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Campfire Review: Price, Features and Score

Campfire: Modular writing and worldbuilding app with manuscript, maps and timelines. Free plan; paid from $12 a month, on web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. We did not test it; the facts come from its own pages.

Prices and data checked October 7, 2026 · Author Score computed by a published formula, not paid for

Campfire on the BookBird Author Score

Author Score · story planning & worldbuilding · #2 of 9 ·

Best for: Fantasy and sci-fi authors building large worlds, starting on a free plan

BookBird Author Score8.5/10 #2 of 9 story planning & worldbuilding. Worked out from Campfire’s own pages, its price and US searches for its name, not typed in. Author jobs50 pts42.9/50Each of the 7 author jobs on the story planning & worldbuilding list is worth an equal share of 50 points, and counts only when Campfire’s own pages confirm it. 6 of 7 confirmed = 42.9 points. A job the vendor does not mention earns nothing.Cost25 pts25/25A free plan, or a platform that takes no upfront fee, earns all 25 points.Adoption25 pts16.8/25Searches, 20 points: 2,900 a month for “campfire writing”, against Milanote, the most searched in this category (90,500), on a log scale = 14. Trend, 5 points: up 6% (last three months against the first three of the year) = 2.8; a fall of half or more earns 0, no change 2.5, a rise of half or more 5. 84.6 of 100 points= 8.5 out of 10 The full method, with every product’s points →

Author jobs, from Campfire’s own pages

  • Yes: Outline board or plot cards
  • Yes: Story structure templates
  • Yes: Character profiles
  • Yes: Worldbuilding (places, maps, lore)
  • Yes: Timeline view
  • Not stated: Exports the outline or connects to a writing app (not stated)
  • Yes: Sharing or collaboration

Campfire pricing

Free plan + paid plans. There is a free plan. Plans, in US dollars:

  • Free (limited elements per module, e.g. 25,000 manuscript words, 10 characters, 20 timeline events, 2 maps)
  • Standard Monthly: $12 a month (list $19)
  • Standard Annual: price in USD not confirmed
  • Standard Lifetime: price in USD not confirmed
  • Build Your Own: price in USD not confirmed

Only the monthly USD price appears in the server-rendered page. Annual and lifetime prices load client-side by location and did not come back in USD. Refund within 30 days for annual and lifetime; monthly is non-refundable.

What Campfire offers

  • 18 linked modules, among them manuscript, characters, timeline, maps, calendar, encyclopedia, magic, languages, species and cultures
  • Free plot templates in the Timeline module, among them 3 Act, Save the Cat, Hero's Journey and Story Grid
  • Character sheets built from 100+ attributes, plus personality profiles
  • Interactive maps with pinned locations linked to world entries
  • Unlimited collaborators who can view, comment or edit
  • Manuscript compile to print-ready PDF or EPUB; DOCX or EPUB import split into chapters
  • Browser app, offline desktop app and a free mobile app (CF Creators)
  • Word-count goals and progress statuses

Runs on: web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Exports: PDF and EPUB. Works offline. Launched: 2018.

Campfire alternatives

SoftwareScorePrice fromBest for
Milanote9.0Free plan; paid from $9.99 a month (billed yearly)Visual planners who want a free tier and shared boards
Aeon Timeline8.1$65 one-timeAuthors with complex chronologies who prefer a one-time purchase
World Anvil8.0Free planWorldbuilders and fantasy authors who work in a browser
LegendKeeper7.8Free plan; paid from $90 a yearGame masters and fantasy writers building a shared world
Plot Factory7.2Free plan; paid from $90 a yearWriters who want a free browser planner that also works on phones

Compare: All story planning & worldbuilding · All software for authors

How the score is computed: the formula, step by step.