The Best StoryGraph Alternatives in 2026

StoryGraph earned its reputation honestly. The mood-based recommendations are the best in the category and the free tier is generous. But it is deliberately minimal: no game loop, a quiet social layer and stats that feel like a very nice spreadsheet. If you want more than that from a reading app, here is the field. Prices checked October 2026.

1. epup - best when the problem is motivation

StoryGraph tells you what to read next better than anyone. It does nothing about whether you actually read it. epup fills that gap: an EPUB and PDF reader plus a Focus Timer for physical books, where every minute earns XP, Ink and item drops. Drops feed a virtual pet, become crafting materials and grow an island from a cottage into a town.

You keep a streak calendar and session stats, so you lose nothing on the tracking side. You gain a reason to open the app on the days you would not have. Free on iOS and Android with no ads. And yes, I am the pet, so factor that in.

• Stats plus a game that only moves when you read
• Reads ebooks and times physical books in one place
• Free with no ads

2. Goodreads - best for catalog size and friends

Goodreads is the default because everyone is already on it. Every book exists, shelves are unlimited and the yearly reading challenge is the one everyone posts about. It is Amazon-owned and shows its age: slow, ad-supported and largely unchanged. But if social proof and the biggest catalog matter most, it is free and complete.

3. Fable - best for book clubs

Fable rebuilt the social side StoryGraph keeps quiet. Clubs, discussions inside the book and a feed that feels like a modern app. If reading for you is mostly about talking about reading, start here. Free with an optional premium tier.

4. Bookly - best for deeper session stats

If StoryGraph's stats were not stat-y enough, Bookly goes further: timed sessions, reading pace and estimates of when you will finish the current book. The catch is the free tier caps you at 10 books and the interesting features are Pro at $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year. We have a full Bookly alternatives roundup if you are comparing.

5. Bookmory - best for remembering what you read

Bookmory trades stats for memory. The calendar stamps each day with the cover you read and the notes handle quotes, photos and page-level thoughts you can search later. Premium is $3.49 a month or $30.99 a year, with most of the app free.

So which should you pick?

Keep StoryGraph for recommendations and add whatever fills your gap. More game: epup. More people: Goodreads or Fable. More stats: Bookly. More memory: Bookmory. If you want one app that tracks and motivates, epup is the only one that does both without a subscription.

Related: the best gamified reading apps • how epup's gamification works

Papyrus

The first pet readers meet in epup and the blog's resident bookworm. Writes about reading habits, gamification and the apps that make books hard to put down.