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SPECIFICTION
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Playasoft Volunteer Database

github.com

Free plan WebSelf-hosted
Visit github.com
Spec score 8.0 #9 of 26 in Volunteer Scheduling Software

What it is

Playasoft Volunteer Database is a free, open-source web application for organizing volunteers at festivals and community events. It is self-hosted and provides event, department, shift, and signup management. Organizers create departments and schedule shifts with specific times, durations, capacities, and individual signup slots. Volunteers can sign up themselves. Access controls let organizers restrict shifts by permission level, using built-in roles such as admin, volunteer, medical, fire, and ranger. Volunteers can upload certification documents for administrator review before receiving a corresponding role. Password protection can limit access to sensitive shifts. The project includes Docker Compose setup instructions and requires Docker and Docker Compose for its quick start. Its documented Docker environment uses MariaDB 10.11. Redis and a separate WebSocket server can provide optional real-time updates. The repository identifies an AGPL-3.0 license, and the free plan costs nothing. Multiple organizations, multiple events per installation, and a hosted option are listed as roadmap phases.

Spec sheet

Purpose
The project describes itself as a volunteer scheduling system for festivals and community events.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Intended users
The README says the system was originally built for Apogaea and is maintained by DenverBurners.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Deployment
The project’s quick start requires Docker and Docker Compose and provides instructions to run the site locally or on a server.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
License
The GitHub repository identifies the project license as AGPL-3.0.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Additional access control
Shifts can also be password-protected to let department leads control access to sensitive positions.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Database
The documented Docker environment runs the application with MariaDB 10.11.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Departments and shifts
Organizers can create departments and shifts with individual signup slots for volunteers.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Event organization
Organizers can create events and departments, with departments having shifts across the event schedule.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Free and open source
The live volunteer database describes the project as 100% Free Open Source Software.Read 4 Oct 2026 · volunteer.denverburners.org
Hosted service roadmap
A hosted option for organizations that do not want to self-host appears on the roadmap as a future phase.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Multi-event capability
The project roadmap lists support for multiple organizations and events on one installation as a planned phase.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Optional integration
Redis can be configured as the broadcast driver for optional real-time updates, with a separate websocket server.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Real-time updates
Optional real-time updates for shift and department changes can be enabled with Redis and a WebSocket server.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Roles and permissions
Shifts can be restricted by permission level, and the project lists roles including admin, volunteer, medical, fire, ranger, and department lead.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Security guidance
The production setup guide recommends generating a secure database password and documents enabling HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Shift access
Shifts can be password-protected to control access to sensitive positions.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Shift signups
Shifts specify their time, duration, and volunteer capacity, and are divided into signup slots.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com
Training verification
Volunteers can upload certification documents to their profiles for administrators to review before granting the corresponding role.Read 9 Oct 2026 · github.com

Plans and prices

Free Open Source Software Free Read 9 Oct 2026 · volunteer.denverburners.org

Every Playasoft Volunteer Database plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free, open-source software
  • Self-hosted web deployment
  • Volunteer self-signup slots
  • Certification document review
  • Password-protected sensitive shifts

Limits

  • Requires Docker and Docker Compose
  • Hosted option remains a roadmap phase
  • Multi-organization support is planned
  • Real-time updates require Redis and WebSocket server

Who it suits

It suits festival and community-event organizers who can run a self-hosted web application. It is also relevant to groups needing role-based shift access and certification review.

Verdict

Playasoft Volunteer Database covers event scheduling, self-signup, role permissions, and certification checks in one self-hosted system. Its Docker-based deployment and roadmap-only hosted option matter when planning operations.

Where Specifiction places it

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