head to head · open source
Shelf vs Binner
Shelf has 3,049 GitHub stars, 384 forks, 181 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Binner has 545 stars, 70 forks, 52 open issues and last shipped 7 months ago. Shelf leads on adoption by 459% (3,049 vs 545 stars). Shelf is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Binner is written in C# under GPL-3.0. Shelf has attracted 13% as many forks as stars, Binner 13%. Shelf was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Shelf | Binner | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.0K | ★ 545 |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | C# |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-04-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 384 | ⑂ 70 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Shelf if
- You weight community size — 3.0K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Binner if
- You want the Binner feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You evaluated both and Binner fits your workflow better
About Shelf
Open source asset management infrastructure for everyone. Website · Documentation · Discord · Twitter Shelf is a platform for tracking physical assets — equipment, devices, tools, vehicles, props, inventory. It's built for teams that need to know what they have, where it is, and who's using it. Organizations use Shelf to manage thousands of assets across locations with role based access for their teams. Features QR asset tags — Generate and print QR codes. Scan with any phone to view, check out, or report an asset. Bookings and reservations — Schedule equipment, prevent double bookings, set…
read the full Shelf overview →
About Binner
Binner Binner is a free open source parts inventory tracking system you can run locally in Windows or Unix environments. It was created for makers (like myself), hobbyists or professionals to keep track of your parts inventory. Screenshots Features Standard inventory management input Import your orders from Digikey, Mouser, Arrow, or AliExpress Customizable nested category placement Track parts by Project Automated datasheet retrieval / Datasheet search Automated part lookup on Digikey/Mouser/Arrow/Octopart/Nexar/TME Flexible search engine Export your data to CSV / Excel if you need Proprietary file based…
read the full Binner overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Shelf or Binner more popular?
Shelf has 3,049 GitHub stars and Binner has 545. Shelf has the larger community by that measure.
Are Shelf and Binner free?
Both are open source. Shelf has no licence declared in this registry, and Binner is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Shelf and Binner?
Shelf is written in TypeScript and Binner in C#. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Shelf or Binner?
Choose Shelf if you want the larger community (3,049 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Binner if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.