Head-to-head · Facts only

BookBuddy vs Hardcover: which reading tracker fits how you read?

Short answer

BookBuddy and Hardcover both have goals and stats, a privacy label without tracking data and a way to use it without a subscription on record. Only BookBuddy has print book support; only Hardcover has an Android app and a web version. Neither is ranked above the other here: choose by the rows that matter to you.

By The Shelf Desk · Published 2026-10-08 · Facts read September 2026, updated 2026-10-11

Desk research from public app store listings, app websites and help pages, read in September 2026 and updated on 2026-10-11. Fact profiles, not scores; we did not test the apps hands-on.

BookBuddy

Kimico, Ltd.

iOS · MAC

Print booksOn record
EbooksNot in our sources
AudiobooksNot in our sources
Goals and statsOn record
Clubs and shared readsNot offered
Privacy labelOn record
Ways to payOn record
Picking a book back upNot in our sources

Facts read Sep 2026 · updated 11 Oct 2026 · On record: 4 of 8

Hardcover

Hardcover LLC

iOS · ANDROID · WEB

Print booksNot in our sources
EbooksNot in our sources
AudiobooksNot in our sources
Goals and statsOn record
Clubs and shared readsNot in our sources
Privacy labelOn record
Ways to payOn record
Picking a book back upNot in our sources

Facts read Sep 2026 · updated 11 Oct 2026 · On record: 3 of 8

How do BookBuddy and Hardcover compare row by row?

BookBuddy and Hardcover, row by row
Card row	BookBuddy	Hardcover
Print books	On record Barcode scanning with the iPhone camera or a Bluetooth scanner; loans and shelf locations. Source Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026	Not in our sources Barcode scanning is not published on the pages we read. Source Source: Hardcover on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: Hardcover on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
Ebooks	Not in our sources Ebook format tracking is not published. Source Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026	Not in our sources Ebook features are not on the pages we read. Source Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026
Audiobooks	Not in our sources Audiobook format tracking is not published. Source Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026	Not in our sources Audiobooks are not mentioned on the pages we read. Source Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026
Goals and stats	On record Books finished and pages read. Source Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026	On record Reading stats and goals. Source Source: Hardcover on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Hardcover on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Clubs and shared reads	Not offered No clubs or social feed. Source Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026	Not in our sources Book clubs are not published. Source Source: Hardcover on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: Hardcover on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
Privacy label	On record Label lists contact info and identifiers linked to you; no data used to track you. Source Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026	On record Data Not Linked to You: usage data and diagnostics. Source Source: Hardcover on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Hardcover on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Ways to pay	On record Free up to 50 books; a one-time upgrade removes the limit. Source Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026	On record Free core app; Supporter is optional. Source Source: Hardcover on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Hardcover on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Picking a book back up	Not in our sources Records where a copy is and who borrowed it; no place-finding feature. Source Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026	Not in our sources No place-finding feature published. Source Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026
Any social features	Not in our sources Optional paid Online Sharing from $1.99 a month. Source Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026	On record Follow other readers. Source Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026
Core features free	On record All Pro features free up to 50 books. Source Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026	On record Free core app. Source Source: Hardcover on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Hardcover on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Android app	Not offered No Android app; the App Store lists iPhone, iPad and Mac with Apple silicon. Source Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026	On record On Android. Source Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026
Web version	Not in our sources Only the paid BookBuddy Companion sharing site; a full web app is not published. Source Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026	On record Full website at hardcover.app. Source Source: hardcover.app (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: hardcover.app (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026

What do BookBuddy and Hardcover cost?

BookBuddy

Price (US App Store or the app's own page, read September and October 2026)

Free, with every Pro feature, up to 50 books
Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
BookBuddy Pro (lifetime): $9.99
Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Online Sharing: from $1.99 a month, optional
Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026

Hardcover

Price (US App Store or the app's own page, read September and October 2026)

Free core app
Source: Hardcover on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Supporter: $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year
Source: Hardcover on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026

Can you move your reading history between them?

BookBuddy

CSV import from Goodreads, LibraryThing and Google Books.
Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Export as CSV, PDF or HTML.
Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026

Hardcover

Goodreads import.
Source: Hardcover on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Public GraphQL API with OAuth.
Source: Hardcover API documentation · Read 27 Sep 2026

What are the limits of each?

BookBuddy

Apple devices only: no Android app.
Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
No clubs or social feed; sharing is a paid add-on.
Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Ebook and audiobook format tracking are not published.
Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
The current listing requires iOS 26.0 or later.
Source: BookBuddy on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026

Hardcover

No book clubs on the pages we read; social is following readers.
Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026
No print, ebook or audiobook features on the pages we read.
Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026

Which one fits you?

Choose BookBuddy if

you read print books and want to scan or photograph them
Readers who own a lot of print books and want to know where each copy is.

Choose Hardcover if

you use Android
you want to use it in a browser too
Readers who want their data to stay theirs and light on tracking.

Common questions

Is BookBuddy better than Hardcover?

Neither is better for every reader. Only BookBuddy has print book support; only Hardcover has an Android app and a web version. The tracker finder shows which one matches your own answers.

Which is cheaper, BookBuddy or Hardcover?

BookBuddy: Free, with every Pro feature, up to 50 books; BookBuddy Pro (lifetime): $9.99; Online Sharing: from $1.99 a month, optional. Hardcover: Free core app; Supporter: $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. These are US prices read in September 2026 and updated on 2026-10-11.

Can I use BookBuddy and Hardcover together?

You can, but most readers keep one reading log. If you plan to switch, compare the import and export facts above first.

BookBuddy profile Hardcover profile Try the tracker finder See both in the full table