App profile
Literal profile: a free reading tracker with clubs and no ads
Short answer
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.
Literal
Literal GmbH
iOS · WEB
- Print booksOn record
Barcode scanning; highlights by camera.
Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026
- EbooksOn record
Public-domain ebooks in the app.
Source: Literal on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
- AudiobooksOn record
Public-domain audiobooks in the app.
Source: Literal on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
- Goals and statsOn record
Set a yearly goal and watch your stats.
Source: Literal on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
- Clubs and shared readsOn record
Free clubs with schedules and spoiler-aware chapter sections; the current Clubs version is being sunset (May 2026).
Source: Literal changelog · Read 27 Sep 2026
- Privacy labelOn record
Label lists contact info, user content, identifiers and usage data linked to you; no data used to track you.
Source: Literal on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
- Ways to payOn record
Free; membership is optional.
Source: Literal: membership · Read 27 Sep 2026
- Picking a book back upNot in our sources
No place-finding feature published.
Source: literal.club · Read 27 Sep 2026
Facts read Sep 2026 · updated 11 Oct 2026 · On record: 7 of 8
On record means the app's own listing or website describes it. Not in our sources means we did not find it on the pages we read, not that the app cannot do it. Not offered means the app's pages say it is absent.
Who does Literal fit?
Readers who want social reading without paying or seeing ads.
Finder answers Literal matches:
- What do you read most?: Print books
- What do you read most?: Ebooks
- What do you read most?: Audiobooks
- What do you read most?: A mix of formats
- Which phone or screen?: I want a web version too
- Do you want goals or reading stats?: Yes, goals, streaks or stats
- How social do you want it?: Clubs or buddy reads
- How social do you want it?: Some: follows, friends or shared reads
- How much does the privacy label matter?: Avoid apps whose label lists data used to track me
- How do you want to pay?: Nothing
- How do you want to pay?: No subscription
Finder answers it does not match:
- Which phone or screen?: Android
What does Literal do well?
Literal states that everything social and everything for discovery is, and will stay, free.
Source: Literal: membership · Read 27 Sep 2026
Imports from Goodreads straight from your public profile.
Source: Literal: guides · Read 27 Sep 2026
What are Literal's limits?
Literal has 2 limits on the pages we read.
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
What does Literal cost?
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 in or out?
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 else should you know?
The listing describes Literal as community-first, with 'No ads, no selling your data.'
Source: Literal on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Shelves, reviews, highlights by camera or typing, and public-domain ebooks and audiobooks
Source: Literal on the US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026
Clubs with schedules, threaded discussion and spoiler-aware sections by chapter; clubs are free
Source: Literal: book club app · Read 27 Sep 2026
Literal's changelog for May 2026 says it is sunsetting the current version of Clubs, and that existing clubs still work in the meantime
Source: Literal changelog · Read 27 Sep 2026
Set a yearly goal and watch your stats
Source: Literal on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
The App Store privacy label lists no data used to track you
Source: Literal on the US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
Made by Literal GmbH. Available on iPhone, iPad, web (Android listed as coming soon).
How does Literal compare with each other app?
Common questions
Is Literal free?
Yes. The App Store lists no in-app purchases, and Literal states that everything social and everything for discovery is, and will stay, free. Plus ($40 a year) and Supporter ($80 a year) are optional.
What is happening to Literal's clubs?
Literal's changelog for May 2026 says it is sunsetting the current version of Clubs and that existing clubs still work in the meantime. We will update this profile when the replacement is published.
Is Literal on Android?
Not yet. Literal lists Android as coming soon.