Book Tracking App: How to Choose the Right One for You
The best book tracking app depends on what you're tracking. Reading progress? Your physical collection? Books you've lent out? Social reading with friends? Different apps are built for different versions of this problem, and choosing the wrong one means using a tool that works against your actual needs.
Here's a framework for figuring out which type of tracking you're doing, and which app serves that use case best.
The four types of book tracking
Before choosing an app, identify which of these is your primary need:
1. Reading progress tracking. You want to record what you're reading now, what you've finished, and what you plan to read. Stats about your reading pace, yearly totals, genre breakdown. The reading record is the core thing.
2. Collection cataloging. You want to know what physical books you own — which ones are on which shelf, which ones you've read, which ones you have doubles of. The physical library is the core thing.
3. Lending management. You want to know which of your books are at friends' houses, when you lent them, and when to expect them back. The loan record is the core thing.
4. Social reading. You want to see what your friends are reading and have read, share reviews, participate in reading challenges, and get recommendations from a community. The social graph is the core thing.
Most apps are built for one or two of these and treat the others as secondary features.
“Most apps are built for one or two of these and treat the others as secondary features.”
| Feature | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Plumerie | CLZ Books |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading progress tracking | Great | Best-in-class | Basic | ✗ |
| Collection cataloging | ✗ | ✗ | Built for this | Exceptional |
| Lending management | ✗ | ✗ | Integrated | ✗ |
| Social / community | Large community | Growing | ✗ | ✗ |
| Barcode scanning | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Paid |
✓ yes · ~ partial · ✗ no/unavailable — Data based on features as of 2026
Project Hail Mary
Andy Weir
A framework for choosing
Answer these two questions:
Do you primarily want to track your reading, or manage your library?
- Reading tracking → StoryGraph or Goodreads
- Library management → Plumerie, CLZ Books, or LibraryThing
Do you share your collection with family, or lend frequently to friends?
- Yes → Plumerie (the only app that handles both natively)
- No → Choose based on the first question
Do you have a large collection of rare or obscure books?
- Yes → CLZ Books or LibraryThing (better database depth)
- No → Plumerie or any of the above
Using multiple apps
Many readers use two apps for different purposes: a reading tracker (Goodreads or StoryGraph) for the social and progress dimensions, and a catalog app (Plumerie) for the physical library. This works well if you genuinely need both, though it means maintaining two records.
If you're starting fresh and aren't sure which category you fall into, start with one app and see what it can't do. The gaps will tell you what else you need.
For more on reading-specific tracking, see the best reading tracker apps for physical book lovers.
Plumerie is built for the collection cataloging and lending management use cases. Free to start, works on any device, and handles family sharing that other apps don't. Try it free →