Build week to strike
From the first application to the final MOOP sweep
PlayaOS is free camp management software for Burning Man theme camps. Manage member rosters, applications, dues, shelter assignments, shifts, and kitchen operations in one branded portal. Every feature is included for camps of any size, with no paid tiers or member caps.
The full PlayaOS feature set
One camp portal for the work of running a theme camp, plus free tools for individual burners and builders. Every camp feature is included, whatever your camp size.
| Feature area | What it covers | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Branded camp portal | A home for your camp, with a custom domain, member access, and camp-specific settings. | Camp leads and members |
| Roster & member records | Profiles, roles, contact and emergency details, dietary needs, ticket status, and year-over-year history. | Camp leads and members |
| Applications & onboarding | Custom application and onboarding questions, applicant review, interview notes, approvals, and waitlists. | Camp leads and applicants |
| Camp dues & finances | Dues tiers, early-bird pricing, discounts, scholarships, online Givebutter payments, and payment status. | Camp leads and members |
| Site plan & shelter | Map the camp footprint, assign shelters and roommates, and track capacity and RV power. | Camp leads and members |
| Shifts & attendance | Schedule recurring work, let members sign up, balance assignments, check people in, and send reminders. | Camp leads and members |
| Kitchen & meals | Plan meals, track dietary needs and allergies, coordinate kitchen shifts, and prepare shopping lists and briefings. | Camp leads and members |
| Tasks & meetings | Plan camp work by phase, assign owners and dates, track progress, schedule meetings, collect RSVPs, and give members personal readiness checklists. | Camp leads and members |
| Bike fleet | Track camp-owned bikes, member checkouts, and returns. | Camp leads and members |
| Documents & waivers | Share camp documents and collect and track member signatures on required forms and waivers. | Camp leads and members |
| Calendar & readiness | Coordinate camp events and check readiness, meal, and operational reports as the burn approaches. | Camp leads |
| Member updates | Keep up with in-app notifications about shifts, dues, and other camp activity. | Camp leads and members |
| Packing & containers | Use the shared packing list, add personal gear, track what is packed or camp-provided, and sort items into totes. | Members and individual burners |
| Burner discovery tools | Browse playa events and art, find camps in the public directory, and use the community marketplace. | Every burner |
| AI assistants | Connect supported assistants over MCP to search playa information, manage packing, and access camp data your account can see. | Members and individual burners |
| APIs, SDKs & embeds | Build on the REST API and TypeScript SDK, or embed camp forms, calendars, and listings on your own site. | Camps and developers |
Camp dues are different from personal expense splitting: PlayaOS collects camp dues through Givebutter; it doesn't track Venmo or Zelle balances between friends. See the FAQ for details.
Members & roster
Keep every camper in one roster, burn after burn. Profiles, contact info, emergency contacts, dietary needs, and ticket status, so you always know who is actually coming.
- Profiles with photos, bios, and contact info
- Roles: super admin, admin, lead, member
- Search and filter your whole roster
- Year-over-year history across burns
- Emergency contact, dietary, and ticket status (have, need, STEP)
Applications & vibe checks
Take applications, run your vibe checks, and bring new campmates on board without losing anyone in a group chat. Build the application your camp actually asks, then move people through it.
- Custom application forms per camp
- Vibe-check scheduling with interviewer notes
- Review pipeline with approve, waitlist, and decline
- Automated approval and waitlist emails
- Onboarding sequences for new campmates
Shelters & placement
Map your camp footprint and put everyone under cover. RVs, shiftpods, hexayurts, and tents, with power and capacity tracked so placement stops living in your head.
- Shelter types with custom capacity
- Assign campmates to RVs, shiftpods, and tents
- Track 30-amp and 50-amp RV power
- Capacity and availability at a glance
- Roommate preferences and last-minute swaps
Shifts & labor
Build the shift schedule once, then let campmates sign up and check in. Fair distribution is built in, so nobody gets stuck with every MOOP sweep.
- Shift templates for repeating duties
- Self-signup with capacity limits
- Fair-distribution tracking across the crew
- Real-time check-in and attendance
- Shift reminders by email and push
Dues & payments
Collect camp dues online through Givebutter and see who has paid at a glance. Dues cover shared infrastructure, so this is about splitting real costs fairly, not turning a profit.
- Online dues collection through Givebutter
- Fee tiers and early-bird pricing windows
- Scholarships and discount codes
- Payment-status dashboard with reminders
- Financial reporting and export
Kitchen & meals
Feed the whole camp without the daily scramble. Plan meals, track dietary needs and allergies, generate shopping lists, and staff the kitchen, with AI briefings to help your kitchen leads prep.
- Meal planning with dietary tracking
- AI-generated shopping lists
- Kitchen shift coordination
- Daily AI briefings for kitchen leads
- Allergen and dietary-restriction management
Questions about fit, pricing, or how it works?
The FAQ explains what PlayaOS covers, where it differs from chat and expense-splitting tools, and how camps can use their own website.
Read the PlayaOS FAQThe gift is ready when you are.
Give your camp a free portal, or take the free playa tools into ChatGPT and Claude. Either way, it costs nothing.
Building your camp's site yourself? The API, SDKs, and UI kit are part of the gift too.