Shelf.nu and AssetJay both help you track what your company owns and who has it. Shelf is an open-source platform with bookings, kits, audits and a native phone app. AssetJay is a smaller, focused tool for teams without an IT department. Prices and features below were checked on shelf.nu in October 2026.
Shelf.nu or AssetJay: which should you pick?
Pick Shelf.nu if you lend out shared equipment on a schedule, want to self-host, or need a native iPhone and Android app. Pick AssetJay if you mainly need to know who has which laptop, keep receipts and warranties in one place, and get equipment back when people leave, at $24.99/month for the whole team.
Both have a free plan, but they limit different things. Shelf's free Personal plan gives one user unlimited assets. AssetJay's free plan covers up to 25 assets and doesn't limit users. On paid plans, Shelf Team is $67/month billed monthly or $370/year billed annually. AssetJay Pro is $24.99/month, monthly only, for up to 250 assets.
If neither fits, our roundup of the best free asset management tools covers other options.
What is Shelf.nu?
Shelf.nu is an open-source asset management platform under the AGPL licence. It's used by universities, film and media teams, field crews and individuals. On its homepage (October 2026), Shelf says it's trusted by "20k+ active users tracking around 750k assets".
You can use Shelf Cloud or self-host it. Self-hosting needs Docker, PostgreSQL and Supabase, according to Shelf's FAQ. The platform covers QR labels, custody, locations, kits (grouped assets), bookings with a calendar, asset reminders and audits.
The bigger change in 2026 is Shelf Companion, a native app for iPhone and Android. Shelf says it's free with every account. You can scan labels, check gear in and out, run audits and update assets from your phone. Since version 1.3.0 (August 2026), the app can attach your phone's location to a scan. It's opt-in, and the web scanner has always recorded the browser's location on a scan.
One catch for self-hosters: connecting Companion to your own server isn't covered by the open-source licence. Shelf sells it as a separate monthly private-server licence, and the price comes from sales.
What is AssetJay?
AssetJay is a hosted asset management tool for small teams that don't have an IT department. You log an asset, attach the receipt, record who has it, and get emailed 30, 7 and 1 day before a warranty runs out.
It's free for up to 25 assets. Pro is $24.99/month for up to 250 assets, with your whole team included. There's nothing to host or configure. AI receipt extraction fills in the asset details from a receipt you drop in or forward to your team's Inbox address.
When someone leaves, AssetJay generates an offboarding checklist of everything assigned to them, so you can tick items off as they come back. Our free offboarding checklist shows the same idea without signing up.
AssetJay has no native app. It runs in your phone's browser, and QR labels open the asset's page when scanned.
How do Shelf.nu and AssetJay compare on features?
The short version: Shelf has more scheduling and field features, AssetJay has more around receipts, warranties and leavers. "Not listed" means we couldn't find it on shelf.nu's features or pricing pages in October 2026.
| Feature | AssetJay | Shelf.nu |
|---|---|---|
| Target audience | Small teams, founders, office managers | Broad: universities, media, field teams, enterprise, individuals |
| Free plan | Up to 25 assets, no user limit | Personal: unlimited assets, 1 user, 3 custom fields |
| Paid plans | Pro: $24.99/month, up to 250 assets, whole team (monthly only) | Plus: $34/month or $190/year (1 user). Team: $67/month or $370/year (unlimited users and assets) |
| Self-hosted option | No | Yes, free under AGPL (Companion on your own server needs a paid licence) |
| Native mobile app | No, works in the phone's browser | Yes, Shelf Companion for iPhone and Android, free with every account |
| Equipment bookings | No advance reservations. Shared items can be borrowed with a return date and reminders | Yes, on Team: booking calendar, availability view and pull lists |
| Kits (grouped assets) | No | Yes, on every plan |
| Audits | No dedicated audit workflow | Add-on for Team: $37/month or $205/year |
| Location on scan | No | Yes, browser location on web scans, opt-in in the app |
| QR code labels | Yes | Yes |
| Receipt and warranty tracking | Built in: receipts on each asset, warranty date on the record | General asset reminders, no warranty-specific tracking listed |
| AI receipt extraction | Yes, drop or forward a receipt and the details fill in | Not listed |
| Warranty expiry alerts | Yes, emails at 30, 7 and 1 day | Not listed as a warranty feature (reminders can be set by hand) |
| Offboarding checklists | Yes, generated per leaver | Not listed |
| CSV import | Yes, on Free and Pro | Yes, on Plus and above |
| Custom fields | 5 on Free, 15 on Pro | 3 on Personal, unlimited on paid plans |
| SSO | No | SSO/SAML/SCIM as a per-user add-on on Team, included in Enterprise |
How does Shelf.nu pricing compare with AssetJay?
It depends on how many users you need and how you pay. Shelf charges per workspace, not per user, and gives a discount for paying annually. AssetJay charges a flat monthly rate and caps assets instead of users. Prices as checked on shelf.nu's pricing page in October 2026:
| Plan | Users | Assets | Monthly billing | Annual billing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelf Personal | 1 | Unlimited | Free | Free |
| Shelf Plus | 1 | Unlimited | $34/month | $190/year |
| Shelf Team | Unlimited | Unlimited | $67/month | $370/year |
| Shelf Audits add-on | (Team only) | $37/month | $205/year | |
| AssetJay Free | No limit | 25 | Free | Free |
| AssetJay Pro | No limit | 250 | $24.99/month | Not offered yet |
Paying monthly, Shelf Team is $804 a year against $299.88 for AssetJay Pro. On Shelf's annual plan the gap shrinks to about $70 a year, and Shelf has no asset cap. So if your team will pay a year upfront and you have more than 250 assets, Shelf Team is the better deal on price alone. If you'd rather pay monthly, or only one person manages equipment and wants receipts and warranties handled, AssetJay costs less.
When is Shelf.nu the better choice?
Shelf is the better choice when you share equipment on a schedule. If cameras, projectors or lab kit get booked days ahead, its booking calendar, availability view and pull lists go beyond AssetJay, which only lets people borrow shared items there and then. Our guide to equipment checkout systems covers that difference in more detail.
Shelf is also the better fit if:
- You want to self-host for data control, or to avoid a subscription.
- Your team works in the field and wants a native phone app for scanning, check-outs and audits.
- You need kits, so a camera body, lenses and tripod move and book as one unit.
- You need scheduled audits or SSO.
- You have more than 250 assets and are happy to pay annually.
When is AssetJay the better choice?
AssetJay suits small teams where the person tracking equipment is an office manager or founder, not an IT admin. If receipts and warranties are where you've lost money, it puts proof of purchase on each asset and emails you before warranties expire.
It's also a better fit if:
- You want AI to read receipts and fill in the asset for you, including from forwarded purchase emails.
- You need offboarding checklists so equipment comes back when someone leaves. The cost of not retrieving equipment adds up quickly.
- Several people need access but you'd rather not pay $67/month for it.
- You don't need bookings, location on scan or self-hosting.
Is self-hosting Shelf worth it?
Self-hosting Shelf is free and makes sense if you have a developer who can run it. You take on servers, updates, backups and security, and if your team wants the Companion app on your own server, that's a separate paid licence. Shelf's own FAQ says "most teams choose Shelf Cloud".
For a company with technical staff, that work is routine. For a 15-person company where the founder is the "IT person", it's one more thing to maintain. We go through the same trade-off for another open-source tool in our AssetJay vs Snipe-IT comparison.
With AssetJay there's no server to look after. You give up the flexibility of self-hosting, but nobody on the team has to maintain it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shelf.nu really free?
Yes, in two ways. The open-source version is free under the AGPL licence if you run your own server. Shelf Cloud's Personal plan is also free, with unlimited assets for one user and 3 custom fields. Adding team members or bookings means the Team plan, at $67/month or $370/year.
Does Shelf.nu have a mobile app?
Yes. Shelf Companion is a native app for iPhone and Android, free with every Shelf account. It scans QR labels, handles check-ins and check-outs, and runs audits. AssetJay doesn't have a native app and runs in the phone's browser instead.
Can I migrate from Shelf to AssetJay?
Yes. Export your assets from Shelf as a CSV file, then import that CSV into AssetJay. Common column headings map automatically. Import your people first, and an "Assigned to" column in the asset file links each asset to the right person.
Which is easier to set up?
AssetJay has fewer features to learn, and with a CSV import most teams are fully tracked in under 10 minutes. Shelf Cloud is also quick to start, with a 7-day Team trial, but it has more to learn and set up. Self-hosting Shelf needs a developer.
The Bottom Line
Shelf.nu is a flexible, open-source platform with bookings, kits, audits, a native app and the option to self-host. AssetJay is a simpler tool focused on receipts, warranty alerts and offboarding, with a flat monthly price.
If you book out shared equipment, want to self-host or need a native app, Shelf is worth trying first. If you're a small team that needs to know who has what, keep receipts with each asset and get equipment back when people leave, AssetJay is probably the better fit. Start free and see if it works for you.
