10 Best Goodreads Alternatives in 2026

Goodreads has been the default reading tracker for nearly two decades. But let's be honest: the interface hasn't changed much since 2006, the app feels slow, and the social features leave a lot to be desired. If you've been looking for something better, you're not alone.

Millions of readers are actively searching for a modern Goodreads alternative that actually feels good to use. We tested every major option so you don't have to. Here are the ten best alternatives, ranked by how well they handle the things readers care about most: tracking, discovering, and sharing.

1. Spine

Best for: Readers who love sharing on social media

Price: Free (Pro from £3.99/month)

Spine takes the "log, rate, share" approach that made Letterboxd so popular for film lovers and brings it to books. The core experience is simple: scan a book's barcode (or search for it), rate it with up to five stars, write an optional 160-character mini-review, and get a beautiful shareable card in under two seconds.

The 160-character limit might sound restrictive, but it's actually a feature. It encourages the kind of punchy, quotable takes that work perfectly on Instagram Stories, TikTok, and Twitter. Think "Cried on the tube. Twice." rather than a five-paragraph essay.

Spine also supports full imports from Goodreads and StoryGraph, so you can bring your entire reading history with you. The mobile-first design makes it fast and pleasant to use, which is more than most readers can say about Goodreads.

Standout features:

• 12+ shareable card styles for Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter
• Barcode scanning for instant book lookup
• One-tap Goodreads and StoryGraph import
• Reading stats and streak tracking
• Public profile pages

2. StoryGraph

Best for: Readers who want deep stats and mood-based recommendations

Price: Free (Plus from $4.99/month)

StoryGraph was one of the first serious Goodreads alternatives to gain real traction, and for good reason. The mood and pace tracking is genuinely useful, letting you tag books by how they made you feel rather than just slotting them into traditional genres. The stats are detailed and beautifully presented.

The recommendation engine uses your mood preferences and reading history to suggest books you'll actually enjoy, which often feels more personal than Goodreads' algorithm. The community features are growing, though they're still smaller than what Goodreads offers.

Standout features:

• Mood and pace tracking
• Detailed reading statistics
• Content warnings database
• Buddy reads and reading challenges

3. Literal

Best for: Readers who want a clean, minimalist experience

Price: Free

Literal takes a design-forward approach to book tracking. The interface is clean and modern, with a focus on the books themselves rather than social noise. The highlight feature lets you save and organise quotes from your reading, which is great for non-fiction readers who want to remember key passages.

The community is smaller but tends to be more thoughtful. If you prefer quiet curation over busy social feeds, Literal might be your thing.

Standout features:

• Beautiful, minimalist design
• Highlight and quote saving
• Reading lists and collections
• Clean social features

4. Bookly

Best for: Readers who want to track reading time and build habits

Price: Free (Premium from $4.99/month)

Bookly is less about social sharing and more about personal reading habits. The built-in reading timer tracks exactly how long you spend with each book, and the stats show your reading speed, daily averages, and progress over time. It's the Fitbit of reading apps.

If your main goal is reading more consistently rather than sharing reviews, Bookly is worth a look. The habit tracking features are some of the best in any reading app.

Standout features:

• Reading timer with session tracking
• Habit building tools and reminders
• Detailed time-based statistics
• Reading goals and challenges

5. Fable

Best for: Book club readers

Price: From $5.99/month

Fable focuses heavily on the social and book club side of reading. You can join or create book clubs, follow along with guided reading schedules, and discuss chapters with other readers. The in-app reading experience supports highlights and notes.

The subscription price is higher than most alternatives, and the tracking features aren't as strong as dedicated trackers. But if book clubs are central to your reading life, Fable fills a niche that other apps don't.

Standout features:

• Built-in book clubs with discussion
• Guided reading schedules
• Celebrity and influencer book clubs
• In-app reading with highlights

6. Basmo

Best for: Readers focused on personal growth and journaling

Price: Free (Premium from $4.99/month)

Basmo combines reading tracking with journaling and personal reflection. After each reading session, you can log your thoughts, mood, and takeaways. The reading timer and goal-setting features help you build consistency, while the journaling side adds depth that pure trackers don't offer.

Standout features:

• Reading journal with prompts
• Session-based tracking with timer
• Emotional tracking
• Book collections and reading lists

7. Hardcover

Best for: Readers who want an open, community-driven platform

Price: Free (Supporter tier available)

Hardcover is an open-source reading tracker built by a small, passionate team. The design is modern, the book database is solid, and the community is actively involved in shaping the product. It supports lists, reviews, and reading challenges.

Being open source means development is transparent, and the community can contribute features and fixes. If you care about supporting independent, community-driven alternatives, Hardcover is worth trying.

Standout features:

• Open source and community-driven
• Modern, responsive design
• Reading challenges
• Transparent development roadmap

8. Oku

Best for: Readers who want aesthetic simplicity

Price: Free

Oku strips book tracking down to its essentials. The design is minimal and intentional, focusing on your bookshelves and reading lists without social clutter. There are no reviews, ratings, or social feeds. Just your books, organised the way you want them.

If you find Goodreads overwhelming and just want a digital bookshelf, Oku delivers exactly that.

Standout features:

• Ultra-minimal design
• Beautiful bookshelf views
• Reading lists and collections
• No social noise

9. BookSloth

Best for: Casual readers who want something lightweight

Price: Free

BookSloth is a straightforward reading tracker without the complexity of larger platforms. You can search for books, add them to shelves, rate them, and write reviews. The interface is simple and the learning curve is basically zero.

It's not trying to replace Goodreads entirely. It just wants to be a nicer, simpler version of the core experience.

Standout features:

• Simple, no-fuss tracking
• Easy-to-use shelving system
• Basic reading stats
• No account required to browse

10. LibraryThing

Best for: Serious book collectors and cataloguers

Price: Free (up to 200 books), $25/year for unlimited

LibraryThing has been around almost as long as Goodreads and caters to a different crowd. It's built for people who think of their books as a collection to be catalogued, tagged, and organised in detail. The metadata and tagging system is more powerful than any other platform on this list.

The interface feels dated, but the depth of cataloguing features is unmatched. If you own thousands of books and want to organise them properly, LibraryThing is hard to beat.

Standout features:

• Advanced cataloguing and tagging
• Powerful search and filtering
• Large, knowledgeable community
• CueCat barcode scanning support

Quick Comparison

Which One Should You Pick?

It depends on what matters most to you:

• Want to share beautiful book content on social media? Go with Spine. The card generation is genuinely unique and the BookTok/Bookstagram community loves it.
• Want deep reading stats and mood tracking? StoryGraph is your best bet.
• Want a reading timer and habit tools? Bookly or Basmo.
• Want book club features? Fable, despite the price tag.
• Just want a clean bookshelf? Oku or Literal.

The good news is that most of these are free to try, and the ones that support Goodreads import make switching painless. You really have nothing to lose by giving a few of them a go.