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basecamp/once-campfire

Self-hosted web group chat with rooms, direct messages, search, file attachments and bot API, deployable as a single Docker image.

Open-source alternative to:Slack

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Last commit
2 days ago

What is it?

Campfire is a web-based chat application for teams and groups that want to run their own chat server. It covers the core features people expect from group chat: multiple rooms with access controls, direct messages, file attachments with previews, search, @mentions, and notifications delivered through Web Push.

The Docker image bundles the web app, background jobs, caching, file serving and SSL, so a single-machine deployment needs no extra services. The project recommends installing through ONCE, a tool that handles initial setup and keeps the instance updated, though a plain Docker deployment is also documented. On first start, a wizard creates the admin account.

The project exposes an API for bot integrations. Campfire is also implemented in several other languages and frameworks, including Django, Laravel, Express, Elixir, Go, Rust and C, each in its own repository.

Key features

  • 01Multiple rooms with access controls and direct messages
  • 02File attachments with previews and full-text search
  • 03Notifications via Web Push and @mentions
  • 04Single Docker image including web app, background jobs, caching and SSL
  • 05API for bot integrations

Use cases

  • Running a private team chat on your own server without a per-seat subscription
  • Hosting a community or group chat with separate rooms and direct messages
  • Connecting bots or scripts to chat rooms through the API

Topics

#chat#self-hosted#group-chat#ruby#rails#docker#web-push#bot-api

FAQ

What is once-campfire?
Self-hosted web group chat with rooms, direct messages, search, file attachments and bot API, deployable as a single Docker image. Campfire is a web-based chat application for teams and groups that want to run their own chat server. It covers the core features people expect from group chat: multiple rooms with access controls, direct messages, file attachments with previews, search, @mentions, and notifications delivered through Web Push.
Is once-campfire free to use? What license does it have?
once-campfire is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is once-campfire still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to once-campfire was on Oct 17, 2026.
What can I use once-campfire for?
Running a private team chat on your own server without a per-seat subscription Hosting a community or group chat with separate rooms and direct messages Connecting bots or scripts to chat rooms through the API
Where can I get once-campfire?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/basecamp/once-campfire

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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