# Best Goodreads Alternative in 2026: 5 Options Ranked

**Published:** June 27, 2026
**Author:** Achriom
**URL:** https://www.achriom.com/blog/best-goodreads-alternatives

> The best Goodreads alternative in 2026: StoryGraph, Hardcover, Literal, Libby, and Achriom compared. Which one is actually worth switching to.

**Tags:** comparison, guide, books

---

**Goodreads has 150 million registered users and hasn't shipped a meaningful new feature in years.** The DNF shelf landed in March 2026, after years of requests. The logo got a refresh in July 2025. Everything else feels untouched: no half-star ratings, no dark mode, no improved discovery, no AI, and Amazon in the background deciding what gets promoted.

If you are looking for a Goodreads alternative, you are not alone. Here are the five options worth knowing about in 2026. For the wider field, including library and audiobook apps, see the full [best book tracking apps](/blog/best-book-tracking-apps/) guide, and when you have chosen, [how to import your Goodreads library](/blog/how-to-import-your-goodreads-library/).

_Last reviewed: June 27, 2026._

**Quick verdict:**
- **Best direct replacement:** StoryGraph
- **Best indie, Amazon-free option:** Hardcover
- **Best minimalist social tracker:** Literal
- **Best for free library books (not a tracker):** Libby
- **Best if reading is part of a bigger media life:** Achriom

---

## Why people are leaving Goodreads

The complaints are consistent across every reader forum.

**Amazon owns it.** Goodreads was acquired in 2013 and has been essentially frozen since. Features arrive slowly, break on launch, and never quite solve what readers actually asked for.

**No half-star ratings.** You loved a book but it wasn't quite five stars. Goodreads gives you five whole numbers and nothing in between.

**Discovery doesn't work for real taste.** The recommendation engine surfaces popular titles you already know. It doesn't understand your reading personality, just your genre history.

**The DNF shelf took until 2026.** Readers have been asking to mark books as Did Not Finish without having to shelve them awkwardly since the site launched. It took over a decade.

---

## StoryGraph

**Best for:** Most readers looking for a real Goodreads replacement

StoryGraph is the most polished, most popular Goodreads alternative. It reached 5 million readers in January 2026, won the 2025 Apple App Store Award, and in June 2026 launched native Kobo eReader integration, the first reading app to do so.

**What it does better than Goodreads:**
- Half-star ratings
- Mood and pace tags (describes how a book feels, not just its genre)
- Content warnings sourced from the community
- Detailed reading stats with shareable year-end recaps
- No Amazon, no ads, no retailer bias
- Active roadmap with real feature development

**What's new in 2025-2026:** Kobo integration (June 2026) auto-syncs reading progress and status from your Kobo device. 2025 Apple App Store Award winner. iOS rating 4.5/5 (Editors' Choice).

**Pricing:** Free for core tracking. StoryGraph Plus is $4.99/month. Plus adds advanced reading stats, AI-powered recommendations, and roadmap voting.

**The limitation:** No Kindle integration (notable given the Kobo deal). Book club tools are basic. AI recommendations are a Plus-only feature and are not conversational in the way a dedicated AI librarian is.

---

## Hardcover

**Best for:** Readers who want an indie, community-built tracker with a public API

Hardcover is an independent book tracker built by a small team as an explicit Goodreads replacement. It has a public GraphQL API, an active Discord community, and ships monthly updates. It is smaller than StoryGraph but deliberately so: the community is more intimate and the team is responsive to feature requests.

**What it does better than Goodreads:**
- Half-star ratings
- DNF tracking
- Per-book privacy controls
- Spotify-style year-end reading recap
- Custom shareable lists
- Reliable Goodreads import
- No Amazon, no ads

**Platform:** Web, iOS, and Android.

**Pricing:** Free for all core features. Supporter tier is $4.99/month for librarian editing access, Discord perks, and priority support.

**The limitation:** Smaller community means thinner coverage for niche or non-English titles. It is earlier in its development than StoryGraph and some Android users report rough edges.

---

## Literal

**Best for:** Readers who want a minimalist, trust-based social tracker on iOS

Literal is a small, focused book tracker built around a simple idea: recommendations from people you follow, not from an engagement algorithm. The team ships consistently: the June 2026 changelog shows active work on the Explore page, reading stats, and highlight tools.

**What it does better than Goodreads:**
- Clean, minimalist interface
- Highlights and notes with camera and voice capture
- Trust-based discovery (follow readers you trust, not popular lists)
- Book clubs for group reading
- Open API and Goodreads import

**Platform:** Web and iOS. Android is listed as "coming soon" as of June 2026.

**Pricing:** Free. A supporter option exists but pricing is not publicly listed.

**The limitation:** Around 50,000 users, which is small. For niche titles, the community discovery features have less signal. No Android app yet. If your reading group is on Android, this is a blocker.

---

## Libby

**Important:** Libby is not a reading tracker.

Libby is a library borrowing app. It lets you borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your public library for free using your library card. OverDrive, the company behind it, serves 87,000 libraries across 115 countries. In 2025, users borrowed 820 million digital titles through the platform.

It does not have ratings, reading goals, annual challenges, community features, or book discovery beyond your library's catalog.

**Why it appears on this list:** People frustrated with Goodreads' Amazon ties search for alternatives and find Libby mentioned alongside actual trackers. Libby solves a related but different problem: getting books for free without going through Amazon.

**The honest use case:** Use Libby alongside a tracker, not instead of one. Get the book from Libby. Track it in StoryGraph, Hardcover, or Achriom.

---

## Achriom

**Best for:** Readers whose taste runs across books, films, music, and TV

Achriom tracks books alongside films, TV shows, albums, and anime in a single library. The AI librarian sees all of it: ask what to read based on your five-star films, or what films share the atmosphere of a novel you loved, and it reasons across your full collection to answer.

**What it does differently:**
- Books tracked alongside films, TV, albums, and anime
- AI librarian that connects your reading to your full media taste
- Goodreads import supported
- Half-star ratings and DNF support
- Private by default, no public profiles or social pressure

<div class="blog-inline-cta">
<p><strong>Want your reading understood alongside everything else?</strong> Achriom tracks your books alongside films, TV, albums, and anime, with an AI librarian that finds the threads between them. That is the part no book-only tracker can do.</p>
<a href="https://app.achriom.com" data-cta="blog-inline-goodreads-alternatives">Try Achriom free →</a>
</div>

**The limitation:** Achriom is not a replacement for Goodreads' community features: no public reading challenges, no book club threads, and a smaller catalog for niche titles. If you want a book-first social tracker, StoryGraph is the right call. If you want your reading understood in context with everything else you consume, Achriom does what no book-only tracker can.

---

## Quick comparison

| App | Tracks | Half-stars | DNF | AI | Platform | Price |
|-----|--------|------------|-----|----|----------|-------|
| StoryGraph | Books | Yes | Yes | Plus only | Web, iOS, Android | Free / $4.99 mo |
| Hardcover | Books | Yes | Yes | No | Web, iOS, Android | Free / $4.99 mo |
| Literal | Books | No | Yes | No | Web, iOS | Free |
| Libby | Not a tracker | n/a | n/a | No | Web, iOS, Android | Free (library card) |
| Achriom | Books, films, TV, albums, anime | Yes | Yes | AI librarian | Web | Free / $9.99 mo |

---

## Which should you use?

**Use StoryGraph** if you want the most complete, polished Goodreads replacement. It has the largest alternative community, the best iOS app, and a team actively shipping features.

**Use Hardcover** if you want an indie, Amazon-free option with a public API and a community you can actually influence through feature requests.

**Use Literal** if you want a minimalist, trust-based social tracker and you are on iOS. Check back on Android availability.

**Use Libby** alongside any of the above to borrow books from your library for free. It is not a tracker.

**Use Achriom** if books are part of a larger media diet and you want an AI librarian that sees all of it. Goodreads import takes a few minutes.

---

## Common questions

### What is the best Goodreads alternative?

StoryGraph is the most complete direct replacement: half-star ratings, mood and pace tags, no Amazon, active development, and 5 million users as of January 2026. Hardcover is the best indie option with a public API and close-knit community. Achriom is the only option that tracks books alongside films, music, and TV with an AI librarian.

### Can I import my Goodreads library to StoryGraph?

Yes. Export your library from Goodreads account settings, then import the file in StoryGraph. It preserves your ratings, shelves, and reading dates. The process takes a few minutes.

### Can I import my Goodreads library to Hardcover?

Yes. Hardcover accepts Goodreads CSV exports and reliably transfers ratings, reading status, and dates. The team reports it as one of their most-tested import paths.

### Is StoryGraph free?

Yes. Core tracking is fully free. StoryGraph Plus is $4.99/month and adds advanced reading stats, AI-powered recommendations, and roadmap voting. Most readers do not need Plus to get value from the app.

### Does any book tracker have AI?

StoryGraph Plus includes AI-powered book recommendations. Achriom has an AI librarian built into the free tier (50 messages free, then Pro at $9.99/month) that works across books, films, TV, albums, and anime, reasoning across your full media library rather than just your reading history.

### Is Libby a Goodreads replacement?

No. Libby is a library borrowing app, not a reading tracker. It has no ratings, reading goals, or community features. Use it alongside a tracker to borrow books for free from your public library.

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