ItemTally vs Shelf.nu
Shelf is the closest tool to ItemTally on the market, and a good one. Both keep unlimited items on every plan, both host in the EU, and both handle custody, bookings, kits and quantity stock. The real differences are how the plans are cut, what's an add-on, and whether you want to host it yourself.
Choose Shelf if
- You want to self-host. Shelf is open source (AGPL) and runs on your own servers with Docker and Supabase.
- You need native phone apps today. Shelf Companion is live on iPhone and Android; ours are still in testing.
- You're one team that pays yearly and wants every person to have a full login at one flat price.
Choose ItemTally if
- You want more than one person on the free plan. Ours has 1 editor and 10 borrowers, with CSV import, export and reservations included.
- You want stock counts, existing barcodes and SSO in the plan, without add-ons.
- You want a documented REST API and an MCP server for your AI assistant.
Where Shelf is better
Every tool has a reason people pick it. These are Shelf's.
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Open source and self-hostable
Shelf's code is public on GitHub under the AGPL, and you can run it on your own infrastructure. If your IT policy says the data never leaves your network, Shelf can meet it and ItemTally can't.
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Native phone apps you can install today
Shelf Companion is on the App Store and Google Play, free with every plan, and handles scanning, audits, custody and bookings. Our native apps are in testing; until they ship, ItemTally runs in the phone's browser.
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Unlimited full users on one paid plan
Team is $67/mo, or $370/yr billed yearly, with unlimited team members. Billed yearly that is about $31 a month for an organisation of any size, which is less than our €49 Warehouse plan if everyone needs to edit.
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Deep quantity pools
Shelf's quantity-tracked assets have placements across locations, portions held by several people, and a "used up or returnable" setting that decides what happens when stock comes back. It's thoughtfully built.
The structural difference
Shelf and ItemTally agree on the important part: neither charges for items, and both keep the data in the EU. Where they part is in how the plans are cut.
Shelf’s free plan is for one person. Collaboration starts on Team, which is one flat price for unlimited team members, with audits, existing barcodes and SSO sold as add-ons. That’s a clean model, and billed yearly it’s cheap for a large group where everyone needs a login.
ItemTally counts two kinds of people. Editors manage the register. Borrowers take and return things themselves with a scan. Viewers, hand-overs done by an editor and every borrower’s return link are free. Every feature is on every plan, including the free one, so a small team can run the whole workflow at €0 and a department of 55 at €19/mo.
The honest tie-breaker: if you want to self-host, or you need native phone apps this month, choose Shelf. If most of your people borrow and return rather than manage, or you want counts, SSO and an API without add-ons, ItemTally will cost less and do more out of the box.
The part a price cut can't copy: ItemTally never meters items, on any plan, and that is a signed, dated promise. Read the pledge →
Side by side
The Shelf column was checked on 16 October 2026. Numbers in brackets link to the sources at the end of the page.
| Feature | Shelf | ItemTally |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Personal, $0. Unlimited assets, 1 user, 3 custom fields, custody and kits. No bookings, no CSV import or export [1] | Shelf, €0. Unlimited items, 1 editor and 10 borrowers, every feature including reservations and CSV import and export |
| Paid plans | Plus $34/mo or $190/yr (1 user). Team $67/mo or $370/yr (unlimited team members) [1] | Stockroom €19/mo (5 editors, 50 borrowers). Warehouse €49/mo (unlimited). Billed monthly |
| Items metered? | No, unlimited assets on every plan [1] | No, unlimited items on every plan |
| Quantity stock and consumables | Yes, on every plan, with a minimum quantity and low-stock alerts [3] | Yes, with minimums per location and low-stock alerts |
| Bookings and reservations | Team and Enterprise [1] | Every plan, with clash checks by name |
| People who check things out themselves | Self-service role on Team. Base users request and an admin hands over [4] | Borrowers take and return with a scan, from their phone or a kiosk. Return links work without an account |
| Stock audits and counts | Audits add-on, $37/mo or $205/yr, on Team [1] | Stock counts included on every plan |
| Keep existing barcodes | Alternative Barcodes add-on, $18.50/mo or $170/yr, on Team [1] | Included on every plan. Barcodes already on the packaging scan straight away |
| SSO | Add-on on Team from $9 per SSO user a month (yearly). Included on Enterprise [1] | Included on every plan |
| API | No public API reference found on shelf.nu or docs.shelf.nu. The source code is open [5] | Public REST API on every plan, plus an MCP server for AI assistants |
| Hosting | EU (data in Frankfurt, app servers in Amsterdam), or self-host [2] | EU-hosted. No self-hosting |
| Native phone apps | Shelf Companion, iPhone and Android, live [1] | In testing. Scanning works today in the phone's browser |
What it costs at real team sizes
Shelf charges one flat price per workspace. Personal is free for one person, Plus is for one person with CSV and unlimited custom fields, and Team adds unlimited team members and bookings. Audits, Alternative Barcodes and SSO are add-ons on Team.
| Team | Shelf | ItemTally |
|---|---|---|
| 5 people 500 items | $67/mo (Team), or $370/yr billed yearly Add $205/yr for Audits and $170/yr for Alternative Barcodes if you need them. | €19/mo Stockroom: 5 editors. |
| 15 people 500 items | $67/mo (Team), or $370/yr billed yearly The same price at any team size. | €19/mo Stockroom: 5 editors, 10 borrowers. Warehouse (€49/mo) if all 15 edit. |
| 40 people 500 items | $67/mo (Team), or $370/yr billed yearly Billed yearly, Shelf is cheaper than our Warehouse plan if all 40 need to edit. | €19/mo Stockroom: 5 editors, 35 borrowers. Warehouse (€49/mo) if all 40 edit. |
ItemTally prices exclude VAT and are billed monthly. Items are never metered, and people who only look are free on every plan. Shelf prices are in US dollars. Registered non-profits get 10% off Team when billed yearly.
Switching from Shelf takes an afternoon
Nothing is written to your new register until you've seen the preview.
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Export your assets from Shelf. CSV export is on the Plus, Team and Enterprise plans.
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Import the CSV into ItemTally. Map name, category, location and your custom fields. Rows with a quantity become quantity items (map the minimum too, and low-stock alerts carry over); rows without one become unique items.
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Preview the dry run. You see every item, folder and field before anything is written. Re-import the same file later and matching rows update in place instead of making duplicates.
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Keep or replace the labels. Map any column holding a barcode value to codes, and stickers with those barcodes keep scanning. New QR labels can be printed on A4 sheets or a Brother label printer.
Questions about switching from Shelf
Is Shelf free?
Shelf's Personal plan is free forever, with unlimited assets for one user. Bookings, more users and CSV import and export need a paid plan.
Can I self-host ItemTally the way I can self-host Shelf?
No. ItemTally is a hosted service in the EU. If self-hosting is a requirement, Shelf is the better choice and we'd tell you so.
Which is cheaper for a team of 15?
If 5 people manage the register and 10 borrow, ItemTally Stockroom is €19/mo. If all 15 need full access, Shelf Team billed yearly ($370/yr) is cheaper than our Warehouse plan (€49/mo).
Does ItemTally work offline?
Not yet. Offline scanning comes with our native iPhone and Android apps, which are in testing. Scanning in the phone's browser works today with a connection.
What happens to my data if I leave ItemTally?
Full CSV export on every plan, any day. ItemTally's own export re-imports cleanly, and that round trip is tested.
Sources
- Shelf pricing page and plan comparison checked 16 October 2026
- Shelf security page (hosting, open source, self-hosting) checked 16 October 2026
- Shelf knowledge base, quantity-tracked assets and consumables checked 16 October 2026
- Shelf knowledge base, user roles and permissions checked 16 October 2026
- Shelf developer documentation checked 16 October 2026
Prices and plans change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we'll correct it with a new date.
Try it on your own list before you decide.
Import a CSV export from Shelf and see exactly what ItemTally would create before anything is saved.
Free for one editor and ten borrowers, with unlimited items. No card needed.