Comparison
StoryGraph vs Goodreads, and a free alternative that reads with you
StoryGraph is the best-known Goodreads alternative: an independent book tracker, started in 2019, that passed 5 million sign-ups in January 2026. Against Goodreads it offers recommendations by mood and pace, half and quarter star ratings, detailed charts of your reading, and an import of your Goodreads library, all free, with a paid tier, StoryGraph Plus, for more stats. Goodreads keeps the bigger crowd, more reviews per book, and Amazon's catalogue behind it.
Last checked 11 Oct 2026. Prices and features change; the sources are at the end.
Both are logs: you read somewhere else and record it there. Doomreader is the other half, a reader with more than 3,000 free classics, a daily goal and streaks that count the reading you do in it, and public profiles for Pro members. If you are choosing between StoryGraph and Goodreads because you want to read more, it may be worth having a reader alongside whichever you pick.
Doomreader and StoryGraph side by side
| What | Doomreader | StoryGraph |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A reader: you read the books in the app | A tracker: you log books read anywhere |
| Price | Free; Pro adds sync and more, see the pricing page | Free; Plus $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year (US App Store) |
| Books you can read in the app | 3,000+ free classics in 7 languages, plus your own EPUBs and PDFs | None |
| Logging paper books or books read elsewhere | No | Yes |
| Ratings and reviews | Whole stars and reviews | Half and quarter star ratings, reviews, content warnings |
| Recommendations | Reading paths and lists of free classics | By mood, pace and your past reading |
| Stats | Your reading: streaks, cards, books finished, a monthly wrap; all-time history with Pro | Charts and graphs; more with Plus |
| Reading goal | A daily goal, streaks, quests and badges | Yearly goals in books, pages or hours, and challenges |
| Profiles and following | With Pro: a public reading profile you switch on, following and a Following feed | Profiles, following, buddy reads and book clubs |
| Import from Goodreads | Yes, the export file read on your device; only free classics come across | Yes |
| Size of the community | New and still small | More than 5 million sign-ups (January 2026) |
| Account needed to start | No | Yes |
| Apps | Browser on any device, Android app; iPhone as a web app | iOS, Android, web |
Start with a classic from your to-read pile
Classics that turn up on to-read shelves everywhere, free to read here. More in classic books everyone should read.
Where StoryGraph is better
- Logging everything you read, in any format, from any shop or library. Doomreader counts only what you read in it.
- Recommendations by mood: StoryGraph's quarter stars and mood filters have no counterpart here. Doomreader has simple star ratings and reviews, from a much smaller community.
- Stats on every book in your life, with charts by genre, pace and mood, and buddy reads and book clubs with a community that is already large.
Where Doomreader is better
- You read the books here, free: Jane Eyre, Meditations and thousands more, as short posts with your place kept and read-aloud in your device's voice.
- Streaks from real reading: a card counts once it has been on screen, so the goal and the streak measure reading, not logging. See the reading tracker.
- Your Goodreads shelves come along: import the export, and the classics on it are on your shelf in a minute, read ones marked finished on their day, to-read ones on Want to read.
- No account to start, nothing to fill in, and a reading profile (with Pro) you can make private with one switch.
Which to choose
Choosing between the two trackers: StoryGraph if you like mood-based picks, fine-grained ratings and charts; Goodreads if you want the biggest crowd and the most reviews. Both import each other's way of working well enough that moving is not a big job.
Choosing a reader to go with it: if the shelf you log keeps filling with classics you mean to read, try Doomreader. Bring your Goodreads export and see how many are already free, then keep logging in StoryGraph or Goodreads if you like the record.
More on Goodreads itself: a Goodreads alternative where you read the books.
Questions
Is StoryGraph better than Goodreads?
For many readers, yes: mood-based recommendations, quarter star ratings and better charts, and it is independent. Goodreads has the larger community and more reviews per book. Both are free to start.
Can I move from Goodreads to StoryGraph?
Yes. StoryGraph imports the Goodreads export file. Doomreader imports the same file, and brings across the free classics in it.
Is there a free alternative to StoryGraph Plus?
For stats on the reading you do in it, yes: Doomreader's streaks, books finished and monthly wrap are free. It does not chart books you read elsewhere.
Does Doomreader have ratings like StoryGraph?
Yes, simple ones: you can rate and review any book, and see other readers' reviews on each book's page. There are no quarter stars or mood tags. You can also highlight and comment on passages of free books.
Sources
- StoryGraph on the App Store: the features (Goodreads import, discovery by mood, charts and graphs, half and quarter star ratings, reading challenges, buddy reads) and the Plus prices, $4.99 a month and $49.99 a year in the US; fetched 11 Oct 2026
- The StoryGraph on Wikipedia: founded in 2019 by Nadia Odunayo, 5 million sign-ups in January 2026, reviews, challenges, book clubs and its apps; fetched 11 Oct 2026
- Goodreads on Wikipedia: for the comparison with Goodreads: Amazon's ownership, members, ratings and reviews; fetched 11 Oct 2026
Doomreader's own facts are from the app as it is today and its pricing page. Spotted something out of date? Write to hello@doomreaderapp.com.