head to head · open source
Shelf vs craftplan
Shelf has 3,014 GitHub stars, 367 forks, 181 open issues and last shipped yesterday. craftplan has 1,147 stars, 64 forks, 1 open issues and last shipped 13 days ago. Shelf leads on adoption by 163% (3,014 vs 1,147 stars). Shelf is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; craftplan is written in Elixir under AGPL-3.0. Shelf has attracted 12% as many forks as stars, craftplan 6%. 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 | craftplan | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.0K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Elixir |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 367 | ⑂ 64 |
| 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 AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick craftplan if
- You want the craftplan feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Elixir
- You evaluated both and craftplan fits your workflow better
About Shelf
Shelf is a free, open source platform for tracking physical assets, including equipment, devices, tools, vehicles, props, and inventory. It is built for teams that need to know what they have, where it is, and who is using it. The project sits in the IT asset management, equipment management, scheduling, and operations software ecosystem.
read the full Shelf overview →
About craftplan
Craftplan is self hosted, AGPL 3.0 open source ERP software for small scale artisanal manufacturers and craft D2C micro businesses, bringing catalog management, inventory control, order processing, production planning, purchasing, and CRM into one platform.
read the full craftplan overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Shelf or craftplan more popular?
Shelf has 3,014 GitHub stars and craftplan has 1,147. Shelf has the larger community by that measure.
Are Shelf and craftplan free?
Both are open source. Shelf is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and craftplan under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Shelf and craftplan?
Shelf is written in TypeScript and craftplan in Elixir. 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 craftplan?
Choose Shelf if you want the larger community (3,014 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose craftplan if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.