Head-to-head · Facts only

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

Short answer

Hardcover and Literal both have goals and stats, a privacy label without tracking data, a way to use it without a subscription and a web version on record. Only Hardcover has an Android app; only Literal has print book support, ebook support, audiobook support and clubs or shared reads. 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.

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

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 Hardcover and Literal compare row by row?

Hardcover and Literal, row by row
Card row	Hardcover	Literal
Print books	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	On record Barcode scanning; highlights by camera. Source Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026
Ebooks	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	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	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	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 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	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	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	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 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	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 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	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: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: hardcover.app · 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 Follow other readers. Source Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: hardcover.app · 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 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	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 On Android. Source Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: hardcover.app · Read 27 Sep 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 Full website at hardcover.app. Source Source: hardcover.app (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 Source: hardcover.app (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026	On record literal.club. Source Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026 Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026

What do Hardcover and Literal cost?

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

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?

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

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?

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

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 Hardcover if

you use Android
Readers who want their data to stay theirs and light on tracking.

Choose Literal if

you read print books and want to scan or photograph them
you read ebooks and want them in your log
you listen to audiobooks
you read with a club or a buddy
Readers who want social reading without paying or seeing ads.

Common questions

Is Hardcover better than Literal?

Neither is better for every reader. Only Hardcover has an Android app; only Literal has print book support, ebook support, audiobook support and clubs or shared reads. The tracker finder shows which one matches your own answers.

Which is cheaper, Hardcover or Literal?

Hardcover: Free core app; Supporter: $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. 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 Hardcover 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.

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