We can't decide whether to host or use the open source version?

A comparison of hosting vs open source.

Your site says this software is free, why are you talking about fees?

We give the software away, you can install it on your own computers free of charge. We charge a fee to host an installation of the software on our servers. It means we manage everything for you, you can just connect with any internet enabled device.

A comparison of hosting vs open source.

What happens after we signup?

Assuming you signup before 7pm GMT, you will receive an email in the next couple of hours that confirms your login details and how to access your database.

How much is it? What do you get?

See the Pricing and Signup page for details.

It's too expensive, can't you offer the service cheaper?

£14 / $20 per month for the main piece of your shelter's IT is extremely cheap. It's about 1/10th the price of most of our competitors and will easily be the cheapest item on your shelter's monthly bills. We also release the software as open source if you want to do-it-yourself.

Do you have a policy on refunds/returns?

Yes, if sheltermanager.com is not working for you within 30 days of signing up, then let us know and we'll refund your money, no questions asked.

Do we need to buy any other software?

No. Our software comes complete with full accounting package, word processor and report editor - there's nothing else to buy.

How do we get support?

Email support is provided. Support requests are usually fulfilled within an hour, unless they come in after 7pm GMT, when they will be dealt with the following day.

Can you convert my existing data?

Yes. We can import data from your existing ASM installation, Excel spreadsheets, PetFinder, ShelterBuddy and Trackabeast.

If you have an existing ASM2 installation, then there is a guide here on what files you need to send to us.

What happens if we don't renew?

24 hours after your renewal date, your account will be put into read only mode. You have 7 days to take a copy of your data if you wish to run it offline with the open source version of the product. After that, your data will be removed from our servers.

Will you remind us to renew?

You will get email reminders 2 weeks, 1 week, 2 days and 1 day before your renewal date with instructions on where/how to pay. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. The renewal URL can be given to donors if you would like some else to pay the fee.

Is there a restriction on the number of records or space we can use?

No. You can create as many users as you like, as many animals as you like and have as many people accessing the system at once as you like. There are no restrictions and no extra charges.

How will our data backups be handled?

The sheltermanager.com servers are held in a secure data center. Backups are taken every morning at 4am GMT and a snapshot of Monday's is held so you can always revert to the morning or the beginning of the week. Backups themselves are mirrored off-site. You may also download copies at any time from the My account page.