BookBuddy 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
BookBuddy is ahead on the lead ranking weights, 7.65 to 4.65. BookBuddy scores higher on spoiler safety, getting back into the story, price and logging; Hardcover does not score higher on any of the five criteria. They tie on privacy.
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)
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: BookBuddy overall; BookBuddy for spoiler safety.
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 Hardcover compare, criterion by criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | BookBuddy | Hardcover | Better for this |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spoiler safety | 30 | 8 | 2 | BookBuddy |
| Getting back into the story | 30 | 6 | 3 | BookBuddy |
| Price | 15 | 9 | 8 | BookBuddy |
| Privacy | 10 | 9 | 9 | Tie |
| Logging | 15 | 8 | 7 | BookBuddy |
| Weighted total | 100 | 7.65 | 4.65 | 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.
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 BookBuddy 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: 6 against 3. Tracks where each copy lives and who has borrowed it.
- Price: 9 against 8. One-time $9.99 Pro upgrade, no subscription needed.
- Logging: 8 against 7. ISBN scanning backed by the WorldCat catalogue.
Where does Hardcover win?
Hardcover does not score higher than BookBuddy on any criterion.
Where are they even?
- Privacy: both score 9.
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)
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 | BookBuddy | Hardcover |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Android, web |
| Price | Free to start; BookBuddy Pro (lifetime): $9.99; Online Sharing: from $1.99 a month (optional) | 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 BookBuddy if price and privacy matter most to you: it scores 9 and 9 there. Best for cataloguing books you own.
- Choose Hardcover if privacy and price matter most to you: it scores 9 and 8 there. Best for owning your data.
Questions about BookBuddy vs Hardcover
Is BookBuddy better than Hardcover?
On the lead ranking weights, BookBuddy is ahead, 7.65 to 4.65. BookBuddy scores higher on 4 of five criteria and Hardcover on 0, 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, BookBuddy or Hardcover?
BookBuddy: Free to start; BookBuddy Pro (lifetime): $9.99; Online Sharing: from $1.99 a month (optional). Hardcover: Free core app; Supporter: $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year (US App Store). On our Price and ads criterion, BookBuddy scores higher, 9 to 8. Prices are US prices checked September 27, 2026.
Can I move my reading history between BookBuddy and Hardcover?
BookBuddy imports CSV files from Goodreads, LibraryThing and Google Books, and exports CSV, PDF or HTML. Hardcover imports from Goodreads and publishes a GraphQL API with OAuth. The import and export table lists every option.