If you're looking for free IT asset management software for a small business, you have more options than you might think. But "free" means different things: some tools are free forever with limits, some are free to self-host (but you pay for the server), and some offer trials that expire.
This guide covers the best free options in 2026, with notes on what "free" actually gets you.
1. AssetJay (Free Tier)
Free forever: Up to 25 assets with 10 AI receipt reads a month. No time limit, no credit card required.
AssetJay's free plan tracks up to 25 assets, with no limit on how many people you assign them to. That's enough for a 5-10 person office to track laptops, monitors, and key peripherals. You get receipt attachments, warranty tracking, QR code labels, offboarding checklists, and CSV import.
The AI reads let you forward or drop in 10 receipts a month and have the details filled in for you. Past that, you add assets by hand until the count resets the next month (about 30 seconds each).
What you don't get: More than 25 assets. The Pro plan at $24.99/month expands to 250 assets with 100 AI reads a month, and adds the employee portal so people can see their own equipment.
Best for: Small teams that want to start tracking equipment today without any setup or payment.
2. Snipe-IT (Self-Hosted)
Free forever: Unlimited assets and users if you self-host.
Snipe-IT is the most popular open-source IT asset management tool. The self-hosted version is completely free with no asset or user limits. You get custom fields, check-in/check-out, depreciation tracking, software licence management, a full REST API, and LDAP integration.
The cost is your time and a server. You need a Linux server ($5-20/month for a VPS), familiarity with command-line administration, and the willingness to handle updates and backups yourself. For teams with a developer or sysadmin, this is a capable free option. If you're not sure about self-hosting, we compared cloud-hosted Snipe-IT alternatives.
What you don't get: A managed service. You're responsible for everything: hosting, security, updates, backups.
Best for: Technical teams that want maximum features at zero software cost.
3. Shelf.nu (Free Tier)
Free forever: Unlimited assets for 1 user with 3 custom fields.
Shelf.nu's free plan is generous on assets (unlimited) but limited to a single user. You get QR code scanning with GPS, basic asset management, and a clean interface. You can also self-host the entire platform for free since it's open source (AGPL-3.0).
The single-user limit means this works for solo operators or very small setups where one person manages everything. Once you need team collaboration, you're looking at paid plans starting around $34/month.
What you don't get: Team access, custom fields beyond 3, bookings, or import/export on the free plan.
Best for: Solo operators or individuals who need unlimited asset tracking.
4. Sortly (Free Tier)
Free forever: Up to 100 items for 1 user.
Sortly's free plan lets you track 100 items with their visual, folder-based interface. The mobile apps (iOS and Android) work on the free tier, and the interface is easy to pick up. It's a solid option if you need to track physical items of any kind, not just IT equipment.
The free plan is limited to one user, and you don't get QR code label creation, custom alerts, or advanced reporting. The jump to the Advanced plan at $49/month (2 users, 500 items) is steep.
What you don't get: Team access, QR labels, alerts, or reports on the free plan.
Best for: Individuals who need visual inventory tracking with a mobile app.
5. BlueTally (Free Tier)
Free tier available with basic asset tracking features.
BlueTally offers a free starting point for teams that want to track assets without committing to a paid plan. The interface is clean and approachable. It's a reasonable option for teams just getting started with equipment tracking. If your equipment is mostly assigned to people rather than shared, our BlueTally comparison covers where the two differ.
Best for: Teams that want a simple, free starting point for basic asset tracking.
6. Google Sheets (Free)
Free forever: Unlimited "assets" if you consider rows as assets.
A spreadsheet is where most small teams start, and it works fine for a while. You can share it with your team, add columns for anything you want, and there's no learning curve.
The problems start when you hit 30-50 assets. You can't attach receipts or get warranty reminders, there's no offboarding workflow or record of who changed what, and someone can always delete a row by accident.
What you don't get: Any of the features that make asset tracking actually useful at scale: reminders, receipts, assignments, QR codes, reporting.
Best for: Teams with fewer than 20 assets who only need a basic list.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Asset Limit | User Limit | Key Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AssetJay | 25 assets | No limit on people | Asset cap |
| Snipe-IT | Unlimited | Unlimited | Requires self-hosting |
| Shelf.nu | Unlimited | 1 user | Single user, 3 custom fields |
| Sortly | 100 items | 1 user | Single user, no QR labels |
| BlueTally | 50 assets | Unlimited | Paid plans start at $199/mo (billed annually) |
| Google Sheets | Unlimited | Unlimited | No asset management features |
Which Free Option Is Best?
It depends on your situation:
- You have a small team and want the most features free: AssetJay covers receipts, warranties, offboarding and QR labels for 25 assets.
- You have a developer and want unlimited free: Snipe-IT self-hosted gives you everything if you can manage a server.
- You work solo and want unlimited assets: Shelf.nu's free tier has no asset cap for one user.
- You just need a basic list: Google Sheets works until it doesn't.
Whichever one you pick, the main thing is being able to find the receipt when you need it, since a single lost $500 warranty claim probably costs more than the subscription price of any tool on this list. For a broader look at paid and free options ranked by team size, see our best equipment tracking tools for small teams roundup. And if you don't have a dedicated IT person, we also wrote about the best asset management tools for teams without an IT department.
