Goodreads vs StoryGraph: the network against the numbers
Short answer
StoryGraph for the reading experience: real stats, mood matching, no feed, no shame challenge. Goodreads for the crowd and the catalog, which remain unmatched. Most readers should track in StoryGraph and keep a Goodreads account for reviews of obscure titles. The migration takes an evening and the CSV import works.
Last checked 2026-08-01 — prices and verdicts are desk-reviewed, not verified at a live checkout. Tell us if something moved and we will date the fix.
Side by side
| Criterion | Goodreads | StoryGraph |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, ad-supportedWinner | Free; Plus $4.99/mo |
| Statistics | Basic counts and a challenge | Pace, mood, genre, DNF trackingWinner |
| Recommendations | Stale | Mood and pace basedWinner |
| Community size | EnormousWinner | Growing, smaller |
| Catalog completeness | Best availableWinner | Very good, occasional gaps |
| Ads | Yes | NoneWinner |
| Export and import | Full CSV export | CSV import and export |
Pick StoryGraph if…
You want to understand your reading, dislike social feeds, or have ever felt judged by an annual challenge counter.
Pick Goodreads if…
You rely on stranger reviews and obscure edition data, or your friends' shelves are the reason you open the app.
Keep both if…
You want StoryGraph's stats and Goodreads' catalog: log in StoryGraph, look things up in Goodreads.
The trap
Delaying the export. Whatever you decide, download the Goodreads CSV today; a decade of reading data should not live in one account you do not control.
—
Goodreads
The network everyone is on, running on a decade of neglect.
Free, ad-supported
68/100
- Reading and listening experience: 9 out of 20
- Library and catalog fit: 13 out of 15
- Ownership and lock-in: 8 out of 15
- Sync and cross-platform: 8 out of 10
- Discovery and tracking: 6 out of 10
- Price honesty: 9 out of 10
- Accessibility: 6 out of 10
- Staying power: 9 out of 10
—
StoryGraph
Stats, moods, and recommendations without the feed or the shame challenge.
Free; Plus $4.99/mo — desk-checked, unverified
77/100
- Reading and listening experience: 14 out of 20
- Library and catalog fit: 11 out of 15
- Ownership and lock-in: 12 out of 15
- Sync and cross-platform: 8 out of 10
- Discovery and tracking: 9 out of 10
- Price honesty: 9 out of 10
- Accessibility: 7 out of 10
- Staying power: 7 out of 10
Q & A
Questions readers actually ask
- Does everything transfer from Goodreads to StoryGraph?
- Shelves, ratings, and read dates transfer through the CSV import. Your own review text comes across; friends, groups, and comments do not.
- Is StoryGraph better than Goodreads?
- For tracking and recommendations, yes, comfortably. For catalog completeness and community volume, Goodreads still wins.
Some links earn us a commission. Commissions never move a rank, and every score is set before anyone checks whether a program exists.