Shelf

Overview

Shelf is an open-source asset-tracking platform for organizations that need to track equipment, its location and custody. It suits equipment managers and teams coordinating shared assets; the main trade-off is that the free plan is limited to one user and three custom fields.

Key features

Shelf combines asset pages and location tracking with custody records, bookings, kits, consumables, calendars, audits, dashboards, search, reminders and workspaces. That combination is useful when an inventory must show not only what an organization owns, but also who has it and whether it is reserved. Unlimited assets across all plans remove one common scaling constraint, though the free plan’s user and field caps still restrict how broadly a team can use it.

The free Shelf Companion app for iPhone and Android scans QR codes, runs audits, manages custody and checks bookings in or out. That makes the mobile app relevant to staff handling equipment away from a desk. Shelf’s web app can also be installed as a progressive web app on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux.

Organizations can use managed cloud or self-host Shelf’s open-source code with Docker and Supabase. Shelf says managed-cloud data is stored in Frankfurt, Germany, and application servers run in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It uses TLS 1.3 in transit, AES-256 at rest, and role-based and organization-level access controls. SAML 2.0 support includes Entra, Google Workspace, Okta and other identity providers, with automatic SCIM provisioning. Shelf is not yet SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certified, which may rule it out for buyers requiring either certification.

Pricing

Shelf has a free plan, paid plans from $34/mo, and a 7-day trial. All plans include unlimited assets, so the meaningful differences are user access, custom fields and operational features.

• Personal: $0/mo, with unlimited assets, one user, a personal workspace and three custom fields. It is a sensible way for an individual to organize assets, but the single-user cap makes it unsuitable for shared team workflows.
• Plus: $34/mo, with unlimited assets, one user, unlimited custom fields, CSV import and export, and email support. It removes the free plan’s field limit and adds data transfer and support, but remains single-user, so it is for solo asset managers rather than collaborating teams.
• Team: $67/mo, with unlimited assets and team members, bookings and reservations, a booking calendar and availability, booking PDFs, audits and barcode add-ons. This is the clearest fit for departments coordinating shared equipment; it costs more than Plus but is the first plan described with team access and booking workflows.
• Enterprise: custom pricing. It includes SSO / SAML / SCIM, custom MSA, DPA and SLA, HECVAT/VPAT compliance documents, a dedicated account manager, priority support and onboarding; dedicated single-tenant hosting is available. It is aimed at organizations needing contractual, identity or hosting provisions beyond the fixed-price plans.

Shelf says its team responds to pre-sales, customer and other inquiries within the same business day. The 7-day trial is short, so teams evaluating booking and audit workflows should plan to assess those needs promptly.

Platforms

Shelf is available on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows and the web, with self-hosting also supported. Native Companion apps are available for iPhone and Android; the installable web app extends access across desktop and mobile platforms.

Who it's for

Shelf is a strong fit for solo equipment managers who need unlimited asset records, and for departments, labs, production teams, universities and multi-site organizations that need custody, bookings and audits. The free plan works for an individual with modest field needs; Plus serves a solo manager who needs more custom fields. Teams needing shared access and booking tools should look at Team, while buyers with SSO, custom agreements or dedicated hosting needs may find Enterprise more appropriate. Organizations that require current SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Unlimited assets on every plan means growth in inventory alone does not force an upgrade.
• Pro: QR scanning, custody management, audits and booking check-in/out in the free mobile app support equipment handling away from a desk.
• Pro: Open-source self-hosting and managed cloud give organizations a choice of deployment.
• Con: Personal and Plus are single-user plans, and Personal also limits custom fields to three; neither suits a team sharing responsibility.
• Con: Team’s booking and multi-user capabilities require a $67/mo plan, a notable step up from Plus at $34/mo.
• Con: Shelf is not yet SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certified, which is a material gap for certification-driven procurement.

Alternatives

For a wider comparison, browse Asset Tracking Software. Consider Prey as another freemium option with a free plan and a $1.30 per month Tracking plan. AssetTiger is another free-plan option, with mobile apps for Android, iOS and web. Choose Reftab if a free tier capped at 50 assets is sufficient and barcode and QR-code support matter. Asset Giant offers a free tier limited to 100 assets and one user, without a free trial.

AssetCenter may suit a smaller inventory: its free plan covers 25 available or deployed assets and has no reports. MapYourTag is an option for a two-user setup capped at 10 assets on its free plan. Sortly offers a free tier for 100 unique items and one user. UNIO24 is another freemium inventory option, with a free plan capped at 50 assets.

Verdict

Shelf is best for organizations that need unlimited asset records alongside custody, bookings and audits, especially if mobile scanning or self-hosting matters. Its strongest case is the combination of those workflows with flexible hosting; its main reasons to look elsewhere are the single-user lower tiers and lack of SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification.