Lesson 11 of 11 · Basics.
What is The StoryGraph, and is it free?
The stats-first tracker explained: who makes it, what is free, what Plus adds, and how it handles your data.
Best Book Tracker Apps editors · 3 November 2026 · 3 min read · Facts checked 3 November 2026
Bottom line.The StoryGraph is a reading tracker built around charts and recommendations by mood and pace. The core app is free; StoryGraph Plus costs $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year on the US App Store. It was founded by Nadia Odunayo, is made by The StoryGraph Limited (it is not part of Amazon), imports your Goodreads shelves and exports your data as CSV.
Who makes The StoryGraph?
The StoryGraph Limited, a company founded by Nadia Odunayo. It is independent of Amazon, which owns Goodreads. Wikipedia reports it had 5 million signups by January 2026. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and the web, and publishes a public roadmap where readers vote on features.
What does the free version do?
Most of what a tracker needs:
| Feature | In the free app? |
|---|---|
| Shelves: to read, currently reading, read, did not finish | Yes |
| Paused status for books you mean to return to | Yes, since December 2024 |
| Progress by page or percentage | Yes |
| Ratings with half and quarter stars | Yes |
| Reading challenges and goals | Yes |
| Mood, pace, genre and rating charts | Yes |
| Content warnings on book pages | Yes |
| Buddy reads with reactions tied to parts of the book | Yes |
| Goodreads import and CSV export | Yes |
| Owned marker | Yes |
What does StoryGraph Plus add, and what does it cost?
StoryGraph Plus costs $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year on the US App Store (checked 27 September 2026). It extends the stats and recommendation features of the free app. Check StoryGraph's own Plus page before you pay, because the list of Plus features changes as features move from the roadmap into the app. Our cost comparison sets the price against the other trackers.
How is it different from Goodreads?
| The StoryGraph | Goodreads | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | The StoryGraph Limited | Amazon |
| Price | Free core; Plus $49.99 a year | Free, no paid tier |
| Stats | Deep charts: mood, pace, genre, ratings over time | Few; Year in Books |
| Community | Smaller; buddy reads and clubs | Largest; friends, groups, clubs |
| Paused status | Yes | No |
| Data out | CSV export | CSV export; no API for new developers |
Our full comparison is StoryGraph vs Goodreads, and our StoryGraph review has the sourced facts.
How does the Paused status work?
Added on 20 December 2024: a book marked currently reading can be set to paused, which moves it to a collapsed section of your Currently Reading page and keeps the paused time out of your average reading-time stats. You can backdate a pause and add a private journal note. Our guide to paused or DNF explains when to use it.
How do you move from Goodreads?
Export your Goodreads library as a CSV on the Goodreads website, then upload it in StoryGraph's import settings. StoryGraph imports your read, currently-reading, to-read and did-not-finish shelves and turns custom shelves into tags. Step by step: moving from Goodreads to StoryGraph.
Does StoryGraph help with spoilers?
Buddy reads tie reactions to specific parts of the book, so you only see comments from where you are. It does not offer a plot recap: like every tracker we cover, it records progress, not what happened. For a recap that stops at your page in a print book or audiobook, readers pair a tracker with a tool such as Magic Bookmark, for supported titles.
Questions
Q1Is The StoryGraph free?
Yes, the core app is free. StoryGraph Plus is optional and costs $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year on the US App Store.
Q2Who owns The StoryGraph?
The StoryGraph Limited, founded by Nadia Odunayo. It is not owned by Amazon.
Q3Can I import my Goodreads library into StoryGraph?
Yes. Upload your Goodreads CSV export; shelves and ratings come across, custom shelves become tags.
Q4Is StoryGraph better than Goodreads?
For stats and a paused status, yes. For community size and catalogue, Goodreads is larger.