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Campfire alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Campfire: no native mobile apps, mobile web only, and can't import Slack or Teams history. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Campfire, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Mattermost currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Mattermost logoMattermostOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +41 of 361.8
2Zulip logoZulipOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +42 of 358.3
3Rocket.Chat logoRocket.ChatOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +41 of 357.8
4Element logoElementOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +44 of 448.9
  1. Mattermost logo

    1. MattermostTop pick

    Best for: Security-conscious organizations that must self-host chat

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Campfire

    Self-hosted with native apps, integrations and enterprise features.

    Pros

    • Open source and self-hosted
    • Slack-like interface
    • Strong compliance options

    Cons

    • Self-hosting requires maintenance
    • Smaller integration catalog than Slack
    Visit Mattermost Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1553
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Mattermost a good Campfire alternative?

    Verified facts

    1 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Not checked yetgithub.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026mattermost.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free edition
    Yes
    Not checked yetmattermost.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Zulip logo

    2. Zulip

    Best for: Distributed teams that work asynchronously across time zones

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    58.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Campfire

    Open-source, self-hostable chat with topic threads and native apps.

    Pros

    • Topic threads keep chat organized
    • Open source and self-hostable
    • Great for async work

    Cons

    • Topic model takes getting used to
    • Fewer third-party integrations
    Visit Zulip Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1577
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Zulip a good Campfire alternative?

    Verified facts

    2 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026zulip.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Yes
    Not checked yetzulip.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Rocket.Chat logo

    3. Rocket.Chat

    Best for: Teams that need self-hosted chat plus customer messaging

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    57.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Campfire

    Self-hosted, open source and much more feature-rich.

    Pros

    • Open source and self-hostable
    • Omnichannel customer inbox
    • Matrix federation

    Cons

    • Setup and upgrades take effort
    • Interface less polished than Slack
    Visit Rocket.Chat Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1553
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Rocket.Chat a good Campfire alternative?

    Verified facts

    1 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Not checked yetgithub.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026rocket.chat(opens source in a new tab)
    Free edition
    Yes
    Not checked yetrocket.chat(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Element logo

    4. Element

    Best for: Communities and organisations that want open, federated, encrypted chat they can run themselves

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    48.9

    score / 100

    Why switch from Campfire

    Self-hosted Matrix chat with encryption and native apps.

    Pros

    • Federated: talk across servers, or host your own
    • Encrypted by default for private chats
    • Open source, with bridges to other networks

    Cons

    • More complex than mainstream messengers
    • Key backup and device verification confuse newcomers
    • Self-hosting a homeserver takes real admin work
    Visit Element Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.341
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Element a good Campfire alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Free community edition
    Checked Oct 25, 2026element.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise pricing
    Per seat/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026element.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Certification
    ISO/IEC 27001:2022
    Checked Oct 25, 2026element.io(opens source in a new tab)

The best Campfire alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Mattermost logo

Best Campfire alternative for most people

Mattermost

Self-hosted with native apps, integrations and enterprise features.

Zulip logo

Best Campfire alternative for a free option

Zulip

Open-source, self-hostable chat with topic threads and native apps.

Slack logo

Best Campfire alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Slack

Hosted and full-featured if self-hosting isn't a requirement.

Rocket.Chat logo

Best Campfire alternative for open source

Rocket.Chat

Self-hosted, open source and much more feature-rich.

Element logo

Best Campfire alternative for self-hosting

Element

Self-hosted Matrix chat with encryption and native apps.

Mattermost logo

Best Campfire alternative for Mac

Mattermost

Self-hosted with native apps, integrations and enterprise features.

Mattermost logo

Best Campfire alternative for Windows

Mattermost

Self-hosted with native apps, integrations and enterprise features.

Mattermost logo

Best Campfire alternative for Linux

Mattermost

Self-hosted with native apps, integrations and enterprise features.

Mattermost logo

Best Campfire alternative for iPhone and Android

Mattermost

Self-hosted with native apps, integrations and enterprise features.

Mattermost logo

Best Campfire alternative for working in the browser

Mattermost

Self-hosted with native apps, integrations and enterprise features.

Campfire alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Campfire?

Mattermost ranks first right now. Self-hosted with native apps, integrations and enterprise features. Zulip and Rocket.Chat follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Campfire?

Yes. Mattermost (open source), Zulip (open source), Rocket.Chat (open source) and Slack (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Campfire?

Yes: Mattermost, Zulip, Rocket.Chat and Element. Mattermost, Zulip and Rocket.Chat can also be self-hosted.

Which Campfire alternatives work on Linux?

Mattermost, Zulip, Rocket.Chat, Slack and Element run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Campfire?

The complaints we hear most: no native mobile apps, mobile web only; can't import Slack or Teams history; few integrations beyond a basic bot API.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Campfire, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.