eCamp

eCamp is a collaborative web app for planning camp activities and producing printable schedules. It suits youth associations and Y+S camp and trekking groups, as well as schools and other groups that need shared planning. Its free plan and detailed activity templates make it a compelling fit for that work, but file uploads and task lists are absent, and course planning is not yet implemented.

Overview

eCamp centers on planning a camp together: several people can work on the same plan, schedule activities, and manage a staff roster. Its templates can capture a storyboard, story context, and safety considerations, giving organizers a way to carry more than a title and time slot into the schedule. Materials can also be assigned to an activity or camp period.

The emphasis is on camp preparation and printable plans rather than general-purpose project management. The service is operated on a best-effort basis, without a guarantee of uninterrupted availability. User content and personal data are stored on DigitalOcean managed Kubernetes servers in Frankfurt, Germany; the maker says longer-term encrypted backups are stored on AWS S3 in Paris, while DigitalOcean retains backups for seven days. The source code is public on GitHub under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0.

Key features

Shared activity planning

Collaboration is central to eCamp, making it better suited to committees and teams planning together than to a single organizer who only needs a personal calendar. Activity templates can include a narrative storyboard, context, and safety notes, while materials can be attached to activities or periods. Activity scheduling and staff roster management are supported.

Print-ready plans

PDF output and the printing process are optimized for camp plans. The July release notes add A3 printing and a day overview for print, useful when organizers need a large-format schedule or a concise daily view. That focus on print is a practical strength for groups coordinating away from screens.

Workarounds and omissions

eCamp v3 does not support task lists or todos, so teams needing assignments and follow-up checklists will need another way to track them. Direct file uploads are also unavailable: organizers can link to files hosted on services such as Google Drive or Dropbox, but that means maintaining those files elsewhere. Course planning was not implemented at the listed MVP: Camp launch, so groups whose primary need is course planning should look elsewhere.

Pricing

eCamp v3: free (billed Free of charge). The free plan makes the core camp-planning workflow accessible without a subscription price. No seat or usage quota is given, so the plan should not be mistaken for a published promise of unlimited capacity.

For youth groups and schools that need collaborative camp schedules, templates, printing, and a staff roster, this is a straightforward starting point. The trade-off is not a cheaper paid tier with more features: the key gaps are task lists, direct file uploads, and course planning. Users can link externally hosted files, but need another tool for todos.

Platforms

eCamp is available on Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, and the web. Its initial application languages are German, French, Italian, Romansh, and English. Login options include MiData, CeviDB, jubla.db, and Google, which may suit groups already using those services.

Who it's for

eCamp is best for youth associations and Y+S camp and trekking offers that plan activities as a group and want structured, printable schedules. School camps and other interested groups can also use the same planning approach. It is a weaker fit for teams that rely on built-in task tracking, file uploads, or course planning, or for organizers who need guaranteed uninterrupted service.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Free of charge: the listed eCamp v3 plan costs nothing, making collaborative camp planning available without a subscription fee.
• Templates carry useful context: storyboards, story context, and safety considerations help teams plan activities with more structure than a bare schedule entry.
• Print-oriented output: optimized PDF and printing, including A3 and a day overview, suit groups that coordinate from physical plans.
• Several language and login choices: five initial languages and four supported login integrations make it adaptable to a range of groups.

Cons

• No built-in todos: teams cannot use eCamp v3 to manage task lists or follow-up work.
• No direct file uploads: files must be hosted elsewhere and linked into the plan.
• Course planning is not implemented: the product is not the right choice when course planning is the main requirement.
• No uptime guarantee: best-effort operation may not suit groups that require uninterrupted availability.

Alternatives

For a broader directory of options, see Camp Management Software.

Choose Simply Camps if you need a free option with a free trial, or a paid plan priced at $99 a month for up to 250 enrolled campers; its listed platforms are Android, API, iOS, and web. Cogran is a paid alternative for camp and program operators, with a listed plan at $899 a year for up to 500 annual registrations and apps for Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows.

SixSevenBall Camp Management is a narrower web-based choice for coaches: its free plan covers one team, up to 12 players, three saved plays, and a sample drill pack, while Pro Coach costs $29 a month. CampSite is another paid option, with pricing by demo or quote and Android, iOS, and web support.

nextRec is a paid alternative available on Android, API, iOS, and web. Arly is worth considering for its Learning Experience plan, which includes enrichment curriculum, a resource library, professional development, dashboards, analytics and reporting, and surveys; pricing is by custom quote.

CampOrganizer offers a freemium model and free trial, with usage-based pricing at €0.25, paid once, billed €0.25 per participant per event or €1.00 per participant per day, and no fixed monthly subscription. Campwise is a paid option for resident camps, day camps, and conference centers in America; its software is available on Android, iOS, macOS, and web.

Verdict

Choose eCamp if your group needs a free, shared workspace for camp activities, staff rosters, and plans that will be printed. Its structured templates and print focus are the clearest reasons to pick it. Look elsewhere if you need built-in task lists, direct file uploads, course planning, or a guaranteed level of uptime.