How BetweenBooks compares
Goodreads, The StoryGraph and Hardcover are all good places to keep a record of your reading. This page sets out, as fairly as we can, where BetweenBooks does things differently and where the others do more.
Checked on 24 September 2026 against each service's own pages where we could. Other apps change, so some of this may have moved on since.
Ratings that go deeper. A book can have a brilliant middle and an ending that lets it down. Rate the plot, the characters, the ending and the writing separately, in half stars, and skip any of them.
Private until you say otherwise. Friends are off until both of you accept, and then you pick which shelves they see. Your reviews, thoughts and notes stay in your account under every setting.
Nothing is a gap in the record. Did not finish keeps the page you reached and the dates. Deleting a shelf moves its books to another, and never deletes a book.
Your shelf, your scenery. The style studio changes the colours, the type, how the books stand and what sits behind them, and you watch it happen on your own shelf.
| Feature | BetweenBooks | Goodreads | The StoryGraph | Hardcover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half-star ratings | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Rate plot, characters, ending and writing | Yes | No | No | No |
| A did not finish status | Yes | Announced | Yes | Yes |
| No advertising | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Reviews never shown to other readers | Yes | No | No | By book |
| Not owned by Amazon | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Imports a Goodreads library | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Style your own library | Yes | No | No | No |
| iPhone and Android apps | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Where the others do more
Goodreads has far more readers and reviews than anyone else, which makes it the best place to see what other people thought of a book. The StoryGraph asks about the mood and pace of every book and builds its recommendations and charts from the answers, which BetweenBooks does not try to match. All three have apps for iPhone and Android, and BetweenBooks runs in the browser.
Moving your books over
Export your library as a CSV file from Goodreads (My Books, then Import and export) or from The StoryGraph. Then choose it under Settings, in Import books. Each book is looked up for its cover and details, and books already on your shelves are left as they are.