Goodreads suits readers who want the biggest community, with more than 150 million members, reviews, groups and the Goodreads Choice Awards. The StoryGraph suits readers who love stats, mood and pace filters and content warnings, and who'd like an independent app. If you read for the conversation, stay with Goodreads; if you read for the data and better-matched picks, try The StoryGraph.
If you've built up years of shelves on Goodreads, you can try the newer app without losing any of them, which makes this an easy comparison to test for yourself. I read both apps' App Store listings and Goodreads' about page.
StoryGraph and Goodreads side by side
| The StoryGraph | Goodreads | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Not named (Plus is optional) | Yes, a free book tracker |
| Community | Buddy reads, readalongs and book clubs | 150 million+ members, groups, Choice Awards |
| Finding books | By mood, pace and machine learning picks | Personalised picks and Most Anticipated lists |
| Stats | Charts and graphs; custom charts on Plus | Reading Challenge and Year in Books |
| Ratings | Half and quarter stars | Half, quarter or whole stars |
| Extras | Content warnings, Kobo sync, DNF tracking | Book Scanner by cover or ISBN, DNF shelf |
Moving your shelves across
The import is the reason so many readers try The StoryGraph. Its listing says it brings over your currently-reading, read, to-read and did-not-finish shelves from Goodreads, and maps custom shelves to custom tags, so years of history arrive in one go. It also syncs with Kobo and has a barcode scanner for adding books in a shop. You'll keep your ratings history, and you don't lose anything on Goodreads, so it's a low-risk way to see if you'd like the switch.
What The StoryGraph does with your reading
The StoryGraph is built around data. You get charts and graphs of your reading habits over time, streaks, and annual goals for books, pages and listening. Its recommendations use machine learning, and you can search by mood and pace, so you can ask for something adventurous, funny and fast-paced, or darker and slower.
Two features stand out. Buddy reads let you leave live reactions on parts of a book, locked for others until they reach that point, so nobody gets spoiled. And content warnings, from authors and readers, show up when you're choosing your next read. Plus keeps the app ad-free and independent, and adds custom charts, extra stats filters, side-by-side stats comparisons and a vote on new features. Reading challenges are built in too, whether that's a book from every country or one a week across genres, and you can make your own or join someone else's.
Where Goodreads still leads
Goodreads calls itself the world's largest site for readers and book recommendations, and its listing puts the community at more than 150 million members. That's the draw: it's where your friends probably already are, with millions of ratings and reviews, book club groups, and the yearly Goodreads Choice Awards, where readers vote for their favourites.
Its latest update is telling. Goodreads has just added half-star ratings and calls them its most requested feature, while The StoryGraph's listing already offered half and quarter stars. The gap between the two apps on features is narrowing, but the size of the crowd is still on Goodreads' side.
Who each app suits
Goodreads suits social readers, book club members and anyone who wants to see what friends are reading and check reviews before picking a book. The StoryGraph suits readers who love their stats, people who choose by mood, and those who want content warnings before they start. If you run a reading group, these book club questions work with either app, and so do these business books to keep you motivated.
My advice on StoryGraph or Goodreads
Keep your Goodreads account and import it into The StoryGraph for a month, because there's no harm in running both. Log your next few books in each and see which one you open without being prompted. If it's the stats and mood search, move your logging across. If it's the reviews and groups, stay where your friends are.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I import Goodreads into The StoryGraph?
Yes. The StoryGraph says it imports your currently-reading, read, to-read and did-not-finish shelves, and turns custom shelves into tags.
Is Goodreads free?
Yes. Goodreads describes itself as the free book tracker and reading community for everyone who loves books.
Does Goodreads have half-star ratings?
Yes. Goodreads' latest App Store release added half-star ratings, which it calls its most requested feature.
Does The StoryGraph show content warnings?
Yes. Readers can add content warnings when they review, and authors can approve them, so you can check before you start a book.
Does The StoryGraph work with Kobo?
Yes. The StoryGraph lists Kobo sync among its features.
