Basmo vs Hardcover: which gets you back into a book without spoilers in 2026?
Best Book Tracker Apps editors · Data refreshed 14 October 2026 · Editorial assessment
Basmo is ahead on the lead ranking weights, 6.00 to 4.65. Basmo scores higher on spoiler safety and getting back into the story; Hardcover scores higher on price and privacy. They tie on logging.
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)
Hardcover
Best for owning your dataA polished reading tracker with a public API and one of the lightest privacy labels in this list.
Price, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free core app
- Supporter: $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year (US App Store)
Verdict: Basmo overall; Basmo for spoiler safety and Hardcover for price.
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 Hardcover compare, criterion by criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Basmo | Hardcover | Better for this |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spoiler safety | 30 | 8 | 2 | Basmo |
| Getting back into the story | 30 | 5 | 3 | Basmo |
| Price | 15 | 5 | 8 | Hardcover |
| Privacy | 10 | 3 | 9 | Hardcover |
| Logging | 15 | 7 | 7 | Tie |
| Weighted total | 100 | 6.00 | 4.65 | Basmo |
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.
Hardcover: why these scores
- Spoiler safety: Shows community reviews; its public pages describe no spoiler control.
- Getting back into the story: No session timer or place-keeping features published.
- Price: Free core app; Supporter costs $49.99 a year.
- Privacy: App Store label: data not linked to you (usage data and diagnostics).
- Logging: Want to read, reading, read and did-not-finish statuses with lists and tags.
Where does Basmo win?
- Spoiler safety: 8 against 2. Shows no community content about the book, so there is nothing to spoil, but it has no spoiler controls.
- Getting back into the story: 5 against 3. Session timer and a highlight scanner for print pages.
Where does Hardcover win?
- Price: 8 against 5. Free core app; Supporter costs $49.99 a year.
- Privacy: 9 against 3. App Store label: data not linked to you (usage data and diagnostics).
Where are they even?
- Logging: both score 7.
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)
Hardcover
Price, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free core app
- Supporter: $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year (US App Store)
US prices as published, checked September 27, 2026. Compare costs for more than one reader in the calculator.
The facts, no scores
| Fact | Basmo | Hardcover |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Android | iPhone, iPad, Android, web |
| Price | Free to start; Basmo Premium: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year (US App Store) | Free core app; Supporter: $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year (US App Store) |
| Goals | Yes | Yes |
| Stats | Yes | Yes |
| Clubs | Not published | Not published |
| Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| Scan (barcode or page photo) | Yes | Not published |
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 Hardcover if privacy and price matter most to you: it scores 9 and 8 there. Best for owning your data.
Questions about Basmo vs Hardcover
Is Basmo better than Hardcover?
On the lead ranking weights, Basmo is ahead, 6.00 to 4.65. Basmo scores higher on 2 of five criteria and Hardcover on 2, 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 Hardcover?
Basmo: Free to start; Basmo Premium: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year (US App Store). Hardcover: Free core app; Supporter: $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year (US App Store). On our Price and ads criterion, Hardcover scores higher, 8 to 5. Prices are US prices checked September 27, 2026.
Can I move my reading history between Basmo and Hardcover?
Basmo imports Kindle highlights, syncs to Notion and exports through its in-app share feature. Hardcover imports from Goodreads and publishes a GraphQL API with OAuth. The import and export table lists every option.