COMPARE

vFound vs Shelf

Shelf describes itself as an open source asset management platform for tracking equipment, bookings and inventory, free for individuals.

vFound Equipment puts a QR label on everything a desk hands out, records who has it and when it is due, and sends reminders, for one yearly price per venue.

Shelf facts checked against its public website on 27 September 2026.

Start your 14-day free trial Try the Equipment demo

Side by side

Feature	vFound	Shelf
Price	US$58/month per venue, billed yearly (US$696 a year), unlimited items and team members	Personal free for 1 user; Plus $190 a year for 1 user; Team $370 a year; add-ons for audits, other barcode formats and single sign-onSource
Reservations	Specific-item or category reservations, optional approval, availability checks, email reminders, calendar entry and pickup into one checkout	Bookings with a calendar and availability view on the Team plan and aboveSource
Users and items	Unlimited items and team members	Unlimited assets on every plan; 1 user on Personal and Plus, unlimited team members on TeamSource
Labels	A printable QR label for every item; vFound AI names new items from a photo	QR codes and bulk label export; other barcode formats are a paid add-onSource
Reminders	Email receipt, a reminder before longer due times, then up to three overdue reminders	Check-out, check-in and overdue booking emails, plus reminders for dates such as inspectionsSource
Returns	Condition and photo on return; damaged items set aside for repair	Items are checked in one by one or together, and the booking completes when everything is backSource
App to install	None: vFound runs in the browser and scans labels with the device camera	Not required; Shelf runs in a phone browser, with an optional free companion appSource

Choose Shelf if

You are one person tracking your own equipment and want a free plan.
You want open source software.
You want to keep existing barcode formats through the Alternative Barcodes add-on.

Choose vFound if

You want one yearly price with unlimited items and team members.
You want nothing to install: labels scan with any phone camera in the browser.
You also run lost and found, parcels, coat check or visitors at the same desk.

THE PRODUCT

Meet vFound Equipment

Reserve equipment, hand out complete kits, track every asset and let borrowers self-check out, with reminders built in.

See everything in vFound Equipment

Illustrative workflow using synthetic sample data.

Frequently asked questions

How does vFound Equipment compare with Shelf on price?+

Shelf publishes a free Personal plan for one user, Plus at $190 a year and Team at $370 a year. vFound Equipment costs US$58/month per venue, billed yearly at US$696 with unlimited items and team members, and includes reservations, labels and reminders.

Do either need an app?+

Neither requires one. Shelf runs in a phone browser with an optional companion app, and vFound runs in the browser on any device with nothing to install.

Self-serve

Self-serve pricing

$58/month per venue

Billed yearly at $696, after a 14-day free trial.

Everything in vFound Equipment, for your whole team.

Reservations for a specific item or any item in a category
Kits and multi-item checkout
QR labels, ID-card scans and paired-kiosk self-checkout
Borrower limits, overdue blocks and category due-time rules
Serials, values, warranties, custom fields and maintenance
Stock-takes and CSV import
Unlimited items and team members

Try Equipment free for 14 days

vFound Enterprise

For airports, transit networks, hospitals, universities, venue groups and other organisations running many sites.

Custom pricing

Scoped to your sites, products and requirements.

Talk to us about Enterprise

The vFound products you choose, across all your sites
Multi-site management for more than three venues, with every product's work across sites
Single sign-on and organisation-wide two-step sign-in with your own identity provider
Custom attributes and workflow checklists on every product
Connectors to your directory and property systems, and integrations built to order
Lost & Found SMS and WhatsApp alerts through your own provider
Dedicated deployment in your own country, when your rules require it
A negotiated service level agreement, invoice billing and a signed agreement
A named contact, consultation, training and rollout with our team

Try vFound Equipment with your own desk.

Start a 14-day free trial of vFound Equipment. A valid card is required; cancel before day 14 to avoid the yearly charge.

Start your 14-day free trial