Campfire is a web-based chat application that you can self-host without a subscription.
Campfire solves the problem of needing group communication infrastructure without relying on third-party services or recurring costs. It provides a full-featured chat platform with multiple rooms, access controls, direct messaging, file attachments with previews, search functionality, web push notifications, @mentions, and an API for bot integrations. The application is distributed as a Docker image containing everything needed for deployment on a single machine, including the web app, background jobs, caching, file serving, and SSL support.
The tool is designed for teams or organizations that want to run their own chat infrastructure. It suits projects where self-hosting is preferred or required, whether for privacy, control, or cost reasons. The project offers two deployment paths: using ONCE, a companion tool that automates setup and updates, or deploying the Docker image directly for those who prefer manual control. The README encourages users to modify Campfire to their needs and provides a development guide for local setup.
The maintainers typically respond to new issues and pull requests within a few days.
