Recently 37signals, the company behind the Basecamp project management app and Hey email app with Hey Calendar launched their first ONCE product called Campfire.
Campfire is a group chat app with a one-time purchase and an alternative to Slack, Microsoft Teams, and more.
With Campfire you just have to pay once and use it for a lifetime whereas other group chat apps charge a heavy monthly price.
What is Campfire
Campfire is a simple group chat app for teams. Campfire costs around $299 one-time purchase and you can store it in your server and use it. You don’t have to pay the extra monthly price or anything.
Why does Campfire look attractive? Many group chat or collaboration app like Slack or Microsoft Teams comes at a monthly price per user whereas Campfire offers the same service for a one-time payment.
You can use it for your company group chat app and it will reduce your cost by many times.
System Requirement and Installation
You have to connect Campfire to your server and run a single command and it runs on your hardware or in the cloud like AWS or on a host like Digital Ocean.
Here are the requirements.
| Concurrent Users | RAM | CPU |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | 2GB | 1CPU |
| 1,000 | 8GB | 4CPU |
| 5,000 | 32GB | 16CPU |
| 10,000 | 64GB | 32CPU |
When you install Campfire, they will automatically set up an SSL certificate for the domain or subdomain you are using.
Here is a guide and video you can watch to learn how you can install Campfire.
Campfire Features
Campfire is a simple group chat app that you can use for your teams, it comes with simple features.
- You can create different rooms for different groups or different types of conversions you want.
- You can add attachments
- Direct Message with your teams and easy access to the people you want to chat with pin bar.
- Edit or Access Control on Rooms
- You can set Push Notification for Rooms
- Effective search functionality with rooms and conversions
Who is Right for Campfire App?
Many people will find this group chat app effective. You can save money, and maintain a simple look and a private space for your teams.
- You can use Campfire as your chat app for your team.
- You can use it as a backup chat app and keep Slack or Teams
- You can use it as a private space for executives or key persons of the company.
- You can use it for conferences, events, and communities to have a private group chat app.
You can use this app in many ways.
FAQs
Does Campfire cost only $299 for a one-time payment?
Yes, Campfire costs only $299 purchased one-time with no additional costs, no monthly or annual cost.
Does each user have to buy the Campfire app?
No, One person (The company, founder, you, IT person) buys the Campfire app once then downloads it and installs it on a server that you control. Once you installed and run the app, you just have to invite co-workers or your team to the system and they log into the app.
How do updates work? Does it cost extra money?
The updates on the Campfire app download and install automatically. You can turn this off if you prefer to do it manually. If you are on the same root version you have like 1.0 to 1.1, then the updates will be free. If you jump between version numbers like from 1.x to 2.x, then it may cost extra. It will be up to you if you want to jump or not.
Can we import data from Slack or Teams into Campfire?
No, you can’t export your Slack or Teams data to Campfire. You have to start fresh.
Are any iOS or Android apps available?
Campfire is designed to work beautifully on the Mobile web whether in a mobile browser or Web app. And like the native app, you will get badges on your icon and you can receive push notifications if you like.
Can we buy a copy of Campfire and run it in different places?
No, when you buy Campfire, you receive a unique license to install on a single domain name. If you want to install it on multiple servers with different domain names then you have to buy separate copies per domain.
Conclusion
Campfire is a promising group chat app that you can use in your company to communicate with your teams.
It is simple and you don’t get complex or powerful features like Slack or Teams. You can use this app for the primary function—Communicating with teams.
Let me know your thoughts on this app and tell you are going to use it or not.