Goodreads hasn't changed much in years. The app feels dated, the recommendations miss more than they hit, and the social features can be more distracting than useful. Meanwhile, dozens of alternatives have appeared, each doing something different.
I tested 16 book tracking apps to help you find one that fits. This guide covers everything from stats-heavy apps to simple private trackers. Skip to whatever section matters to you, or start with the comparison table below.
Quick Comparison Table
Best For Different Readers
Best for statistics: StoryGraph. It has the most detailed data visualization and reading analytics.
Best offline tracker: Bookmory. Works entirely on-device, no account required, and the free version covers most features.
Best for social reading: Fable. Built-in book clubs, integrated ebook reader, and discussion features.
Best for romance readers: TBR - Bookshelf. Spice ratings, trope tracking, and BookTok-friendly design.
Best for library management: BookBuddy. Excellent import/export, lending tracking, and collection organization.
Best for reading habits: Bookly or Margins. Both have solid timers, streaks, and goal tracking.
Best free option: Reading List. Simple, unlimited, and no account required.
Best with AI features: Basmo. AI chatbot that answers questions about your books.
Featured App Reviews
StoryGraph
StoryGraph is where most Goodreads refugees end up. It started as a simple alternative with better recommendations and has since added more charts and statistics than you'll probably ever use.
Platforms and price
- iOS (4.5/5, 3.3K ratings), Android (4.3/5, 5.6K reviews), Web
- Free tier includes most features
- StoryGraph Plus: $4.99/month or $49.99/year for advanced analytics
What it does well
- Detailed statistics with charts for pace, genres, authors, moods, and more
- Half and quarter-star ratings for nuanced reviews
- Mood and pace tags help you find books that match your current vibe
- Reading journal for progress updates and thoughts
- Yearly reading summaries and wrap-ups
Downsides
- No barcode scanning (text search only)
- Android widget missing
- Can't export your data easily
Best for: Readers who want charts and data about their reading patterns.
Our Score: 8/10
Bookmory
Bookmory is what Goodreads would be if it were built today: fast, offline-first, designed for mobile. The app runs entirely on your device, so no account needed and fewer ads than you'd expect (there are still some, but the core features work well).
Platforms and price
- iOS (4.8/5, 16K ratings), Android (4.8/5, 69K reviews)
- Free tier with most features
- Premium: $3.49/month or $30.99/year (removes ads, adds advanced stats)
What it does well
- Fast barcode scanning and lookup
- Built-in reading timer with session tracking
- Text recognition from images (Premium) for quotes and highlights
- Reading streaks and daily/weekly goals
- Works fully offline with local data storage
Downsides
- Ads in free version
- Occasional sync issues between devices
- No web version
Best for: Readers who want offline tracking and don't want to create an account.
Our Score: 7.5/10
Bookly
Bookly leans into habit building. It tracks what you read and how you read: sessions, pace, time of day. The app feels gamified without being annoying, with badges and challenges that some people actually find motivating.
Platforms and price
- iOS (4.6/5, 55K ratings), Android (4.0/5, 7.6K reviews), Apple Watch
- Free tier with basic features
- Pro: $4.99/month, $19.99/6 months, or $29.99/year
What it does well
- Detailed reading timer with estimated completion time
- Multiple rating categories per book (plot, characters, humor, spice)
- Reading reports with visual infographics
- Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goal tracking
- Character tracking for series readers
Downsides
- No native Goodreads import (CSV only)
- Subscription required for most useful features
- Android app less polished than iOS
Best for: Readers who want to build consistent habits and like seeing detailed session data.
Our Score: 7/10
Fable
Fable is more of a social reading platform than a tracker. You can join book clubs, discuss books chapter by chapter, and read ebooks together with friends inside the app. If reading is communal for you, Fable gets it.
Platforms and price
- iOS (4.7/5, 64K ratings), Android (4.6/5, 20.5K reviews), Web
- Free (in-app purchases for ebooks)
What it does well
- Built-in book clubs with chapter-by-chapter discussion
- Integrated ebook reader with annotations and highlights
- Half-star ratings and emoji reactions for reviews
- Reading streaks and personalized stats
- Social feed showing what friends are reading
Downsides
- Requires account (social by design)
- No reading timer
- Can feel overwhelming with all the social features
Best for: Social readers who want to discuss books with friends or join book clubs.
Our Score: 7.5/10
BookBuddy
BookBuddy is for people who care about cataloging. It's designed for managing collections, with solid import/export and detailed organization options. Less about reading habits, more about knowing exactly what's in your library.
Platforms and price
- iOS (4.8/5, 13K ratings) - iPhone, iPad, Mac
- Free up to 50 books
- BookBuddy Pro: $9.99 one-time purchase for unlimited books
What it does well
- Excellent barcode scanning using WorldCat database
- Import from Goodreads, Google Books, LibraryThing, and CSV
- Export to CSV, PDF, or HTML
- Lending/borrowing tracking for physical books
- iCloud sync across Apple devices
Downsides
- iOS only (no Android)
- No reading timer or habit tracking
- 50-book limit on free version
Best for: Collectors and librarians who need to catalog physical books with loan tracking.
Our Score: 7/10
Bookshelf (by SquidBit)
Don't confuse this with other apps called "Bookshelf." This one's by SquidBit, and it balances nice design with actual functionality. The calendar view showing book covers for each day is more motivating than it sounds.
Platforms and price
- iOS (4.8/5, 2.6K ratings), Android (4.6/5, 17K reviews)
- Free with optional Pro upgrade
What it does well
- Visual reading calendar with book covers
- Built-in reading timer with pace tracking
- Custom sub-ratings (characters, plot, etc.)
- Reading streaks and daily/monthly goals
- Goodreads import supported
Downsides
- Some advanced stats require Pro
- Occasional scanning issues reported
- Smaller user base than major competitors
Best for: Readers who want a good-looking app with session tracking and a calendar view.
Our Score: 7/10
Margins
Margins is for people who care about design. The interface is clean and stripped down, with timers, streaks, and ambient soundscapes for reading sessions. It also has a "vibes" search feature that finds books based on mood. It works better than you'd expect.
Platforms and price
- iOS only (4.9/5, 12K ratings)
- Subscription required: $5.99/month or $59.99/year
What it does well
- Beautiful, minimal interface
- Reading timer with ambient noise player
- AI-powered "vibes" search (find books by mood/concept)
- Half-star ratings with reading status options
- Kindle highlights import
Downsides
- Subscription required for continued use
- iOS only
- Limited export options
Best for: Readers who value design and want a simple, distraction-free tracker.
Our Score: 6.5/10
TBR - Bookshelf
TBR is built for romance readers and BookTok users. It has features you won't find elsewhere: spice ratings, fluff ratings, trope tracking, seasonal reading moods. If you're deep in romance, this speaks your language.
Platforms and price
- iOS only (4.5/5, 4.2K ratings)
- Free tier available
- Pro: $4.99/month, $19.99/6 months, or $29.99/year
What it does well
- Multiple "vibe" ratings: spice, fluff, humor, love
- Trope tracking for romance books
- Sticker achievements for milestones
- Yearly reading goals with automatic tracking
- Colorful, fun interface
Downsides
- iOS only
- No reading timer
- Limited statistics and analytics
- Niche appeal (romance-focused)
Best for: Romance readers who want trope and spice tracking.
Our Score: 6.5/10
Reading List
Reading List does one thing well: tracking books without friction. No account, no subscription for basic use, no social features. Just a list of what you've read, what you're reading, and what you want to read.
Platforms and price
- iOS only (4.8/5, 28K ratings) - iPhone, iPad, Mac
- Free with optional Pro upgrade for advanced features
What it does well
- Simple, fast book entry via barcode or search
- No account required, data stays on device
- iCloud sync between Apple devices
- CSV import/export for data portability
- Batch scanning for quick library entry
Downsides
- No Goodreads import (CSV workaround needed)
- iOS only
- No reading timer
- Basic statistics only
Best for: Readers who want a lightweight, private tracker without subscriptions.
Our Score: 7/10
Basmo
Basmo's main draw is ChatBook, an AI assistant that answers questions about the books you're reading. Beyond that, it's a decent tracker with session timing, Kindle integration, and Notion sync.
Platforms and price
- iOS only (4.6/5, 1.5K ratings)
- Free tier available
- Premium: $4.99/month or $39.99/year
What it does well
- ChatBook AI: Ask questions about your current book
- Kindle highlights import
- Notion sync for notes and highlights
- Reading timer with session history
- Emoji reactions for book moods
Downsides
- No Goodreads import
- iOS only (no Android)
- Premium required for best features
Best for: Non-fiction readers who take notes and want Kindle/Notion integration.
Our Score: 6/10
Other Notable Apps
Literal
Literal (literal.club) is invite-only but worth the wait if you want a social reading experience. It combines tracking with book-specific forums where you can discuss with other readers. Think Goodreads meets Reddit, with a cleaner interface.
The app imports from both Goodreads and StoryGraph, and has a focus on text clipping and sharing quotes. Best for readers who want community discussion around specific books.
Our Score: 6.5/10
Bookology
Bookology is newer but feature rich. It offers solid session tracking: automatic timer, calendar heatmap, detailed statistics, and reading streaks. The analytics rival StoryGraph, though it's iOS-only and still building its user base.
If you want detailed data about your reading habits and don't mind being an early adopter, Bookology is worth trying.
Our Score: 7/10
ReadHero
ReadHero takes a different approach: it's built around note-taking. The idea is that writing notes improves retention, so the app encourages you to jot down thoughts as you read. It tracks how long you spent with each book and lets you organize books into playlists.
Best for students and non-fiction readers who want to remember what they read.
Our Score: 5.5/10
READO
READO includes an AI assistant called "Booklyn" for personalized recommendations. It also has community features like buddy reads and group reading. The app is free and supports Goodreads import.
Best for readers who want AI recommendations and social reading features in a clean, German-designed interface.
Our Score: 6/10
Pagebound
Pagebound adds forums to book tracking. Each book has its own discussion thread where you can post comments sorted by reading percentage, with spoiler control built in. It's anonymous by design and deliberately AI-free.
Best for readers who want to discuss books with strangers without the formality of book clubs.
Our Score: 5.5/10
BookLog
BookLog is extremely basic. It exists mainly to track which books in a series you've read. No stats, no timer, no social features. Just a list.
Best for series readers who need a simple checklist and nothing more.
Our Score: 4/10
Feature Comparison Tables
Platform Availability
Reading Session Features
Statistics & Analytics
Data Portability
Pricing Summary
How to Choose
Start with what matters most to you:
"I want detailed statistics about my reading" → StoryGraph (cross-platform) or Bookology (iOS, newer)
"I want to build a reading habit with timers and goals" → Bookly or Margins (iOS only)
"I want to discuss books with other readers" → Fable (clubs) or Pagebound (forums)
"I just want a simple list, no fuss" → Reading List (iOS) or Bookmory (free tier)
"I have a large book collection to catalog" → BookBuddy (iOS) for the best import/export
"I read mostly romance" → TBR - Bookshelf for trope and spice tracking
"I don't want subscriptions" → Reading List, Bookmory (free tier), or BookBuddy ($10 one-time)
"I need Android support" → StoryGraph, Bookmory, Bookly, Fable, or Bookshelf
Conclusion
There's no single "best" book tracker. It depends on what you need.
For most readers, StoryGraph is the safest choice: it's free, works everywhere, has good statistics, and keeps adding features. The Goodreads import works well.
For a simpler experience, Bookmory or Reading List work without accounts or subscriptions. If reading is social for you, Fable has the best community features.
The best tracker is the one you'll actually use. Pick one and stick with it for a few months before deciding if you need something different.
Related reading:
- Why Track Your Reading - The practical benefits of keeping a reading log
- How to Track Your Reading - Different methods and what works for different people
- Building a Reading Habit - Use tracking to read more consistently
