Goodreads alternatives for different kinds of readers
The right Goodreads alternative depends on what you want to replace: a public reading community, detailed statistics, a home-library catalogue, or a private record of your reading. Those are different jobs. You may prefer to keep Goodreads for reviews and use another tool for your own reading routine.
Published by Burrow, an app included below. We compared public product and pricing information checked on 20 October 2026; we have not independently tested every app. Features and offers can change.
Quick choices—not an overall ranking
Scroll the table sideways to read all three columns.
| Your main need | Consider | The tradeoff to check |
|---|---|---|
| Friends and community reviews | Goodreads | Staying may preserve the community you actually use; another app need not replace it |
| Mood discovery, charts and Goodreads import | StoryGraph | Core service is free, with optional Plus; check which extras matter to you |
| A book and media catalogue | Libib | Basic covers a personal collection; circulation and patrons need a paid plan |
| Timed sessions and pace reports | Bookly | Check current paid access and whether the reporting suits your routine |
| Rich notes and a reading calendar | Bookmory | Free to start with optional Premium; check note, OCR and sync limits |
| An illustrated personal shelf on iPhone | Burrow | Paid access after the library preview; not a social or migration replacement |
StoryGraph: discovery and a documented route from Goodreads
StoryGraph’s public site describes mood and topic filters, charts, personalised recommendations, reading challenges, buddy reads and private journal notes. Private reflection is not unique to Burrow. StoryGraph also documents Goodreads import: standard shelves are imported and custom shelves become tags. That is a stronger evidenced fit when moving an existing Goodreads record is a requirement.
The core service is free, with an optional Plus tier. Check which advanced features you need rather than assuming every advertised feature is part of free access. We have not verified the completeness of an individual reader’s imported history or tested recommendation quality.
Libib: when the collection is the project
Libib is a catalogue for books and other media with web and mobile access. Its published Basic plan supports a personal catalogue of up to 5,000 items, scanning, import and export. Paid Pro adds lending and patron management. If you are organising a shared collection, those may matter much more than an illustrated shelf.
The important limitation is plan scope: do not assume Basic includes the circulation system. Burrow is not offered here as institutional library software or as a substitute for those patron tools.
Bookly: sessions, pace and reports
Bookly advertises a reading timer, goals, notes, reading-speed estimates and estimated finish times. Its App Store description also describes reports and collections. Consider it when timed sessions are the central job, and inspect the current in-app plans before paying.
These are vendor-described capabilities, not our independent timing or accuracy results. Pace estimates are not the same thing as a simple calendar plan, and we do not claim Burrow offers equivalent predictions.
Bookmory: notes and a calendar
Bookmory’s vendor pages describe rich notes, photo OCR, a reading calendar, goals and a timer. Its current iPhone listing also describes import and export. It is a direct alternative for private journalling, not merely a social app.
It is free to start with optional Premium. Some functionality, including unlimited OCR and automatic sync, is presented as Premium; inspect current limits for your device. We have not tested migration fidelity or backup restoration and do not transfer these advertised features to Burrow by association.
Burrow: a personal shelf, within a narrower scope
Consider Burrow if you use iPhone and want your books and reading record in a personal illustrated bookshelf. It tracks books read elsewhere, not ebook content or audiobook playback. Do not choose it for Android, a web catalogue, recommendation engines, book clubs or a documented Goodreads import.
Release note, checked 20 October 2026: Apple’s public listing reports version 1.0. Version 1.1 has been submitted for review, not confirmed publicly available. New note-editing, history-editing and expanded insights interfaces are not promised here as available in 1.0.
The app overview labels newer screenshots as previews. A paid subscription or lifetime purchase is required after the library preview. See the current purchase screen rather than relying on a static price comparison.
You may not need to leave Goodreads
Goodreads explicitly offers friends’ reading activity, community reviews, tracking and recommendations. Those are legitimate reasons to stay. A second, quieter record can complement the community instead of replacing it. If you are choosing your first tracker rather than switching, use the three-book selection check.
Before moving a reading history
- Export or back up the original, if your current service supports it.
- Check whether the destination explicitly supports your source and fields.
- Try a small sample with a finished book, dates and a custom shelf.
- Compare the retained records before moving the rest or deleting anything.
Only StoryGraph’s Goodreads import is affirmatively documented in this comparison. “Not checked here” is not a claim that a feature is absent elsewhere. All plans and feature descriptions above were checked on 20 October 2026; current offers may change and vary by country.
For Burrow’s narrower workflows, explore journalling or reading goals before deciding.
A paid subscription or lifetime purchase is required after the library preview. Check current plans and any eligible offers in the app before purchase.