Goodreads is one of the most popular bookish sites around, and millions of readers use it for a lot of different reasons: to track reading, to connect with friends, discover new books, and find information on their favorite authors or series. But Goodreads also has its limitations, and occasionally its drama. If you’re looking for a good alternative (or a few alternatives) to what Goodreads has to offer, we have a few recommendations for the best Goodreads alternatives!
1. StoryGraph
StoryGraph launched in beta last year, and functions very similarly to Goodreads. Users can keep track of their reading, rate books, connect with other members of the community, discover numerous reading challenges, and post reviews. StoryGraph also has a feature that distinguishes it from Goodreads: Users can submit content warnings for various books, and then those content warnings are counted and aggregated with other users’ content warnings to give readers an idea of what they can expect for each book. Since there aren’t many other platforms that are paying attention to and collection content warnings, this is notable. However, it isn’t always a perfect system—users may disagree about what consistutes content that requires a warning, and StoryGraph has experienced trolls who flag a book with content warnings that don’t actually exist in the book. However, unlike Goodreads, StoryGraph admins seem much more adept at responding to harassment and abuse, which leads many readers to think it’s a safer, happier bookish space.
2. The Book Riot Reading Log
The best way to keep track of your own reading and make sure that your info is private is to use a private reading log. Book Riot offers just that! Each year, Book Riot comes up with a reading log that is based in Google Sheets. You just copy the public file format to your own private drive, and voila! A reading log that no one but you can access. It keeps track of books, authors, publishers, and all of the books’ vital records such as length or page number, whether or not it’s by an own voices writer, various representation, and how long it takes you to read. This is a great way to go if you just want to keep track of what you read and you want something that will be be a bit more stat-heavy than what Goodreads provides. There are also tabs that display your stats in snazzy graph format, and each year Book Riot adds a tab for the Read Harder Challenge, making it easy to track! Trust us, even if you’re not a math nerd, you’ll love that stats and numbers this log provides! And if it is too much stats for you, you can always hide the fields you don’t want to use and focus only on the basics.
3. Libib
Libib is a home library management system that is more focused on helping you catalogue your own collection of books, but it does allow you to use it as a way to keep track of what you’ve read and review books. If you have a ton of books on your TBR that are stacked in piles around your house, this may be a good alternative to Goodreads! You can catalogue up to 5,000 items for free (more than that and you’ll have to pay for a subscription) and create a bunch of different libraries for your books and other media. You can also create shelves, share and discuss your library with other users, and review books (with half stars, no less!). Libib is cloud-based and available on both your computer and as mobile app, which makes managing your library a breeze! No more buying books you already have at home with Libib!
4. Likewise
If you really love using Goodreads for the recommendations and community side of things, but don’t tend to care as much about keeping track of your own reading, then Likewise is another great app that allows you to connect with other readers based on shared reading tastes. You start by creating an account, and selecting some of your favorite books. From there, you will be shown recommendations for similar reads, and lists from popular outlets like Buzzfeed on various bookish topics. The more you use it, and the more you tell the app what you’ve read and your thoughts, the more accurate the recommendations become. While this system is algorithm based, it’s also built on individual reader feedback and recommendations, making it a bit more personal. Plus, the app also has sections for TV Shows and Movies and Podcasts, so if you are a media lover, you can find what to read/watch/listen to next based on your unique and cross-format preferences!
5. TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations
TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations takes the best part of Goodreads’ recommendations and makes them personal. If you go to Goodreads because you want recommendations from real readers, then consider signing up for this service, which assigns you to a read power reader whose job is to make book recommendations personalized to your preferences. This makes it one of the best Goodreads alternatives for any reader.
You start out by taking an extensive survey that asks about your reading likes, dislikes, what you want more of, and what your dealbreakers are (you can also add a link to your Goodreads, Libib, or StoryGraph accounts so TBR knows what you’ve already read). The survey even lets you share what movies and TV shows and podcasts you’re loving. Then, your Bibliologist handpicks recommendations just for you, and if you want, they’ll even flag content warnings if you ask for them. You have two options: Receive a letter with three personalized recommendations via email in 1-2 weeks, or receive your recommendations as brand-new hardcover books, delivered right to your doorstep in 3-4 weeks. You’ll have the chance to offer feedback, make specific requests, or change up your survey responses, and while the service is quarterly, you can add as many drop-in recommendation orders as you want! Plans start at $16, and you can gift them, too!
Want more great bookish resources and the best Goodreads alternatives to get started with? Here are some of the best book club apps out there, and a complete guide to Audible Plus vs. Audible Premium Plus!