BookBuddy vs Bookly: 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 6.85. BookBuddy scores higher on price and privacy; Bookly scores higher on getting back into the story. They tie on spoiler safety and logging.
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)
Bookly
Best reading timerBuilt around a reading timer that turns every session into stats, with a confusing set of Pro prices.
Price, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free to start
- Bookly Pro: App Store lists options from $4.99 for one month to $29.99 for one year, plus a $79.99 Pro option
Verdict: BookBuddy overall; BookBuddy for price and Bookly 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 BookBuddy and Bookly compare, criterion by criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | BookBuddy | Bookly | Better for this |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spoiler safety | 30 | 8 | 8 | Tie |
| Getting back into the story | 30 | 6 | 7 | Bookly |
| Price | 15 | 9 | 5 | BookBuddy |
| Privacy | 10 | 9 | 4 | BookBuddy |
| Logging | 15 | 8 | 8 | Tie |
| Weighted total | 100 | 7.65 | 6.85 | BookBuddy |
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.
Bookly: 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: The timer and page log suit print, ebook and audiobook sessions.
- Price: Many overlapping Pro prices on the App Store.
- Privacy: App Store label lists identifiers used to track you.
- Logging: ISBN scan plus a timer that logs pages and time per session.
Where does BookBuddy win?
- Price: 9 against 5. One-time $9.99 Pro upgrade, no subscription needed.
- Privacy: 9 against 4. Library saved locally on your device, with optional iCloud or Dropbox sync.
Where does Bookly win?
- Getting back into the story: 7 against 6. The timer and page log suit print, ebook and audiobook sessions.
Where are they even?
- Spoiler safety: both score 8.
- Logging: both score 8.
How much do they cost?
BookBuddy
Price, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free to start
- BookBuddy Pro (lifetime): $9.99
- Online Sharing: from $1.99 a month (optional)
Bookly
Price, checked Sep 27, 2026
- Free to start
- Bookly Pro: App Store lists options from $4.99 for one month to $29.99 for one year, plus a $79.99 Pro option
US prices as published, checked September 27, 2026. Compare costs for more than one reader in the calculator.
The facts, no scores
| Fact | BookBuddy | Bookly |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Price | Free to start; BookBuddy Pro (lifetime): $9.99; Online Sharing: from $1.99 a month (optional) | Free to start; Bookly Pro: App Store lists options from $4.99 for one month to $29.99 for one year, plus a $79.99 Pro option |
| 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 BookBuddy if price and privacy matter most to you: it scores 9 and 9 there. Best for cataloguing books you own.
- Choose Bookly if spoiler safety and logging matter most to you: it scores 8 and 8 there. Best reading timer.
Questions about BookBuddy vs Bookly
Is BookBuddy better than Bookly?
On the lead ranking weights, BookBuddy is ahead, 7.65 to 6.85. BookBuddy scores higher on 2 of five criteria and Bookly on 1, with 2 ties. We do not score trackers against each other on tracking features; the facts table below lists platforms, prices and published features.
Which is cheaper, BookBuddy or Bookly?
BookBuddy: Free to start; BookBuddy Pro (lifetime): $9.99; Online Sharing: from $1.99 a month (optional). Bookly: Free to start; Bookly Pro: App Store lists options from $4.99 for one month to $29.99 for one year, plus a $79.99 Pro option. 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 BookBuddy and Bookly?
BookBuddy imports CSV files from Goodreads, LibraryThing and Google Books, and exports CSV, PDF or HTML. Bookly lists a Goodreads import on Google Play; we found no export published. The import and export table lists every option.