Reading notes
What book tracker apps cost in 2026: free tiers, subscriptions and one-time prices
Four ways the apps charge, the published US prices for each, and how to work out what you would actually pay.
Best Book Tracker Apps editors · 14 September 2026 · 4 min read
Book tracker apps charge in four ways: nothing at all, a monthly or yearly subscription, a one-time upgrade, or per book. Goodreads is free with no paid tier. The yearly prices we found run from $29.99 for one year of Bookly Pro to $49.99 for StoryGraph Plus, Hardcover Supporter and Fable Plus. BookBuddy Pro is a one-time $9.99, and Magic Bookmark charges per book with credits.
Contents
What are the four pricing models?
- Free, with no paid tier: Goodreads.
- Free core app plus an optional subscription: The StoryGraph, Hardcover, Fable, Bookly and Basmo. Literal is similar, with an optional yearly membership sold on its website and no in-app purchases on the App Store.
- Free to start plus a one-time upgrade: BookBuddy Pro, listed as a lifetime purchase.
- Free to download, then pay per book: Magic Bookmark, with Bookmark Credits that never expire.
What does each app charge?
| App | Free tier | Monthly | Yearly or one-time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The StoryGraph | Free core app | Plus $4.99 | Plus $49.99 a year | App Store |
| Literal | Free; social features free | Not published | Plus $40 a year; Supporter $80 a year | literal.club |
| Hardcover | Free core app | Supporter $4.99 | Supporter $49.99 a year | App Store |
| BookBuddy | Free to start | Online Sharing from $1.99 (optional) | Pro $9.99 one-time | App Store |
| Goodreads | Free | No paid tier | No paid tier | App Store |
| Fable | Free core app | Plus $5.99 | Plus $49.99 a year | Fable help centre |
| Bookly | Free to start | One month of Pro $4.99 | One year of Pro $29.99; a $79.99 Pro option is also listed | App Store |
| Basmo | Free to start | Premium $4.99 | Premium $39.99 a year; other packs listed | App Store |
| Magic Bookmark | Free to download | Not a subscription | Credits: 1 for $4.99, 5 for $19.99, 10 for $34.99, 50 for $69.99 | App Store |
Prices differ by country and change over time. We re-check them every quarter.
How do the subscriptions compare?
Three yearly subscriptions cost the same: StoryGraph Plus, Hardcover Supporter and Fable Plus are each $49.99 a year. Basmo Premium is $39.99 and Bookly's one-year Pro option is $29.99. On monthly billing, Fable Plus is the most expensive at $5.99, and StoryGraph Plus, Hardcover Supporter and Basmo Premium are $4.99. Literal publishes no monthly price; its membership is yearly.
Paying yearly is cheaper where both prices exist. Twelve months of StoryGraph Plus at $4.99 comes to $59.88, against $49.99 for the year, and twelve months of Fable Plus at $5.99 comes to $71.88, against $49.99.
When does a one-time or per-book price make sense?
BookBuddy Pro is a single $9.99 payment, which suits readers who want to catalogue a home library without another subscription. The optional Online Sharing add-on, from $1.99 a month, is separate.
Magic Bookmark charges per book, not per month. One credit is $4.99, and packs bring the price per book down: $19.99 for 5 works out to $4.00 a book, $34.99 for 10 to $3.50, and $69.99 for 50 to about $1.40. Credits never expire. Because it is a place-keeping companion rather than a tracker, it adds to what you spend on a tracker rather than replacing it.
Is the free tier enough?
For logging books, shelves and a yearly goal, usually yes. Paid tiers add depth rather than the basics: Fable Plus, for example, adds multiple goals, weekly and monthly goals and deeper insights beyond the free stats. Try the free tier for two weeks before paying, and if you do pay, try one month first where a monthly price exists.
How do you compare what you would actually pay?
Work out the tier you would use and the billing you prefer, then multiply by the number of readers in your household, since the prices here are for one account. The calculator does this for all nine apps at once and shows the cost next to each app's score, re-weighted to your priorities. Our Price and ads criterion, weighted 15 out of 100, scores what you get free, what the paid tier costs and whether there is a subscription.