The ShelfYour photos, on your own drive.
The Shelf is a photo library for Mac and Windows that keeps every photo in ordinary dated folders, on your computer or an external drive. Nothing is uploaded. It works offline. You pay once.
For Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows. No account needed.
Your library never leaves your computer.
The Shelf runs a small private server on your own computer, just for you. There is no account to create, no cloud to sync with, and no tracking.
Nothing uploaded
Your photos stay where you put them. They are never sent to us or anyone else.
Works offline
Browsing, search, faces and places all work with no internet connection.
Ordinary folders
Photos are kept in plain year and month folders you can open without The Shelf.
Buy once, yours forever
No subscription fees and no monthly storage bill.
Dump everything in. It sorts itself.
Bring your photos home from wherever they live now. Put them all in one place and The Shelf files them by the date they were taken.
Choose where your library lives
Pick a folder on your computer or an external drive. The Shelf remembers it and asks you to plug the drive in when it’s needed.
Import your photos
Works with iCloud Photos zip downloads, Google Photos exports from Google Takeout, or any folder of photos and videos.
Let it sort
Everything is filed into year and month folders. Live Photos stay paired, and duplicates are set aside rather than copied twice.
Your photos, in normal folders.
The Shelf keeps your photos in ordinary folders on your computer or hard drive. Enjoy them in The Shelf, or open the same folders the usual way in Finder on a Mac or File Explorer on Windows. Using one never gets in the way of the other, and your photos are always yours to copy, back up or move, even without The Shelf.
- Sorted by the date each photo was taken
- Live Photos (a photo plus its short video) kept together
- Duplicates moved aside, not deleted
- Deleted photos go to a Rubbish Bin folder until you empty it
Everything you need to find a photo.
The clever parts run on your own computer. No photo is sent anywhere to be analysed.
People
Faces are grouped on your device so you can name people and see every photo of them.
Places
Photo locations are turned into place names offline, from a list built into the app.
Smart search
Search by what’s in a photo, using labels worked out on your computer.
Albums
Make albums without copying photos. Albums from a Google Photos export come across too.
Live Photos
A Live Photo’s still image and short video stay paired, so it plays the way you remember.
Rubbish Bin
Deleting moves a photo to the Rubbish Bin. It’s only erased when you choose to empty it.
Pay once. Add more when you want it.
Start with Photos. Add Documents or The Shelf TV later from the Add-ons button in the app. They unlock instantly with a licence key.
The Shelf — Photos
- Photo library for Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows
- Import from iCloud Photos downloads, Google Takeout or any folder
- People, places, smart search, albums
- Live Photos, duplicate handling, Rubbish Bin
- Licence for one computer
Documents add-on
- A library for the documents and files on your drive
- Unlocks instantly from the Add-ons button
The Shelf TV add-on
- A personal library and player for your own films
- Unlocks instantly from the Add-ons button
Payments are processed by Lemon Squeezy, our merchant of record, which handles payment and any sales tax or GST. After purchase you receive a download link and your licence key by email. See our refund policy.
What you need
Mac
A Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer), running macOS 14 Sonoma or later. First-time install help.
Windows
Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit (x64). First-time install help.
Storage
Room on your computer or an external drive for your photos. When importing a large export, allow free space of about twice its size.
Frequently asked
Is this a subscription?
No. The Shelf is a one-off purchase. The add-ons are one-off purchases too.
Do you see my photos?
No. The Shelf has no account and no telemetry, and nothing is uploaded. Your photos, faces, places and search data stay on your own computer or drive. See our privacy policy.
Does it need the internet?
No. The Shelf works offline, and your licence key is checked offline too. You only need a connection to download the app and receive your licence key.
Can I bring my photos from iCloud Photos or Google Photos?
Yes. The Shelf works with iCloud Photos zip downloads and Google Photos exports from Google Takeout, as well as any ordinary folder. Import shows step-by-step instructions for each. The Shelf is an independent app and isn’t affiliated with Apple or Google.
What happens to my photos if I stop using The Shelf?
Nothing. They’re ordinary files in ordinary year and month folders, so you can open them with any other app.
Can I keep my library on an external drive?
Yes. The Shelf is installed on your computer, and your library can live in any folder on that computer or on an external drive. If the drive isn’t plugged in, The Shelf asks you to connect it.
How do add-ons work?
Open the Add-ons button in The Shelf, buy the add-on, and paste the licence key you receive. It unlocks straight away.
My Mac or PC says it can’t verify The Shelf. Is it safe?
Yes. The Shelf is made by a small independent developer and isn’t yet registered with Apple or Microsoft, so your computer shows a warning the first time. It takes about a minute to get past, and you only do it once. See Installing The Shelf.
Can I get a refund?
See our refund policy. Your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and other consumer laws are not affected.
Questions or need help?
Email us about licences, downloads, refunds or anything else.
- Contact
- Send us a message
- Business
- Styles Developments
- Based in
- Auckland, New Zealand