ONCE Campfire alternatives work on Windows?
The ONCE Campfire listing does not include a Windows app. Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Element and Slack list one.
Which ONCE Campfire alternatives work on macOS?
The ONCE Campfire listing does not include a macOS app. Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Element and Slack list one.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Oct 6, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.