The ONCE Campfire Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about ONCE Campfire in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
ONCE Campfire
The Insider’s Guide
Self-hosted group chat from 37signals, free and open source
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among team communication apps, read from ONCE Campfire’s own pages.
Made by 37signals LLC · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from ONCE Campfire’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on ONCE Campfire’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 2 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about ONCE Campfire, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No rating on record, and there's no hosted version to sign up for.
- 1
Best for free group chat on a server you own
It covers rooms, direct messages, @mentions, search and files, and that's the list.
- 2
It is free
ONCE Campfire has no paid plan at all. 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.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
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.
- 5
@mentions and search
@mentions call out specific people, and previous searches are saved to the sidebar so they can be run again.
- 6
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.
- 7
A 2.2 GPA, above 2 of 33
That is against the other team communication apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
ONCE Campfire is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
ONCE Campfire at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- 37signals LLC, since 2024
- Category
- Team Communication
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for free group chat on a server you own
Campfire is group chat from 37signals that you run on your own server, free and open source under the MIT License. It covers rooms, direct messages, @mentions, search and files, and that's the list. There's no hosted version, no native phone app, no voice or video, and no way to bring Slack or Teams history over, so look elsewhere if you've nobody to run a server.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | There's no subscription and no license fee, but it's only free if you provide the server: there is no hosted version at all. 37signals lists 2 GB of RAM and 1 CPU for 250 concurrent users, so that's a box to rent and look after on top of the $0. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright, source code included, with nothing held back for a paid tier because there isn't one. Updates install themselves daily unless you turn that off. What it costs you is the hosting, which is yours either way. |
| Features | C | It covers plain text chat and stops there: open and private rooms, direct messages, @mentions, saved searches, file attachments and an HTTP API for bots. That's a smaller job than this category's, and the site itself mentions no voice or video calling at all. |
| Ease of use | D | No rating on record, and there's no hosted version to sign up for. You install it yourself through the ONCE command-line tool and then look after the server. Installing takes one command, but it's still a server you own. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | The browser, and that's it. No native iPhone or Android app: phones get the mobile web or a home-screen web app with push notifications. The listing names no integrations at all, only a plain HTTP API for building your own bots. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who ONCE Campfire is for
- Fits if you want text chat with no subscription and someone who can run a server
- Works for organizations that must keep chat data on their own machines
Who it is not for
- Skip it if nobody on your team can look after a server, as there's no hosted version
- Not for you if you want voice or video calls, since it's text chat only
- Too light for a team that wants its Slack or Teams history brought over, which can't be done
- Tight if your team lives on phones, as there's no iPhone or Android app, only the mobile web
- Watch out: there are no ready-made integrations, only an HTTP API for your own bots, and the server bill is yours
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
ONCE Campfire is free to use.
There's no subscription and no license fee, but it's only free if you provide the server: there is no hosted version at all.
Campfire
$0
Easy installation, free updates and the full source code. Self-hosted only.
The 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.
Read from once.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Self-hosted group chat from 37signals, free and open source. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, team chat, file sharing.
That's a smaller job than this category's, and the site itself mentions no voice or video calling at all.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
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.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
2/33
Other team communication apps it is graded above
ONCE Campfire's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 2 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 30 of 33) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
ONCE Campfire has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 34 team communication apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. ONCE Campfire’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 33
- AFree plan and trialAbove 30 of 33
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 33
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 33
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 33
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 31 team communication apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. ONCE Campfire is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
ONCE Campfire is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 26 of the 33 other team communication apps grade higher.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- Storing and serving files for other people.
- An API that other software can build on.
What this rests on. ONCE Campfire’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Element and Slack
The 5 tools ONCE Campfire is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Mattermost
Free plan
Self-hosted team messaging with playbooks, calls and boards.
- Only Mattermost lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- ONCE Campfire also covers file sharing.
- Mattermost also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and AI agents.
- 2.4GPA
Rocket.Chat
Free plan
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.
- 2.8GPA
Zulip
Free plan · from $3.50/mo
Open-source team chat that organizes channels by topic.
- Only Zulip lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- 2.8GPA
Element
Free plan
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.
- 2.8GPA
Slack
Free plan · from $7.25/mo
Channel-based team messaging with huddles, workflows and AI.
- 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.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is ONCE Campfire free?
Yes. ONCE Campfire is free to use.
How much does ONCE Campfire cost?
ONCE Campfire lists one plan. Campfire: $0.
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.
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.
What are the alternatives to ONCE Campfire?
The closest alternatives to ONCE Campfire in our directory are Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip, Element and Slack.
How does ONCE Campfire compare with other team communication apps?
ONCE Campfire's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 2 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 5.
Is ONCE Campfire good value for money?
ToolGPA grades ONCE Campfire C for value for money. ONCE Campfire has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of ONCE Campfire?
ONCE Campfire is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from ONCE Campfire’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from 37signals' own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-09.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by 37signals LLC. Prices change, so check once.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- ONCE Campfire, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/once-campfire
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "ONCE Campfire: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/once-campfire
Know someone choosing between team communication apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/once-campfire/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded team communication apps after ONCE Campfire, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Team Communication Insider's GuideEvery one of the 34 team communication apps we grade, compared
- Discord Insider's GuideFree text, voice and video chat built around servers3.6 GPA
- Pumble Insider's GuideTeam chat with unlimited message history on the free plan3.6 GPA
- Zoho Cliq Insider's GuideTeam chat, calls and meetings from the Zoho suite3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what ONCE Campfire’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. ONCE Campfire is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by 37signals LLC. Prices and plans change: check once.com before you buy.