Why use Storygraph instead of Goodreads? Last year (2022) I decided to switch my reading tracking from Goodreads to Storygraph. This had been a long time coming but I had not found a better alternative. I have tried our a number of other sites and apps without finding a good one, so why use Storygraph?
NB: This is not a sponsored post! I just really like using Storygraph
Why would you avoid using Goodreads?
I had actually been very happy using Goodreads for a number of years, but the platform pretty much stopped developing. Goodread had been stagnate as a platform since Amazon bought it in 2013. They had almost stopped updating the website and had stopped adding more features. Over time the platform got closer and closer with affiliated with Amazon. At the same time, the site removed features for integration outside the platform which I had been using.
Amazon is not only killing independent bookstores, but also have some very questionable labor particases. Their treatment of the independent authors who rely on the platform to sell their books also become less and less kind.
The deep integration with Amazon also means that not only does Goodreads get my deep reading data, but so does Amazon. I don’t mind the site knowing what I like to read and why, but I am less of a fan of Amazon know the same.
So I have been looking for an alternative.
If not Goodreads, why use Storygraph?
When I decided that I was unhappy with Goodreads I started trying out alternatives. I tried and discarded a number of apps and services before I ended up with Storygraph. So why use Storygraph?
Storygraph is not a corporation
Storygraph is designed by Nadia Odunayo in 2019 and is not owned by a big corporation, but is run by tree people. This also mean that it is tiny and that features get rolled out a little by little. They are however completely transparent about the process and answers bug reports really quickly.
They are not selling the data and is founded by the community and funded by a voluntary premium program. The app is free and the free version have almost all the features of the premium version.
Stats! And other cool features
- So many cool stats! Storygraph automatically tracks a number of different aspects of what, who and how you are reading. It is super cool! (see examples below). You can also get a list of the books you have read in a month or a year with just a few clicks.
- Build in tagging and DNF feature. You can tag your books however you want and if you decide not to finish a book, you can just marked it as ‘Did not Finish’. It even lets you write why you didn’t finish it.
- Better reviews: When you review a book you can of course give it stars, even quater stars! You can also mark the mood and a number of other stats of the book. And you can of course write and read reviews of books.
- Content warnings: The community can tag content warnings on books and you can see them before picking up a book.
- Book challenges: Storygraph has made it very easy to start book challenges and
- No nagging: The site does not nag you to do a reading challenge if you don’t want one. But you can also very easily challenge yourself to read a certain number of pages a day, week, month etc.
- Rotating view of your own TBR: Each time you go to Storygraph it will show you different books from your TBR, so you are reminded that you own cool books and should read them. It is not naggy at all, it just shows you the covers.
- Easy reading tracking: It is very easy to track what you are reading – including things that are not books. You can add short stories, articles, fanfic or whatever you want to track your reading off. You just mark them as ‘Not a book’ when you add them to the database.
Features I am missing
Storygraph is less social than Goodreads. It is not as easy to see what your friends are reading as the social aspect is in a seperate tab. You can not import your friends from other platforms either, so you have to invite them manually – with some of what I am reading that is nice – but it does mean that I have fewer connections on Storygraph. It of course also mean that the app is collecting a lot less data.
I am also missing the series feature from Goodreads. Storygraph does have a series feature, but it works less well then the counterpart.
I am also missing the author pages from Goodreads. You can click on an author and see the books, but there is no good way of sorting them and you can’t see which series that they have written, which is a feature I still go to Goodreads for.
They are kinda hiding the list of all the read books, and it is a bit annoying to dig for. It’s under your profile and you have to scroll for a bit.
The speed of the app in particular can be a bit slow.
No Sanna, I am not subtweeting at you!
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