Shelf Asset Management vs Snipe-IT
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted crm & business apps options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Shelf Asset Management | Snipe-IT |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | CRM & Business Apps | CRM & Business Apps |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,018 | ★ 14,971 |
| First released | 2023 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Asset Panda, Sortly | ServiceNow, Asset Panda |
What are Shelf Asset Management and Snipe-IT?
Shelf Asset Management
Shelf is an open-source asset management platform that uses QR codes to track physical assets and equipment. It is suited for teams managing tools, gear, and inventory.
- QR-code asset tracking
- Equipment check-out
- Custom fields and tags
- Booking and reservations
Snipe-IT
Snipe-IT is a free, open-source IT asset management system. It tracks hardware, software licenses, accessories, and consumables across an organization.
- Hardware asset tracking
- Software license management
- Check-in and check-out
- LDAP and SSO integration
Shelf Asset Management vs Snipe-IT: key differences
Shelf Asset Management is written in TypeScript, while Snipe-IT is built with PHP. Shelf Asset Management is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Snipe-IT. Snipe-IT is the more established project (first released 2013), while Shelf Asset Management arrived in 2023. Snipe-IT has the considerably larger community, at 14,971 GitHub stars versus 3,018.
Why pick each one
Choose Shelf Asset Management if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Snipe-IT if…
- Mature and well-documented
- Strong REST API
Watch out for
- PHP MySQL stack required
- Utilitarian interface design
Frequently asked questions
Is Shelf Asset Management or Snipe-IT better?
Neither is universally better. Snipe-IT has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Shelf Asset Management and Snipe-IT free and open-source?
Yes. Shelf Asset Management is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Snipe-IT under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Shelf Asset Management and Snipe-IT with Docker?
Shelf Asset Management: yes. Snipe-IT: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Shelf Asset Management or Snipe-IT?
Shelf Asset Management has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Snipe-IT. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.