Which Goodreads alternative should I choose?

Choose by the task you want to change and the records you need to retain. This is a switching guide, not an overall ranking. If you are choosing your first tracker, use the broader book-tracking-app shortlist instead.

Will every shelf and review transfer?

No universal transfer guarantee is established. StoryGraph documents custom shelves mapped to tags; Fable documents an account-import route for lists and reviews; ReadersGuild excludes custom shelves and long reviews. Follow each destination's current instructions and inspect representative records.

Does a Goodreads CSV recreate reading hours?

A book-library file does not reconstruct timed sessions you never recorded. Keep historical book data separate from time you start recording in a new session tracker.

Should I delete Goodreads after exporting?

Keep the account and original file while checking the destination. This guide does not require account deletion, and it does not perform an export or import for you.

Reading app decisions

Goodreads Alternatives: Choose What to Keep Before You Switch

Choose a replacement for the task Goodreads is not doing for you. StoryGraph documents charts and mood filters; Fable organizes book discussions; Bookly documents personal timers and reports; ReadersGuild offers timed reading alongside friends. Keep the source account and a backup while you test the part you want to change.

A ReadersGuild guide. About the publisher. Revised October 31, 2026.

We make ReadersGuild. These recommendations use public documentation, not a hands-on competitor test or a score-based ranking. Read the method and sources.

The StoryGraph

A view of your reading

Explore charts and choose books by mood.

1.Log a book
2.Explore charts
3.Filter by mood

Fable

A book conversation

Follow chapter discussions and club milestones.

1.Find a club
2.Read a chapter
3.Join the discussion

Bookly

A timed sitting

Time your reading and keep a session record.

1.Start a timer
2.Update pages
3.View a report

ReadersGuild

A shared sitting

Bring your own books. Read at the same time.

1.Invite a friend
2.Read together
3.Save a session

Illustrated workflows based on the documented features below. These are not app screenshots or a ranking.

Start with what you need

Options by task, with reasons and limits
What you want	Consider	Why and what to check
Charts and mood-based discovery	The StoryGraph	Documents Goodreads import and custom shelves mapped to tags. Standard charts are free; some filters and comparisons require Plus.
A club discussion around a book	Fable	Documents account import for Goodreads lists/reviews and a separate beta CSV path. Check which import route matches the records you need.
A personal timer and session reports	Bookly	Its listing documents timing, quotes and reports, plus Goodreads import/sync features. Exact imported-field parity was not tested here.
Timed sessions in a shared room	ReadersGuild	Supports a Goodreads CSV for supported book records. Custom shelves and long reviews do not transfer. iPhone only; Android is a waitlist.

Decide what is actually moving

A shelf of finished titles, a set of reviews and a timed reading history are different records. A destination saying it supports Goodreads import is not a promise to preserve every one of them. Check the current official instructions for the route you choose.

Book identity: title, author, ISBN and the edition you actually read.
Reading history: status, start/finish dates, repeats and ratings.
Personal context: custom shelves, reviews, quotes and private notes.

Use a small audit before moving everything

Keep an unchanged original export. After importing, inspect a few representative records: a finished book, an unfinished one, a rating with a date, and a custom shelf or review you care about. If the expected fields are absent, stop and check the mapping before repeating the import. Re-import behavior differs by destination.

A successful upload is not proof that every row matched.
Inspect status and edition as well as the total number of books.
Keep source notes and files until the destination record is useful on its own.

Check the replacement on your device and plan

StoryGraph and Bookly document iOS and Android options. Fable has mobile listings; its social features and ebook purchases have separate country rules. ReadersGuild is an iPhone app with an Android email waitlist. Compare the specific feature you need against the live free or paid offer, not a historic subscription price.

Keeping Goodreads is a valid outcome

You may want its reviews and friends while using another app for a different task. Decide which account is your main finished-book record so two useful tools do not become two inconsistent libraries. You do not have to move your existing data just to try a timer or join a discussion.

A migration audit, not a promised result

In this fictional example, Sam has finished books, an unfinished novel, a custom 'for work' shelf and several long reviews. A destination's imported book count looks right, but the custom shelf is missing. Sam keeps the original CSV and reviews, checks the destination's documented tag support, and tests the missing field before moving on. A matching count alone would not have caught the difference.

Illustrative example, not a reader testimonial.

How we compared the apps

Published by ReadersGuild, a reading app. Sources reviewed October 31, 2026: public product documentation and available store listings. This is a source-based comparison, not a hands-on competitor test. Recommendations reflect the task each product documents. Store offers and platform features can vary by region and version.

Questions before choosing

ReadersGuild for iPhone

Bring your reading history with you.

Import your Goodreads CSV, then keep your next reading sessions with your books. Custom shelves and long reviews do not transfer.

See the iPhone import steps

Free to start. Optional paid upgrades. Android is on the email waitlist.

A ReadersGuild bookshelf arranged with books and earned decorations. — Example app bookshelf with sample books and decorations. Importing does not arrange a shelf like this automatically.