BookstubBookstub vs Goodreads: a private log or a public shelf
Goodreads is a free community with recommendations, reviews, a Reading Challenge and a barcode scanner. Bookstub is a private reading log with no account: you log pages, save lines and print a ticket stub for each finished book. Many readers will keep Goodreads for social features and use Bookstub as the diary.
Coming soon to iPhone
What is the main difference?
Goodreads is built around other readers: reviews, friends' shelves and recommendations. Bookstub is built around you. It stores books, logs and lines on your iPhone, encrypted with a key in the iOS Keychain, and has no analytics. Friends see only what you send in a link.
Competitor facts were checked on October 10, 2026 against the US App Store listings. Apps change, so verify before you commit. Bookstub is made by the publisher of this site, is in development and is not on the App Store yet, so it has no rating and no listed price.
Bookstub vs Goodreads at a glance
| Bookstub | Goodreads | |
|---|---|---|
| Core idea | Page log, lines, streaks, ticket stubs | Community, reviews, recommendations, challenges |
| Account | None | Goodreads account |
| Where data lives | On your iPhone; book search goes to Google Books or Open Library | Goodreads service |
| Book capture | Search, scan or add by hand; CSV import | Search and barcode scanner |
| Social | Pacts, bingo cards and stack matches by link | Friends, reviews, Choice Awards, Reading Challenge |
| Recommendations | None | Personalized, from your reading |
| Price | Not on the App Store yet. Free app plus optional Bookstub Pass | Free service, per its listing |
| US App Store rating | New, in development | 4.8 from about 757,300 ratings (October 2026) |
What does Goodreads do better?
It has the audience. The listing calls it the world's largest community of readers, with personalized recommendations, reviews, a Reading Challenge, the Goodreads Choice Awards and a barcode scanner. It has been on the App Store since 2010 and has about 757,300 US ratings. Bookstub has no reviews, no feed and no recommendations.
What does Bookstub do better?
It is quiet and tactile. Log a page in two taps with a 10-second undo, keep lines with colored tabs, and print a stub with title, days, pages, dates, a squares rating and a serial number. A streak earns a rest day every seven reading days. You can import a Goodreads CSV, so moving over does not cost your history.
Who should pick which?
- Choose Goodreads for reviews, friends and discovery.
- Choose Bookstub if you want a private diary of what you read, quote and finish, and no account.
- Use both: keep following friends on Goodreads, and log pages in Bookstub.
Source, checked October 10, 2026: Goodreads on the App Store.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import my Goodreads books into Bookstub?
Yes. Export your Goodreads library as a CSV and import it in Bookstub settings. Match quality depends on the columns, such as ISBN.
Does Bookstub have reviews?
No. It has your own rating, drawn as squares, and private notes on lines.
Is Bookstub a Goodreads alternative?
For tracking and keepsakes, yes. For community and recommendations, no.
What does Bookstub cost?
It is planned as a free app with optional Bookstub Pass. See pricing.