Prey vs Shelf

Prey helps locate and recover lost or stolen devices while giving administrators tools to manage device fleets. Its tracking features include active tracking, missing reports, Wi-Fi triangulation, location history, and geofences. Admins can remotely lock screens, sound alarms, send messages, or mark devices as missing. Data protection options include custom wipe, remote encryption, factory reset, file retrieval, and a Windows kill switch. Fleet tools cover automated actions, status dashboards, bulk actions, labels, search, roles, permissions, and a developer API. Prey lists encrypted and authenticated agent communications, two-factor verification, SAML/SSO, and SSL/TLS support. File retrieval handles one file at a time, up to 25 MB, with files hosted for 30 days. A free plan is available; paid plans start at $1.30 per month per slot, billed annually. Prey supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, Windows, and API access, with Linux support officially limited to Ubuntu.

Shelf is an open-source asset tracking platform that records what an organization owns, where items are, and who has custody of them. Its tools include bookings, audits, location tracking, asset pages, kits, consumables, calendars, dashboards, search, reminders, and workspaces. The free Shelf Companion app for iPhone and Android scans QR codes, supports audits and custody management, and handles booking check-ins and check-outs. The web app can be installed as a progressive web app on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux. Organizations can self-host with Docker and Supabase or use managed cloud. All plans include unlimited assets; Personal is free and is limited to one user and three custom fields. Plus costs $34 a month, and Team costs $67 a month. Enterprise pricing is custom. Shelf says it uses TLS 1.3 in transit and AES-256 at rest, but is not yet SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certified. Its managed cloud stores data in Frankfurt and runs application servers in Amsterdam.