Head-to-head · Facts only

Goodreads vs Literal: which reading tracker fits how you read?

Short answer

Goodreads and Literal both have print book support, ebook support, audiobook support, goals and stats, clubs or shared reads, a privacy label without tracking data, a way to use it without a subscription and a web version on record. Literal has nothing on record that Goodreads lacks, while Goodreads has an Android app. 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.

Goodreads

Goodreads, Inc. (an Amazon company)

iOS · ANDROID · WEB

Print booksOn record
EbooksOn record
AudiobooksOn record
Goals and statsOn record
Clubs and shared readsOn record
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: 7 of 8

Literal

Literal GmbH

iOS · WEB

Print booksOn record
EbooksOn record
AudiobooksOn record
Goals and statsOn record
Clubs and shared readsOn record
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: 7 of 8

How do Goodreads and Literal compare row by row?

Goodreads and Literal, row by row
Card row	Goodreads	Literal
Print books	On record Barcode scanner. Source Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026	On record Barcode scanning; highlights by camera. Source Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026
Ebooks	On record Editions carry a format such as Kindle Edition or ebook, so you can shelve the ebook you read. Source Source: Goodreads help: setting an edition's format · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: Goodreads help: setting an edition's format · Read 11 Oct 2026	On record Public-domain ebooks in the app. Source Source: Literal on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Literal on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Audiobooks	On record Editions carry a format such as Audible Audio, so you can shelve the audiobook you listen to. Source Source: Goodreads help: setting an edition's format · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: Goodreads help: setting an edition's format · Read 11 Oct 2026	On record Public-domain audiobooks in the app. Source Source: Literal on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Literal on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Goals and stats	On record Reading Challenge and Year in Books. Source Source: Wikipedia: Goodreads · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Wikipedia: Goodreads · Read 27 Sep 2026	On record Set a yearly goal and watch your stats. Source Source: Literal on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: Literal on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
Clubs and shared reads	On record Online book clubs and groups. Source Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026	On record Free clubs with schedules and spoiler-aware chapter sections; the current Clubs version is being sunset (May 2026). Source Source: Literal changelog · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Literal changelog · Read 27 Sep 2026
Privacy label	On record Label lists data linked to you; data used to track you is not listed in our record. Source Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026	On record Label lists contact info, user content, identifiers and usage data linked to you; no data used to track you. Source Source: Literal on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: Literal on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
Ways to pay	On record Free, no subscription. Source Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026	On record Free; membership is optional. Source Source: Literal: membership · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Literal: membership · Read 27 Sep 2026
Picking a book back up	Not in our sources No place-finding feature published. Source Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026	Not in our sources No place-finding feature published. Source Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026
Any social features	On record Friend activity, author follows and clubs. Source Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026	On record Social features are free for everyone. Source Source: Literal: membership · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Literal: membership · Read 27 Sep 2026
Core features free	On record Free. Source Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026	On record Free. Source Source: Literal on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Literal on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Android app	On record Goodreads on Google Play. Source Source: Goodreads on Google Play · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: Goodreads on Google Play · Read 11 Oct 2026	Not offered Listed as coming soon. Source Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026
Web version	On record goodreads.com. Source Source: Goodreads: About us · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: Goodreads: About us · Read 27 Sep 2026	On record literal.club. Source Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026

What do Goodreads and Literal cost?

Goodreads

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

Free, no subscription
Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026

Literal

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

Free; no in-app purchases listed on the App Store
Source: Literal on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Optional membership: Plus $40 a year, Supporter $80 a year
Source: Literal: membership · Read 27 Sep 2026

Can you move your reading history between them?

Goodreads

Library export as a CSV file that StoryGraph, Fable, BookBuddy and Literal accept.
Source: Fable help: Goodreads CSV import · Read 27 Sep 2026
No new public API keys since December 2020.
Source: Wikipedia: Goodreads · Read 27 Sep 2026

Literal

Goodreads import from your public profile; StoryGraph CSV import.
Source: Literal: guides · Read 27 Sep 2026
An API for developers.
Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026

What are the limits of each?

Goodreads

The public API stopped issuing new keys in December 2020.
Source: Wikipedia: Goodreads · Read 27 Sep 2026
The App Store privacy label lists data linked to you, used for analytics, personalization, app functionality and marketing.
Source: Goodreads on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Stats center on the Reading Challenge and Year in Books rather than charts.
Source: Wikipedia: Goodreads · Read 27 Sep 2026
The Google Play listing says the app contains ads.
Source: Goodreads on Google Play · Read 11 Oct 2026

Literal

Android is listed as coming soon.
Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026
The current version of Clubs is being sunset, per the May 2026 changelog.
Source: Literal changelog · Read 27 Sep 2026

Which one fits you?

Choose Goodreads if

you use Android
Readers whose friends already log their books there.

Choose Literal if

Readers who want social reading without paying or seeing ads.

Common questions

Is Goodreads better than Literal?

Neither is better for every reader. Literal has nothing on record that Goodreads lacks, while Goodreads has an Android app. The tracker finder shows which one matches your own answers.

Which is cheaper, Goodreads or Literal?

Goodreads: Free, no subscription. Literal: Free; no in-app purchases listed on the App Store; Optional membership: Plus $40 a year, Supporter $80 a year. These are US prices read in September 2026 and updated on 2026-10-11.

Can I use Goodreads and Literal together?

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

Goodreads profile Literal profile Try the tracker finder See both in the full table