Hardcover review: a reading tracker built for data you can take with you
Best Book Tracker Apps editors · Data refreshed 14 October 2026 · Editorial assessment
Hardcover is the reading tracker for people who care where their data goes. It imports from Goodreads, tracks stats and goals, offers a public API and carries one of the lightest privacy labels here; it has fewer social features than Goodreads, Fable or Literal.
Ranked 9 of 9 for getting back into a book without spoilers, in our one scored ranking, at 4.65.
Ranked 9 of 9 for getting back into a book without spoilers
We do not score trackers against each other. See the unscored tracker facts.
Best for owning your dataPrice, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free core app
- Supporter: $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year (US App Store)
Made by Hardcover LLC
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 Hardcover best for?
Readers who want a modern, well-designed Goodreads replacement and like the idea of using their reading data in other tools. Hardcover publishes a GraphQL API with OAuth, and its App Store label says the data it collects is not linked to you.
How does Hardcover score?
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spoiler safety | 30 | 2 | Shows community reviews; its public pages describe no spoiler control. |
| Getting back into the story | 30 | 3 | No session timer or place-keeping features published. |
| Price | 15 | 8 | Free core app; Supporter costs $49.99 a year. |
| Privacy | 10 | 9 | App Store label: data not linked to you (usage data and diagnostics). |
| Logging | 15 | 7 | Want to read, reading, read and did-not-finish statuses with lists and tags. |
| Weighted total | 100 | 4.65 | Sum of score times weight, divided by 100. |
Hardcover as a tracker: the facts, no scores
- Stats and goals
- Reading stats and goal tracking listed on the App Store.
- Import, export and portability
- Goodreads import plus a public GraphQL API for your own tools.
- Social and book clubs
- Follow readers and browse their shelves; we found no book clubs published.
What does Hardcover do well?
- App Store privacy label: data not linked to you (usage data and diagnostics only).
- Public GraphQL API for readers and developers.
- Goodreads import, reading stats and goals.
- Clear statuses: want to read, currently reading, read and did not finish, plus lists and tags.
- iPhone, iPad, Android and web.
Where does Hardcover fall short?
- No book clubs published on the pages we checked.
- No session timer or place-keeping for print books.
- Supporter pricing matches StoryGraph Plus at $49.99 a year.
How much does Hardcover cost?
Hardcover is free to use. The Supporter plan costs $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year on the US App Store (checked September 27, 2026).
Price, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free core app
- Supporter: $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year (US App Store)
Key facts and sources
- Goodreads import and reading stats and goals
Source: US App Store · Checked Sep 2026
- GraphQL API with OAuth for developers
Source: docs.hardcover.app · Checked Sep 2026
- Supporter: $4.99 monthly, $49.99 yearly
Source: US App Store · Checked Sep 2026
What are the alternatives to Hardcover?
- The StoryGraph: Deeper charts. See Hardcover vs StoryGraph.
- BookBuddy: Also privacy-friendly, with CSV, PDF and HTML export.
- Literal: Free, with an easy Goodreads import and an API.
Questions about Hardcover
Is Hardcover free?
Yes. The core app is free; the optional Supporter plan is $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year.
Can Hardcover import my Goodreads library?
Yes. Its App Store listing includes importing from Goodreads and similar platforms.
Does Hardcover have an API?
Yes. Hardcover documents a GraphQL API with OAuth for querying books, editions and reading data.