It’s no secret that I hate Goodreads. The platform hasn’t seen any meaningful updates in several years, it is owned by my nemesis Amazon, and looks like it was designed in 2006. But until now there wasn’t a good alternative for tracking books, reviews, reading challenges, and stats that was all in one place. Until now.
When I found out about StoryGraph, I was intrigued. A clean and modern interface? Actually good recommendations? Statistics and charts already there for me?! StoryGraph sounded like a dream come true, and let me tell you the dream is now reality! In fact, I’m so excited about it that I wrote this post to share the love and get you all started!
The StoryGraph launched an app in the Apple and Google Play stores on June 23, 2021!
What Is The StoryGraph?
The StoryGraph is a website for avid readers that helps readers find their next read based on their mood, interests, and more! It’s free to sign up and the bulk of the features are part of the free plan.
The best thing is that setting up an account couldn’t be easier! Did you know you can export your Goodreads data? Well, you can. And you can import that data to StoryGraph to get started! (I know this reads like an infomercial, but I swear I am not sponsored… I just am in LOVE with the site!)
Get the App
Just a mere six months after The StoryGraph came out of beta, we have a shiny Android and Apple app to play with! The app is available in the Apple Store and Google Play store now.
If you’re running low on space for the full app, have no fear because the browser shortcut app-trick we’ve been using since October 2020 still works! You can add the website to your phone or tablet’s home screen, regardless of the operating system, for a fully functioning mobile version of The Storygraph.
Features of The StoryGraph
The StoryGraph has been around for less than a year and out of beta for just over six months, and my favorite thing about it has to be how dedicated and responsive the team is. They truly care about books and the community, and it shows in their interactions on social media.
But The StoryGraph is more than just a reading tracker. This of it as a reader spreadsheet and charts combined with all the book data you dream of. Plus it really helps me hone in on the right read for my mood with tools like pace and keywords!
StoryGraph Data = ❤️
It is no secret around these parts that I love statistics and data. Honestly, I was sold on the idea of being able to replace Goodreads, but I was so excited to see automatic charts populated based on my reading! The fact that they also add keywords like adventurous and fast-paced also means it will be even easier to choose my next read based on my mood… perhaps this will be a reading slump killer?
The StoryGraph is still very much in active development and constantly being improved; more features will likely be added and refined over time. I am honestly already over the moon impressed with what they have so far. Check out my profile below to see what they were able to build for me based on my goodreads import!
Sure, I use my reader spreadsheet and that likely won’t change, but I love that StoryGraph tracks different kinds of data for me automatically!
Amazing Book Recommendations
The number of times that I’ve been given a recommendation based on my DNF shelf by Goodreads is astounding. The Goodreads recommendations leave much to be desired and as such I don’t use it. But just a cursory look at my StoryGraph recommendations has me excited about all the new books I will discover!
I laughed so hard when Jade City was listed as third on my recommendations feed because I am planning on reading it as part of Shealea’s Green Bone Readalong over the next couple of months!
Recommendations are amazing! The quick survey not only asks what your favorite and least favorite genres are, but also asks for the three characteristics in books you appreciate the most… as well as turn-offs. So you can drill down for character-driven or dense world-building, and avoid books with flat characters, etc! 🙌🙌🙌
If you want to drill down your recommendations even more, say for diversity and representation, you can! I am sure that the more I use StoryGraph, the more familiar with their keywords I will become and I will be able to hone my recommendations even more.
Track Your Buddy Reads (NEW!)
Discussing and tracking your buddy reads became even easier for 2022 when The StoryGraph added Buddy Reads! I am currently testing this new feature and more screenshots to come, but for now all the information you need is in the announcement tweet.
How does StoryGraph fare with current reads?
At this point I am basically sold in terms of keeping track of books and TBR. But I was wondering how it would enhance my experience while reading a book. So I conducted an experiment with I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan!
Right off the bat, StoryGraph’s search function is far superior to Goodreads. I’ve searched about 20 books and haven’t run into an issue yet, plus when you click on the book in search results you get useful information about the book! (Note: usually the cover is also included, but was not available for this title when the screenshot was originally taken.)
Where StoryGraph shines is in the categorization and recommendations, helping you determine if a book is right for you and your current mood.
Once you’ve mark the book as read, you get the option to add a review… and the star ratings are in increments of 0.25! You are also able to tag the book with keywords, note diversity and trigger warnings, and write a full review.
I’m honestly so excited about all the possibilities this has and how my 2020 reading slump can be slayed by better informed reading choices!
How You Can Get Started with StoryGraph
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, it is super easy & free to sign up for StoryGraph! Their instructions on the process are super clear, so don’t stress at all!
- Sign up with your email address
- Export your Goodreads data by clicking the Export Library button above, and then the file link to download once it’s finished
- Import the file you downloaded into StoryGraph – you don’t even need to open it!
- While you wait for the import to complete (mine took 7 minutes), fill out their survey to tune reading recommendations.
- That’s it!
I hope you found this post about StoryGraph useful! While StoryGraph currently doesn’t have the social component Goodreads has, it is exactly what I need in terms of tracking books and helping narrow down my TBR a bit!
The StoryGraph now has the ability to follow accounts and “heart” updates on the community feed. It won’t ever be treated like a social media account like Goodreads according to the founders.
Have you tried StoryGraph yet? Are there other Goodreads replacements you recommend? I’d love to chat in the comments with you!
Related Post: All About Readerly: What We Know About this New Independent Alternative to Goodreads
💖 If you like the work that I do here at Reader Voracious, consider fueling my pumpkin spice latte and black tie addiction by buying me a ko-fi or joining my Patreon!
This sounds so cool! I’d been thinking about trying Storygraph for a while ♥ Another GR-like site that seems interesting is BookHype. It’s currently in beta as well, but I love some of the features already. It’s being developed by another book blogger, Ashley from Nosegraze. It gives me hope that it will be what a lot of readers might be looking for too when it comes to logging your reads and categorization!
Ahh, I didn’t know Ashley was working on a GR-like site, I am going to have to check it out – thank you, Pamela! I am just so happy we have other options now, if anything it may cause GR to innovate… or buy the other sites. lol
I joined StoryGraph a few months ago and I absolutely love it.
Me too, I’m REALLY enjoying it. Thanks for stopping by, Jolie!
Great post, Kal! I’ve just signed up and can’t wait for recs after it imports my GR data!
I can’t wait to hear your initial thoughts, Kayla! They keep tweaking and adding things, and I’ve found my recs get better and better!
This looks like an interesting alternative! I don’t like Goodreads either, but because I’ve had my account for years I didn’t want to swap to anything else and lose all my read books. So it’s good to know you can import it all! I may have to give StoryGraph a try!
Yea, I feel you on not wanting to lose that history with Goodreads… I created my account in 2012. I love that there is an export option, I’d never had known. Hope it works for you, Laura!
I used GoodReads for yearssss. I was able to easily export and import my whole account from GR to StoryGraph a couple of weeks ago and haven’t looked back. It’s a great app!
YES I am so darn thankful for that export function! It made the switch so easy!!!
KAL. YOU HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE THIS DAY. THANK YOU FOR THIS INFO!!! ❤️
YOU’RE WELCOME MY SWEET!
This is the post I needed! I hate Goodreads for all the same reasons you do and have been looking for a way out. I heard about StoryGraph a few weeks ago but had been dreading the switch just because of how many books I have shelved on Goodreads. I am so, so, SO glad to hear they have an import function because that will save so many hours!!
YESSS, the import function saved my life and cleared my skin! I hope you find The Storygraph as useful as I do, Laura
I’M SOLD!
I tried BookSloth for like a day and promptly forgot about it which is why I haven’t gotten on the Storygraph train yet. But it sounds so cool?! And looks user friendly too! Goodreads UX is a complete nightmare and I’d give anything to ditch it and move.
Really helpful post as always, Kal! ❤️
I haven’t heard about BookSloth, I will have to give it a peak. And yea, honestly the hardest part is breaking the habit of going to Goodreads automatically to update reading. I hope you find The Storygraph as exciting as I do, Shruti, and thanks for stopping by!
I have signed up for StoryGraph but I haven’t been using it yet. Apart from tracking my TBR, the main reason I use Goodreads is to see my friends’ reviews of a single title all in one place and I don’t think that’s yet a function of StoryGraph? But I’m stoked that this alternative exists and I anticipate I will use it more once it’s further developed.
Ah yea, the social aspect is lacking thus far with The Storygraph but from what they told me will be part of launch features. I don’t really use GR that way so it doesn’t bother me too much, but the fact we have innovative alternatives in the works is so exciting! Thanks for stopping by, Jenna.
StoryGraph sounds awesome! I primarily use Goodreads as a digital reading diary than a way to look for new books to read or to socialise, so this sounds right up my alley 😀
Oooh yea, I use GR for the same reason and StoryGraph has been fantastic for me so far. I hope you find it just as useful Louise!
Ahhhh, I’m so glad to see people talking about Storygraph!! I found it a few months ago and love it for all the reasons you mentioned especially the mood filters and .25 star ratings. I really only use Goodreads to track my TBR and what I’ve read because of its lack of updates and general issues so Storygraph seems like a much more user-friendly alternative. And the stats graphics are BEAUTIFUL. I have struggled to get into a better habit of updating it because it doesn’t sync with my kindle like Goodreads does, but the app update has made it a lot easier! I’m hoping things will only improve with the official launch particularly the social component, but the reading challenges look fun and I can’t wait to start some next year! Thanks for putting this post together 😊
I am so sad I only found out about it now, which is why I wanted to make a post about it! The mood filters are SAVING MY LIFE and preventing slumps, not even kidding. I also need to get into the habit of using it… it will take some time to unlearn the auto GR behavior.
I didn’t even think about using the mood filters to prevent reading slumps (but it makes so much sense)!! I also love the trigger/content warning section and that you can now filter by series or standalone when looking for new books (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve picked up a book only to find it’s part of a huge series). But yeah it’s going to be a while before I move away from GR entirely but I’m so excited to find something that makes tracking reading fun and aesthetically pleasing lol
Honestly the mood filters are my favorite thing! Not something I’d think about for a wishlist item, but I love them now that I have it. and UGH one of my biggest pet peeves is books not clearly being marketed as part of a series. It used to happen to me a bunch and it annoys me. And yea… I am still using Goodreads first out of habit
AAAH Yay for StoryGraph! I’ve heard a ton of stuff about it, and I can’t wait to learn it. The reason why I use GR is commodity… I’m just used to it. But I’m excited to use something different. The few times I’ve been on StoryGraph I was amazed by their recommendations!
Yea I am also just used to Goodreads, and am now in the process of unlearning the automatic behavior. The recs and moods are honestly so GOOD. Imagine when more people start using it?!?!!?
I am so excited for when Storygraph finally launches, I’ve been putting off actually using it mostly because I like being able to note down when a book was recommended to me. Or just that I’m adding a book to my TBR because of someone else, so I definitely think the notes section will be a huge help with that for me. I’ve hardly used Goodreads these last few months but then again…I’ve not been reading a whole lot if at all. I do love how Storygraph really drills down for the specifics of what you like in books, my brief play around with it left me feeling like it’ll be a definite rival for Goodreads…although to be honest I feel like Storygraph is already better than Goodreads?
Like if we’re talking at the core, Storygraph’s quality of recommendations, of reviews and everything is already so much higher than Goodreads. Sure it doesn’t have the community aspect…yet. I don’t really use Goodreads for the community aspect much these days though, so it’s not really a problem for me. I can’t wait to see how Storygraph evolves and I adore that they’re listening to the readers <3
Ohhh yea, the recommendations feature of goodreads helps my goldfish brain recall why a book got on my TBR in the first place, lol. I suppose you could find a workaround, but hopefully it’s something they will add for launch! The specifics and moods really are amazing though, and why I think as-is it’s a better alternative to GR. I also don’t use GR for the community aspect, so it doesn’t bother me much.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts & reading, Clo! <3
Your post finally encouraged me to sign up for The StoryGraph! Currently waiting for my Goodreads data to import but excited to see how I’ll like the platform! I already really like the questions it’s been asking me around my reading preferences and recommendations!
Yesss, glad to be that final push you needed! I love how quick the import is and how often they are pushing updates. The questions they ask for recommendations? Awesome.
This is cool, but GR still has a killer feature and that’s integration with Kindle. Hopefully this will light a fire on Amazon’s ass. I would love to jump ship from GR, but Kindle integration is everything to me. I’ve even learned how to connect my sideloaded books to GR via Kindle as if they are official books. I need to say that I do not pirate books. I get them from places like Smashwords and StoryBundle.com. I read a lot of indie authors because I don’t buy Big5 books because they’re too expensive as ebooks unless they’re on sale. I borrow most from Libby/OverDrive and/or I get them from Audible. I buy credits yearly. If StoryGraph doesn’t recommend indies then that’s another hard pass for me. I don’t use GR recommendations at all. So the one reason for me to use StoryGraph would be for recommendations.
I’m too lazy to write reviews. I’ll do it for an indie I think needs to help. But otherwise I just star. Honestly I wish GR took the Netflix approach. Thumbs up/down is all I need. You .25% people kill me. LOL!!!
I think GR’s competitors will have to work very hard to get the masses to move. I don’t use the social aspects of GR, but a lot of people do. I just recommend books to my friends. That’s about as social as I get. Though I have connected with some of my favorite authors through GR. Though Twitter mostly took over that role. I just can’t see the majority of my friends leaving for a new platform. Even with the export/import making the transition easy, I think it’s going to be a hard sale. I hope I’m wrong though. I’ve been on GR since March 2010. I hope all competitors succeed, but I won’t be surprised if I end up sticking with GR. Though I can totally see myself using both. I’m that kind of nerd. I’m already using Bookly. What’s one more book related service/app?
BTW and totally off topic, I just found your site because I did a search for Bookly. I’ve just come back to it after trying it when it first debuted and I didn’t like. Luckily I had already bought the Pro version so I don’t have to mess with that super expensive subscription model. I like your sight and I will definitely visit it again!
Hi Jessica, thanks so much for your comment & visiting! I’m sorry for the horribly late response. I do agree the Kindle integration is AMAZING and so useful, but I’ve found myself reading more physical or eARCs the past year so it doesn’t really help me these days. I do sincerely hope that these alternatives coming out will force Amazon to actually innovate… and not just acquire the other websites and squash further innovation.
It’s so interesting to see your perspective on reviewing though! I agree that a lot of times writing full reviews is so much work, and that’s why I have a backlog. I wish I could just not be overly verbose lol. I don’t know that any competition would actually take over and move masses from GR, which is probably why Amazon doesn’t do anything.
Bookly is where it’s at though, I love the more real-time reading tracking so I use it in conjunction with GR! I’m glad you got the pro sub early, I think it was initially like a dollar?! I hope it works out for you, and thanks again for stopping by!
I love Storygraph! I get excited when I receive their emails about the work and progress they’ve made. I didn’t know about the personal reading notes, but I’m excited to see that! I do love seeing the graphs and stats!
AAAHHHH, I love how open the StoryGraph development team is! It’s so exciting to watch their progress and I am so excited to see the full site at launch!
I signed up at the start but haven’t updated it in a while. I’m so used to using the Goodreads app and I dont have a lot of room for other apps on my phone. I cry. I do need to update. I want to use it more in 2021 to get a good look from the start of the year.
I feel you! I’m really trying to give it a chance, I’m struggling.
I know what you mean – I’m also so used to Goodreads, so it’s been a struggle for me to get used to logging into StoryGraph. And then of course I have not read in 57 days, so there’s that lol. I hope you figure out phone storage… I had to delete patreon off my phone because it took up so much space!
Oh there’s no need to apologize! This post was almost a month when I wrote my comment. That like a 100 years in blog time! 🤣
I finally finished my last dead tree book two years ago! I do not miss them at all. I’ve only read one ARC and it was from a friend who’s a writer. I don’t know how y’all reviewers keep up with ARCs! I’m overwhelmed just thinking about it.
The more I use SG the more I think the masses will not leave GR. SG has a lot of potential, but there’s a lot of info missing from books. And so far I don’t see how to fix or how to report it. I keep telling people about SG. So far I haven’t talked to anyone who has heard of it and not a single person was interested in trying it. That just doesn’t bode well considering these are book and Kindle nerds. These are supposed to be SG’s target audience. On the other hand I have managed to convince some of these same people to try Bookly despite the expensive subscription. I really hope SG succeeds wildly and forces GR to compete. However, I don’t think it will happen. Amazon will acquire it only to promptly kill it just like they did when they bought Stanza, the best ePub ebook reader on iOS.
When I bought Bookly Pro on January 5, 2018 it was a one time purchase of $5.99. That $30 a year is a hard sale for many. It’s on sale right now for 50% off. Bookly is everything! It really adds a whole new level to reading. I love the ritual aspect of it. It’s like it’s more intentional, if that makes sense. I have a 63 day streak going and I’ve earned 15 achievements! I used it to participate in my first Readathon and it was so much fun! I love using it with library books because I set my end goals for when the books are due. It’s so awesome! This will also come in handy when book clubs become a thing again. I can’t wait to use the PDF generator. At first I didn’t get the point of it but then I saw a blog post explaining how it could be used to put all of your thoughts in one place. The snow for the holidays was also a very pleasant surprise. Overall I’m so very happy with Bookly!
Oh wow, I don’t know if I could ever give up the dead tree books! I love the smell and look of them, but I do read a fair amount as eBooks in bed in the dark lol. Keeping up with ARCs is HARD and it’s hard to not want to read ALL THE THINGS!
Yea I don’t know that people will be moving en masse and I see some room for improvement (I’d love a place to put readalongs because I don’t think it’s fair to list it in reading challenges, for instance). SG actually launched yesterday and people are definitely talking about it more (if my blog views are an indication lol); I’m going to update this post a bit sometime this week. But yea, if SG actually gets headway Amazon will just buy it.
Oh nice deal you got there for the lifetime membership! I was generously gifted a lifetime pro membership by Bookly so I could review and include those features in my post about it. As much as I love Bookly, I don’t know that I’d spend that much myself. I feel you on the intentional ritual aspect though! I grab a book or my kindle and open up Bookly. Look at you go with all those achievements too, I am jealous haha. Need to read more!
Luckily SG runs from your browser. There isn’t an app in the traditional sense! However, you add a shortcut on your Home Screen.
Yea I was so happy when I found out I could add a browser shortcut on my homescreen! Less space being taken up and I’m a little more likely to remember to open it. I like that you can now track reading progress so it’s possible to build the habit
I think I’m in minority that I love good reads, I can add shelf’s, do buddy reads, make new friends, add books, join challenges and groups,
Nothing wrong with liking goodreads, it’s got market share and a lot of features! I actually still use it to post my reviews because it’s synonymous these days with book reviewing, but I prefer TSG for tracking & recommendation purposes.
The most interesting thing about storygraph is the do not finished option, ‘m considering joining them just because of that
Honestly, that feature is AMAZING. I like getting credit for the pages that I actually read if I don’t finish a book haha.
I only just heard about this app now, and I wanted to give it a try, but when I import my Goodreads library I don’t have any read dates for the books I’ve read. Did you have the same problem ?
Sorry about the delayed reply, Léa! It’s been almost a year since I did my import but I do seem to recall having to manually do some date editing for the rereads because those didn’t come through. Where you able to get it sorted out?
Storygraph is great! I love the data and how responsive they are, both to quick edits on books and considering features to implement. Happy to have become a Storygraph librarian to help out!
Yea I’ve truly loved watching the site grow and develop since I started using it! I love how responsive they are and how much they care about the book community / ecosystem.
Hi!
Thanks for this great post! I found out about it via IG from the creator. I’ve been on there for a while and I am still figuring my way around. It’s a bit confusing to me on the app, but I’m plodding through. Are you a free user or plus user? I subscribed to support. Not sure how long I will do that though.
I sent you a friend request,
Dee (aka Book Zone Reviews)
Hi Dee, sorry for the delayed response! I’m so glad you found the post and seem to be enjoying Storygraph so far — I hope you’ve settled in since you first left the comment. I am currently a free user but as soon as my financial situation changes, I plan to go pro to support them. How are you liking the paid version?
I will accept the friend request now!
Yes, I’m fed up with Goodreads new policy of not allowing you to add books or info.
I used to be able to add a new book that’s not listed (and one I’ve just read) inside a
few minutes (with scanned cover!), but now you have to send them the info and in a
few days or even weeks(!) they might get it listed. By that time, it’s no longer a new book
and any interest in rating and/or reviewing it has just gone out the window.
I’m having problems, tho, trying to find out if you can add titles to StoryGraph.
Is this possible?
I didn’t realize GR changed their policy/process for adding new books — that’s wild! I am a librarian so I am able to add when needed, so I am fortunate in that regard as I def would also lose interest if I had to wait!
I believe StoryGraph has a similar process for adding new books — I think they have a form? https://app.thestorygraph.com/import-book
I’m gonna be the naysayer, but I’m a bit glad about the new policy. There were a lot of people adding books without checking to see if it already existed. Or they were adding “books” that weren’t books. I can’t tell you how many times I end up merging editions. StoryGraphs process is more intense. They send you a code then you can add a new book. And they will eventually get to it and add it to the database. The problem is SG doesn’t have many librarians. So it can take a long time before it gets added. GR copied the new policy from SG.
Yes, you’re gonna find people adding something that either thru deceit or just plain ol’ mistake will not be correct, but Wikipedia has managed to deal with that in an intelligent way. The “librarians” can be the editors. Are there really so many incorrect uploads that it’s worth waiting for weeks for new items to be uploaded? I really don’t think so. The backlash is already rearing its ugly head.
As for StoryGraph, I’ve found that they have two methods of uploading new titles: one is just filling in the author and title and hitting send. They do the automatic lookup and if the title is found, then it’s added. If the title isn’t found, they’ll let you know and you can easily upload the info in a form that’s available to you online. You DON’T have to go thru the first method first tho – you can easily just fill in the form right away if you don’t find the book listed.
Honestly I think something needs to be done. But I don’t think this is necessarily the solution in its current state. GR is slow AF for everything. But to answer your question it was a big problem that they let go on for far too long. Yes, there is a lot of backlash and I don’t see why it’s taking so long. They could add more super librarians that are devoted to this task. But I think you have to start somewhere. This is why I’m glad SG exists! They are forcing Amazon to move. Sure this sucks now. But this will only make things better in the long run. At least that’s my hope.
That’s good to know about adding. I’ve only used the form since the books I was adding weren’t found. I read a lot of indie stuff and it’s almost never found.
I agree – the number of duplicate books on GR was a NIGHTMARE and as a librarian I merged a bunch of editions as well. I do think the added process (which did seem familiar from SG lol) is a good one, though it needs some work. The problem is GR is slow to change ANYTHING and is really resistant to doing much to improve the site — I’m honestly surprised they even changed the add a book policy tbh
Actually, for the past few months GR began sending everyone to a new beta version of their site and asked people their opinions on it. It appears that they have gone with the new look, but, still…
Merging duplicate books doesn’t take nearly as long as adding new ones. Again, as unreliable as, for instance, Wikipedia can occasionally become, it has had people get on top of making small corrections to posted items, but never have they said that they would fully take over the duties of posting completely new items. I think GR could learn from them.
I’ve been a Goodreads user since 2012 and there have not been any substantive changes to the website since Amazon bought it. Not until StoryGraph came along. I love that they are forcing changes at GR by disrupting the space, but quite frankly the “new book page” is the least of GR’s issues haha.
I completely agree with this!!! I was shocked at the policy change too. Amazon has to move faster. I think they sort of realize that since they finally moved a a couple of things. But now that they have they need to refine the changes.
The SG form has a bit more detail too – such as adding multiple genres, so that’s nice,
but it really does shine in the area of instantly adding it to the database with all of the
info you provide (including the cover) showing up as soon as you press “add book.”
After that, you can mark the status of your book (“read,” “to read,” “currently reading,”
“did not finish,” etc.) as well as putting the date you finish(ed) reading it.
Near the bottom of the page is a link to similar books that you can browse.
Thank you for this post. I cannot get StoryGraph to import my GoodReads data and I cannot find any instructions on how to fix it. GR sent me a giant ZIP file and StoryGraph wants only CSV files. Even extracting the GR Zip does not show any CSF files. This is so frustrating.
I want to switch, but I can’t get it to work.
Sono così entusiasta di leggere questo. È meraviglioso!!
I was pretty unimpressed by StoryGraph after trying to work my way around it.
Now, I’m looking at BookWyrm instead.