ONCE Campfire
Self-hosted group chat from 37signals, free and open source
What is ONCE Campfire?
Campfire is a self-hosted group chat system from 37signals, part of its ONCE line of software that you install and run on your own server. It covers the basics of team chat: open and private rooms, direct messages, @mentions, search and file attachments, used from a browser or as a mobile web app. The software is free and open source under the MIT License.
ONCE Campfire is free to use. See every plan
Good for
- Teams that want group chat without a recurring subscription
- Organizations that must keep chat data on their own servers
- Air-gapped or high-security networks with no internet access
- A separate private chat for a board, an event or a community
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- Rooms and direct messages
- Rooms can be open to everyone in the organization or private to some members, with direct messages alongside. Rooms with unread messages are highlighted.
- @mentions and search
- @mentions call out specific people, and previous searches are saved to the sidebar so they can be run again.
- Mobile web app
- Works in a mobile browser or as a Progressive Web App launched from the home screen, with icon badges and push notifications.
- One-command installation
- Installed through the ONCE CLI with a single command on a laptop, an office server or a cloud host. 2 GB of RAM and 1 CPU are listed for 250 concurrent users.
- Automatic updates
- Each installation checks for updates once a day and installs them automatically; this can be switched off to update by hand.
- Chatbots over an HTTP API
- Bots can be built for an instance with a simple HTTP API for sending and receiving messages and attachments.
ONCE Campfire pricing
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Entirely free and open source under the MIT License, with free updates. You install it on a server you control, so the cost of hosting is yours.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Campfire | $0 | Easy installation, free updates and the full source code. Self-hosted only. |
Read from once.com on Oct 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with ONCE Campfire before you buy.
Who makes ONCE Campfire
37signals is the software company behind Basecamp, HEY, Fizzy and the ONCE line of self-hosted products, which includes Campfire. Campfire itself is free and open source; the company sells subscriptions to Basecamp and HEY.
- Founded
- 199937signals.com
- Based
- Fully remote, with no physical headquarters37signals.com
- Ownership
- Privately held. Privately held, with no parent company. Its site says it has no investors, no board of directors and no eyes on an exit.37signals.com
- Funding
- 37signals describes itself as self-funded and says it has no investors. In July 2006 it announced on its own blog a minority investment from Bezos Expeditions, Jeff Bezos's personal investment company, without stating an amount.37signals.com37signals.comsignalvnoise.com
- Founders and leaders
- Jason Fried, Co-founder & CEObasecamp.com
- David Heinemeier Hansson, CTO & Co-founderdev.37signals.com
- Lately
- Hot Cell v1.0: Securing Active Storage in the age of AI · Oct 5, 2026
- Lexxy 1.0 is here · Sep 28, 2026
- 1.4.8 · Aug 3, 2026
- 1.4.7 · Jul 30, 2026
Read on Oct 6, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
ONCE Campfire alternatives
- ONCE Campfire vs Mattermost
Free plan
- ONCE Campfire vs Rocket.Chat
Free plan
- ONCE Campfire vs Zulip
Free plan · from $3.50/mo
- ONCE Campfire vs Element
Free plan
- ONCE Campfire vs Slack
Free plan · from $7.25/mo
Common questions
Is ONCE Campfire free?
Yes. ONCE Campfire is free to use. Entirely free and open source under the MIT License, with free updates. You install it on a server you control, so the cost of hosting is yours.
How much does ONCE Campfire cost?
ONCE Campfire lists one plan. Campfire: $0. Prices were read from once.com on Oct 6, 2026.
What platforms does ONCE Campfire work on?
ONCE Campfire is available on Web.
Does ONCE Campfire have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. ONCE Campfire is listed for Web.
Does ONCE Campfire have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. ONCE Campfire is listed for Web.
Is ONCE Campfire open source?
Yes. ONCE Campfire is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Does ONCE Campfire have an API?
Yes. ONCE Campfire offers a public API, according to its own site.
Who makes ONCE Campfire?
ONCE Campfire is made by 37signals. Privately held, with no parent company. Its site says it has no investors, no board of directors and no eyes on an exit. The company was founded in 1999.
What are the alternatives to ONCE Campfire?
The closest alternatives to ONCE Campfire in our directory are Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Element and Slack. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with ONCE Campfire.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 6, 2026.