shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Shelf?

Shelf is the open source asset management platform for modern teams. Track equipment, bookings, and inventory — free for individuals, no credit card required. - shelf.nu

Depends. Buy if your team needs free, open-source tracking for shared equipment and can apply security patches promptly. Skip it if you need enterprise-grade security assurance or mature vendor support, or if a spreadsheet would cover your gear list.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 10 usable public sources; many search results matched unrelated 'Shelf' products (medical exams, shelf corporations, Shelf.io) and were excluded.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo usable review evidence
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence in sources
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free (individuals)

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Team plansSee vendor site

Best for

  • Teams lending shared equipment
  • Booking-heavy orgs (labs, studios, makerspaces)
  • Open-source self-hosters
  • Small teams outgrowing spreadsheets

Not for

  • Anyone whose gear list fits a spreadsheet
  • Security-audit-driven enterprises
  • Buyers needing proven, mature vendor support

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

CVE-2026-54166: SSRF via asset tracking/CSV import — update before exposing imports

high

CVE-2026-47697: incorrect authorization (CWE-863) — confirm patched version before rollout

medium

Paid team pricing not visible in reviewed sources — verify current costs before committing

low

Name collisions: and other 'Shelf' products pollute reviews — check listings carefully

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free for individuals, no credit card required
  • Open source: equipment, bookings, and inventory in one platform
  • Dedicated G2 listing for the asset-management product
  • Vendor publishes a product security page

Cons

  • CVE-2026-54166: SSRF in asset tracking and CSV import
  • CVE-2026-47697: incorrect authorization, possible auth bypass
  • Independent review evidence is sparse

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/24/2026 - 10 sources - Two 2026 CVEs reported against Shelf-nu (SSRF and incorrect authorization); vendor also publishes a security page.

official x3review x2security x5
  • CVE-2026-54166 — SSRF, SSRF reported in Shelf asset tracking / CSV import path
  • CVE-2026-47697 — Incorrect authorization, CWE-863 incorrect authorization, described as an auth bypass flaw

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Free individual tier; open source
  • Ease of use. No usable review evidence
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Claims tracking, bookings, inventory; user evidence thin
  • Support quality. No support evidence in sources
  • Security posture: 2/5. Two 2026 CVEs incl. authorization flaw
  • Yes Free tier Individuals, no credit card required
  • Open source License Per vendor tagline
  • 2 2026 CVEs SSRF + incorrect authorization

Pricing

Free (individuals)

$0

  • Track equipment, bookings, inventory
  • No credit card required

Team plans

See vendor site

  • Pricing page lists paid plans
  • Team-tier prices not shown in reviewed sources

Security

Two 2026 CVEs reported against Shelf-nu (SSRF and incorrect authorization); vendor also publishes a security page.

  • CVE-2026-54166 — SSRFSSRF reported in Shelf asset tracking / CSV import path⁶
  • CVE-2026-47697 — Incorrect authorizationCWE-863 incorrect authorization, described as an auth bypass flaw⁹

What users say

The product-specific review source found was G2's Shelf Asset Management listing, with truncated but positive-toned snippets.

“We went from having zero...”
G2 review of Shelf Asset Management

Alternatives

Compare Shelf with each alternative.

Full analysis

Based on 10 usable public sources; many search results matched unrelated 'Shelf' products (medical exams, shelf corporations, Shelf.io) and were excluded.

Free open-source equipment tracker with bookings — but two 2026 CVEs mean patch fast before trusting it.

Methodology

Based on 10 usable public sources; many search results matched unrelated 'Shelf' products (medical exams, shelf corporations, Shelf.io) and were excluded.

Sources

  1. Shelf Asset Management Reviews — G2g2.com
    review
  2. Shelf Pros and Cons — G2g2.com
    review
  3. Pricing — Shelfshelf.nu
    official
  4. Shelf Security pageshelf.nu
    official
  5. Shelf Alternatives & Comparisonsshelf.nu
    official
  6. CVE-2026-54166: Shelf Asset Tracking SSRFsentinelone.com
    security
  7. CVE-2026-54166: Shelf Asset Import SSRF Bypassmiggo.io
    security
  8. CVE-2026-47697: Shelf Asset Platform Auth Bypasssentinelone.com
    security
  9. CVE-2026-47697 CWE-863 Incorrect Authorization in Shelf-nuradar.offseq.com
    security
  10. Shelf-nu Security Vulnerabilities — CyStackcystack.net
    security

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