How I track my reading: Goodreads vs StoryGraph vs Pagebound vs Fable

At a glance

Goodreads has the biggest community, StoryGraph has the best stats, Pagebound has the best per-book discussions, and Fable has the best book clubs.

Prices are as of October 2026 and change often, so check before you subscribe. Euro prices differ slightly (the German App Store lists StoryGraph Plus at €3.99 per month).

Goodreads: my master list

Goodreads is where my reading lives: my master list, my review history, my friends and my yearly reading challenge. It’s free, owned by Amazon, and it has the biggest book database and review community.

What I love is the community, my review history and the reading challenge, which motivates me immensely. This year it reads 164 of 100 and I’m still going. All my friends are on Goodreads, so it’s where I see what they’re reading, and it’s the app I use for my year in review and for picking my next read. It’s also one of the few apps here that lets you export your whole library, which is a big reason it’s my source of truth. It has half-star ratings now too.

Where it falls short

• The interface feels dated next to the newer apps.
• The CSV export only works on the desktop website, not in the mobile app.
• Giveaways have historically been limited to US and Canadian readers.

StoryGraph: for the stats and a few friends

StoryGraph is the independent alternative built around how you read: your moods, your pace and your stats. Its recommendations lean on those rather than on what’s trending, and the core features are free.

I’ll be honest: I don’t like the StoryGraph interface, but I like the stats. I only check them every once in a while, and I don’t pay for Plus. I’m mainly on StoryGraph because a few of my friends use it exclusively, so it’s where I follow what they’re reading.

What it’s good at

• Detailed reading stats and charts for free, plus a reading challenge and goals.
• Recommendations by mood, pace, themes and length instead of only popularity.
• Content warnings, buddy reads and half-star ratings.
• Goodreads CSV import, so moving over is quick.

Where it falls short

• The social side is smaller than Goodreads, so you may need to bring your own friends.
• Some extras need the paid tier: StoryGraph Plus is $4.99 per month or$49.99 per year, with a 30-day free trial. It adds custom charts, extra stats filters, year-on-year comparisons and Up Next suggestions based on your to-read pile.

Pagebound: for when I’m craving theories

Pagebound launched in 2025 and describes itself as indie, anti-AI and built by two founders. Every book has its own forum, and conversations are organised by reading progress, so you can talk about a book while you read it without running into spoilers. It’s free on iOS, Android and the web.

Pagebound is fun when you’re actively craving discussion and theories on a book you’re reading right now. It also has a gamified badge system and seasonal readalongs, which make it feel more playful than the others.

What it’s good at

• Discussing a book as you read it, without joining a scheduled book club.
• Badges, quests and seasonal readalongs.
• A distinctive look: a modern take on the early-internet aesthetic.
• No AI features, which matters to some readers.
• It imports your Goodreads CSV, so you don’t start from zero.

Where it falls short

• It’s a young app from a very small team, and it’s still a work in progress.
• Premium is the priciest of the four: Royalty is about $9.99 per month and mostly adds profile customization and a crown on your avatar.

Fable: streaks and monthly wrap-ups

Fable began as a book club app, and that’s where our book club started. We’ve since moved to WhatsApp and real-life meetups, so I don’t use the clubs anymore. What keeps me opening Fable is my reading streak and the monthly wrap-up I can share.

The streak works like a habit tracker: tap “I read today” and the counter goes up. Mine is at 313 days. The wrap-ups and stats are clean and shareable, which is why Fable is my go-to for monthly wrap-ups.

What it’s good at

• Streaks and goals that make daily reading a habit.
• Monthly wrap-ups and stats that look good when you share them.
• Book clubs and spoiler-free chapter rooms, if you use them (I don’t).
• Goodreads import.

Where it falls short

• Book recommendations are the weakest part of the app, according to reviewers.
• You can’t yet switch to another edition of the book you’re reading, which Goodreads and StoryGraph both allow.
• Fable Plus is $5.99 per month and unlocks custom goals and advanced analytics. It’s also included in the combined Everand and Fable subscription launched in June 2026.

My setup: four apps, one master list

Goodreads is my master list, so every book gets logged there first. When I finish a book I update the other three, which takes a minute or two. It’s not much of a hassle, and I like all four for different reasons.

1. Log in Goodreads first. Start date, finish date and rating all go there.
2. Update the others when I finish a book, not as I read.
3. Use the CSV to start a new app. On the Goodreads desktop site go to My Books, then Tools, then Import and export, then Export Library. The export isn’t available in the mobile app. StoryGraph, Fable and Pagebound can all import that file.
4. Skip the club features. My book club lives in WhatsApp and real-life meetups, so no app needs to handle it.

Which one should you pick?

If you only want one app, pick by what you want from it.

• You want your friends and the biggest library: Goodreads.
• You like stats and picking by mood: StoryGraph.
• You want to chat about a book as you read it, without spoilers: Pagebound.
• You want streaks and shareable wrap-ups: Fable, and its clubs if you want them.
• You can’t decide: start with Goodreads, since it’s where most friends already are, and it lets you export your library when you want to try the others.

My verdict

None of the four truly has it all, and I haven’t found one that does, so I keep all four. Goodreads stays my home base for the master list, my friends, my review history and the reading challenge that keeps me going. Pagebound is where I go when I want to talk theories, Fable keeps my streak and sends me monthly wrap-ups, and StoryGraph gives me stats and a way to follow the friends who only use it.

If you’re starting from scratch, pick by the list above. If you already have a Goodreads library, you can export it and import it into the others in a few minutes, so trying them all costs very little.