Campfire Chat vs Haven

Campfire Chat helps leaders, parents and children in youth-focused organizations stay connected — safely, simply, and without the noise of mainstream chat apps. Built for scouting troops, bands, and similar youth groups, Campfire Chat gives every troop its own private, closed communication space. There's no public discovery, no open sign-up, and no crossover between groups — members only see the troop they belong to. Built for youth protection Campfire Chat is designed with youth protection principles from the ground up. Every youth account is tied to a parent, every troop has a dedicated admin, every conversation includes at least two adults, and every space is closed to outsiders — the safeguards that apps like SMS, WhatsApp, and Discord were never built to provide. Simple to run Troop admins can manage membership, moderate content, and keep communication organized without needing technical expertise. Reporting and content moderation tools help keep every conversation appropriate and on-topic. No ads. No tracking. No profit motive. Campfire Chat is free of ads and third-party trackers. It isn't built to make money — just to keep youth groups connected safely. Whether you're a troop leader coordinating a camping trip or a parent keeping up with your child's activities, Campfire Chat makes group communication safe, simple, and free of distractions. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any Scouting organization.

Haven is private chat for communities that run their own server. Your messages live on a box you control, not on someone else's cloud, and direct messages are end-to-end encrypted so even the server can't read them. END-TO-END ENCRYPTED • Direct messages and group DMs are encrypted on your device (ECDH P-256, HKDF-SHA256, AES-256-GCM) • Pictures and files in encrypted conversations are encrypted too • Group messages are signed, so you can tell who really sent them • Optional encrypted key backup restores your keys with your password CHAT THE WAY YOUR GROUP DOES • Text channels, private channels, DMs and group DMs • Threads, replies, quotes, reactions, custom emoji and stickers • Forums with topics and tags, polls, pinned messages and search • Pictures, video, files and GIFs • Markdown, tables, spoilers and code blocks • Official messages that make staff announcements stand out VOICE AND VIDEO • Drop-in voice channels • Video and screen sharing • Push notifications for mentions and DMs YOUR DATA, YOUR RULES • Delete your own messages, all of them or only those older than a day, a week, a month or a year • Auto-delete your messages after a set time • Export your data as one file • Block people, and see and sign out every device on your account MAKE IT YOURS Dozens of themes, icon packs, adjustable text size and accessibility settings. SELF-HOSTED AND OPEN Haven connects to Haven servers. Run your own on a home PC or a small server, or join a community that already has one. Save several servers and switch between them in a tap. TRY IT FIRST On the connect screen, tap Try the demo for a sample server that runs on your phone. No account needed. Haven is free, with no ads.