Basmo vs BookBuddy: which gets you back into a book without spoilers in 2026?
Best Book Tracker Apps editors · Data refreshed 14 October 2026 · Editorial assessment
BookBuddy is ahead on the lead ranking weights, 7.65 to 6.00. Basmo does not score higher on any of the five criteria; BookBuddy scores higher on getting back into the story, price, privacy and logging. They tie on spoiler safety.
Basmo
Best for reading journalsA reading journal and session tracker with Kindle highlight sync, held back by a heavy tracking label.
Price, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free to start
- Basmo Premium: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year (US App Store)
BookBuddy
Best for cataloguing books you ownThe best way to catalogue the physical books you own, with the most open import and export options here.
Price, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free to start
- BookBuddy Pro (lifetime): $9.99
- Online Sharing: from $1.99 a month (optional)
Verdict: BookBuddy overall; BookBuddy for getting back into the story.
Every head-to-head on this site compares on the weights of our one scored ranking, Best apps for getting back into a book without spoilers.
How do Basmo and BookBuddy compare, criterion by criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Basmo | BookBuddy | Better for this |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spoiler safety | 30 | 8 | 8 | Tie |
| Getting back into the story | 30 | 5 | 6 | BookBuddy |
| Price | 15 | 5 | 9 | BookBuddy |
| Privacy | 10 | 3 | 9 | BookBuddy |
| Logging | 15 | 7 | 8 | BookBuddy |
| Weighted total | 100 | 6.00 | 7.65 | BookBuddy |
Basmo: why these scores
- Spoiler safety: Shows no community content about the book, so there is nothing to spoil, but it has no spoiler controls.
- Getting back into the story: Session timer and a highlight scanner for print pages.
- Price: Premium at $39.99 a year, with several overlapping packs.
- Privacy: App Store label lists identifiers used to track you and data used for third-party advertising.
- Logging: Reading sessions, scheduler and library lists.
BookBuddy: why these scores
- Spoiler safety: Shows no community content about the book, so there is nothing to spoil, but it has no spoiler controls.
- Getting back into the story: Tracks where each copy lives and who has borrowed it.
- Price: One-time $9.99 Pro upgrade, no subscription needed.
- Privacy: Library saved locally on your device, with optional iCloud or Dropbox sync.
- Logging: ISBN scanning backed by the WorldCat catalogue.
Where does Basmo win?
Basmo does not score higher than BookBuddy on any criterion.
Where does BookBuddy win?
- Getting back into the story: 6 against 5. Tracks where each copy lives and who has borrowed it.
- Price: 9 against 5. One-time $9.99 Pro upgrade, no subscription needed.
- Privacy: 9 against 3. Library saved locally on your device, with optional iCloud or Dropbox sync.
- Logging: 8 against 7. ISBN scanning backed by the WorldCat catalogue.
Where are they even?
- Spoiler safety: both score 8.
How much do they cost?
Basmo
Price, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free to start
- Basmo Premium: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year (US App Store)
BookBuddy
Price, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free to start
- BookBuddy Pro (lifetime): $9.99
- Online Sharing: from $1.99 a month (optional)
US prices as published, checked September 27, 2026. Compare costs for more than one reader in the calculator.
The facts, no scores
| Fact | Basmo | BookBuddy |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Android | iPhone, iPad |
| Price | Free to start; Basmo Premium: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year (US App Store) | Free to start; BookBuddy Pro (lifetime): $9.99; Online Sharing: from $1.99 a month (optional) |
| Goals | Yes | Yes |
| Stats | Yes | Yes |
| Clubs | Not published | Not published |
| Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| Scan (barcode or page photo) | Yes | Yes |
Which should you choose?
- Choose Basmo if spoiler safety and logging matter most to you: it scores 8 and 7 there. Best for reading journals.
- Choose BookBuddy if price and privacy matter most to you: it scores 9 and 9 there. Best for cataloguing books you own.
Questions about Basmo vs BookBuddy
Is Basmo better than BookBuddy?
On the lead ranking weights, BookBuddy is ahead, 7.65 to 6.00. Basmo scores higher on 0 of five criteria and BookBuddy on 4, with 1 tie. We do not score trackers against each other on tracking features; the facts table below lists platforms, prices and published features.
Which is cheaper, Basmo or BookBuddy?
Basmo: Free to start; Basmo Premium: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year (US App Store). BookBuddy: Free to start; BookBuddy Pro (lifetime): $9.99; Online Sharing: from $1.99 a month (optional). On our Price and ads criterion, BookBuddy scores higher, 9 to 5. Prices are US prices checked September 27, 2026.
Can I move my reading history between Basmo and BookBuddy?
Basmo imports Kindle highlights, syncs to Notion and exports through its in-app share feature. BookBuddy imports CSV files from Goodreads, LibraryThing and Google Books, and exports CSV, PDF or HTML. The import and export table lists every option.