Want to be able to track all of the books you’ve read and want to read? Want to make it easier to remember which books or authors were your favorites? What about forming an online book catalog, categorizing books into different lists, and sharing reviews and reading updates with friends?
Whether you simply want somewhere to record the books you’ve read and want to read, or you want a complex and comprehensive place with all of the trending stats for you and your friends, there’s an app for that. From the simplest to the most all-inclusive, here are ten apps that can help you track your TBR, and more!
Reading List
First up, we have the simplest of the apps. If all you are looking for is an easy way to track your books without all the extra features, then Reading List is the perfect app for you. The app is free, and you don’t need an account to use it. All you need is a list of the books you have read and the many books you want to read.
This app will be perfect for you if you like to keep your reading habits private. It also has a limited ability to track your statistics, such as how many books and pages you’ve read. You can even create custom lists of your own. On the downside, this app is only available for iOS, but if you have an Apple device, then keep it simple with Reading List.
Margins
Next up is the app Margins, which has a little more to offer, including a cute and aesthetic design. Margins not only offers a way to track your want-to-read, currently reading, and to-be-read lists, but it also offers various ways to find new book suggestions. It has the ability to ‘search by vibes,’ perfect if you’re a mood reader. It allows you to set an annual and daily reading goal and even has a ReadingTime feature, which sets a timer to help you live up to your daily goals.
Margins is a small and newer app, so there are also a lot of new features it has in the works. Signing up now could give you a chance to see the app grow into something bigger. It is currently available at the Apple App Store, and you can join a waitlist on Google Play to be one of the first to know when this simple, cute, and cozy app becomes available.
Book Tracker
Book Tracker is another app that offers the chance for a private way to track your reading habits. Like the other apps, you can create reading challenges, and it will track your reading stats for you. Book Tracker also has a built-in reading timer to track how much time you spend reading a certain book.
Something special about Book Tracker is the feature that allows you to record the books you’ve loaned out to a friend, so you never lose track of your library. Book Tracker also allows you to save your favorite quotes from a book as you read. As of now, Book Tracker is also only available for iOS devices. This app would be best for you if you want to focus on growing and keeping track of your personal library, cataloging the books you own, loan, and want to add to your collection.
Bookmory
Bookmory is an increasingly popular app that readers have been using to track their reading habits. In addition to the basics of tracking your lists and stats, it also allows you to track your daily and annual reading goals, and it includes a book calendar to record when you read. You can make notes about the books you’re reading and even track the format you read your books in, be it a paperbook, ebook, or audiobook.
Bookmory is best if you are looking for in-depth tracking of time, pages, and overall reading habits. It is a private app, a reading catalog just for you, and there is no account required. Bookmory also offers a premium version without ads and with more features, but you can still enjoy the app for free.
Bookly
The app Bookly is another popular choice for readers. If you often struggle with reading slumps and finding the motivation to complete your reading goals, then Bookly may be the right reading app for you. What’s special about Bookly is that it gives you the chance to unlock badges and achievements to keep you motivated to read throughout the year. It is all about encouragement and improving your reading habits.
You can organize bookshelves, save your favorite quotes, and take notes while you read. You can even create reports on various statistics to see how your habits are improving. For example, the reading timer feature tracks how long it will take you to finish a book and notes any improvement in your reading speed. The only downside to this app is that the free version is somewhat limited, and many of the additional features require a paid premium version. If you are dedicated to improving your habits, it may be worth the price.
The StoryGraph
If you’re a major mood reader and often struggle to find the right book for the right time, then you need to use The StoryGraph as your digital reading catalog. The StoryGraph’s motto is “Because life’s too short for a book you’re not in the mood for.” It uses extensive filters to help you sort out what you should read based on how you’re feeling. It also uses AI to give personalized recommendations, whether it be based on your mood or a specific topic or theme, so you never waste your time with a book that’s not for you.
If you’re into tracking your stats, The StoryGraph gives in-depth graphs to see how your reading habits have developed. It also has a bit of a social feature, allowing you to add friends and read-along with them, leaving comments and live reactions. Another awesome feature is the queue, where you can plan out and create a list of your next five reads to stay organized and motivated. A few of these features require a paid subscription, but the majority are free.
Book Buddy
Book Buddy offers many similar great features, with a focus on finding bookish friends. With Book Buddy, you can categorize and curate book lists to keep your digital reading library organized. You can also share your library, wishlists, and more with friends with an in-app messaging system. If a friend’s wishlist inspires you, there is even the option to buy books directly from Amazon.
Book Buddy has its own AI feature used to analyze your reading habits and give personalized recommendations. The free version of Book Buddy has a limit to the number of books you can add to your library, so if you don’t want to pay, this app may be better for newer readers with a small library, hoping to find great new suggestions and bookish friends.
Bookopedia
If you are a student or just someone who loves to learn as they read, then Bookopedia is the best digital catalog app for you. In addition to note-taking features, Bookopedia has a feature to help you keep track of characters, where you can note important traits or moments as well as their relationship to other characters. It also has a vocabulary feature that helps you highlight any new words you come across. It not only captures the word but also allows you to capture the definition and the context to help enrich your vocabulary.
A unique feature of Bookopedia is that when reading an anthology or collection of poetry or short stories, you have the ability to track and review them individually, allowing in-app annotating to reach new heights. It keeps aesthetics in mind, allowing a customizable interface. This app is best for students to use for their studies, as well as readers who like to annotate, analyze, and deeply review what they are reading.
Goodreads
Goodreads is the obvious choice that most readers have tried at least once. It is one of the oldest and largest reading catalog apps and the blueprint that most of these other apps have followed. However, many readers feel that it is a bit outdated, hence why people have been trying so many other reading tracker apps.
Still, it has an extensive database and a large community, which is excellent if you are looking to find new books based on app-generated suggestions or user reviews. It is owned by Amazon, an element that users view as both a pro and a con. This means it is compatible with your Kindle and can automatically track ebooks on it. Goodreads has grown into much more than a digital library catalog. It is huge in the bookish community and is best if you want an extensive database of books with years of reviews and suggestions behind it.
Fable
Fable is the reading catalog with the largest emphasis on the social elements of book tracking. It acts like a social media platform for readers. You can follow friends and meet new people with similar reading tastes; in fact, it gives you the percentage that your reading preferences match. You can form book clubs with friends or join a popular book club in your genre to engage in discussion with those reading the same books as you. It even has ebooks available for purchase through the app.
Fable also has a feature to track TV shows as well as books. It has a feed to share your reading updates, as well as book-related memes and fun comments. Fable gives you in-depth statistics of your daily reading stats, most read genres, and the average rating you give to your books. To keep you engaged in your reading goals, you can keep a reading streak and track your daily reading with a calendar. It has a cute aesthetic with a focus on the social elements of reading and is perfect if you want to follow along with bookish influencers or create ways to be engaged in the bookish community while tracking your reading habits.
Finding the best digital reading catalog for you is all about what you want to get out of your reading experience. How invested in the statistics are you? Are you more focused on learning and annotating? Does the aesthetic take the cake? Or is it important to you to have a large social network to connect with bookish communities and find great new and personalized suggestions for you? There’s something for everyone!
Want some more apps that give great book recommendations? Click here.
Find recommendations to add to your TBR on our Bookstr Team Recommendations bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
