ONCE (Writebook)

ONCE is 37signals' answer to subscription fatigue. The concept is radical in 2026: software you pay for once and own forever. No monthly fees, no per-seat pricing, no surprise invoices. You get the code, host it yourself, and it's yours. Currently offering Campfire (group chat) and Writebook (instant web publishing), ONCE targets people tired of paying rent on their tools. Campfire is a clean, simple chat app that runs on your own server — no Slack bill growing with every hire. Writebook lets you publish books on the web for free, bypassing traditional publishers entirely. The design philosophy is unmistakably 37signals: stripped down, opinionated, and deliberately limited in scope. For anyone who values ownership over subscription, simplicity over feature bloat, and independence over platform lock-in, ONCE represents a genuine alternative to the SaaS treadmill.