Goodreads review: the biggest reading tracker, and its trade-offs
Best Book Tracker Apps editors · Data refreshed 14 October 2026 · Editorial assessment
Goodreads is still the book tracker with the biggest community and catalogue, and it is free. It trails the newer apps on stats, data portability and privacy, and it has been owned by Amazon since 2013.
Ranked 8 of 9 for getting back into a book without spoilers, in our one scored ranking, at 5.35.
Ranked 8 of 9 for getting back into a book without spoilers
We do not score trackers against each other. See the unscored tracker facts.
Biggest communityPrice, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free, no subscription
Made by Goodreads, Inc. (an Amazon company)
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android, web
Editorial score, 0-10, weighted from five criteria for getting back into a book without spoilers. It measures fit for that one job, not overall app quality.
What is Goodreads best for?
Readers whose friends, book clubs and favourite authors are already on Goodreads. Its catalogue is so large that almost any book you scan is already listed, and its annual Reading Challenge is one of the best-known reading goals. Goodreads and Magic Bookmark do different jobs: Goodreads keeps your shelves, reviews and Reading Challenge; Magic Bookmark keeps your exact place inside the book you are reading, so many readers can use both.
How does Goodreads score?
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spoiler safety | 30 | 4 | Reviewers can hide text with a spoiler tag, but only if they choose to use it. |
| Getting back into the story | 30 | 4 | Page progress updates only. |
| Price | 15 | 9 | Free, with no paid tier for tracking features. |
| Privacy | 10 | 4 | App Store label lists data linked to you, including for marketing. |
| Logging | 15 | 8 | Barcode scanner and the largest catalogue, so most books are already listed. |
| Weighted total | 100 | 5.35 | Sum of score times weight, divided by 100. |
Goodreads as a tracker: the facts, no scores
- Stats and goals
- Annual Reading Challenge and Year in Books, but few charts.
- Import, export and portability
- Library export as CSV that other apps accept; the public API closed to new keys in December 2020.
- Social and book clubs
- The largest reader community, with friends, groups and online book clubs.
What does Goodreads do well?
- The largest community: friends' activity, groups, online book clubs and author follows with giveaway alerts.
- Barcode scanner and a catalogue that already holds most editions.
- Free, with no paid tier needed for tracking.
- The annual Reading Challenge and Year in Books.
Where does Goodreads fall short?
- Stats are thin next to StoryGraph, Bookly or Hardcover.
- The public API stopped issuing new keys in December 2020, so fewer tools can connect to it.
- The App Store privacy label lists data linked to you, including use for marketing.
- Owned by Amazon, which also owns Kindle; readers who want to keep their reading history away from Amazon usually look elsewhere.
How much does Goodreads cost?
Goodreads is free on iPhone, iPad, Android and the web, with no subscription.
Price, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free, no subscription
Key facts and sources
- Launched January 2007; Amazon announced the acquisition on March 28, 2013
Source: goodreads.com/about/us · Checked Sep 2026
- Reported over 150 million members in September 2023
Source: Wikipedia · Checked Sep 2026
- API keys deactivated and no new keys issued from December 2020
Source: Wikipedia · Checked Sep 2026
- Barcode scanner, reading challenges, lists and online book clubs in the app
Source: US App Store · Checked Sep 2026
What are the alternatives to Goodreads?
- The StoryGraph: The most common move away from Goodreads. See StoryGraph vs Goodreads.
- Literal: Free and social, without ads.
- Goodreads alternatives and companions
Questions about Goodreads
Is Goodreads free?
Yes. Goodreads is free and has no subscription.
Who owns Goodreads?
Amazon. It announced the acquisition on March 28, 2013.
Can I export my Goodreads data?
Yes. Goodreads offers a library export file, which StoryGraph, Fable, Bookly and BookBuddy can import. Literal can also read your public profile directly.