shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Goodreads?

Find and read more books you'll love, and keep track of the books you want to read. Be part of the world's largest community of book lovers on Goodreads. - goodreads.com

Worth it. Readers who want the biggest book catalog, reviews, and a friends feed should use it — it's free. Anyone wanting modern design, sharper recommendations, or distance from Amazon should pick StoryGraph instead.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 30+ public sources; many snippets were truncated, so exact ratings and funding figures were unavailable.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo usable evidence in sources
  • Security posture

Pricing

Free

Reader account

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Author ProgramFree to join

Best for

  • Avid readers tracking books
  • Discovery via community reviews
  • Authors building an audience
  • Book clubs and challenges

Not for

  • Anyone wanting modern UX or smart recommendations
  • Authors expecting review moderation or fairness
  • Privacy-averse users uncomfortable with Amazon
  • Businesses or teams — consumer book app, not a work tool

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Public API is closed; exporting your data needs scraping or third-party tools

medium

Users advise backing up your account; hijacking complaints exist

medium

Support runs through community help forums; getting answers is hard

low

Author giveaways are paid packages; promo costs vary and add up

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free for readers — no subscription or fees
  • World's largest community of book lovers
  • See what your friends are reading, built in
  • Gamification effectively keeps readers engaged

Cons

  • Interface called outdated in UX case studies
  • Critics say almost everything about it is broken
  • Phony reviews and review scams persist
  • No open API; integrations and export suffer
  • Amazon ownership means little incentive to improve

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/25/2026 - 13 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x1review x6security x2news x4

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 13

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free; readers pay nothing
  • Ease of use: 2/5. Widely called dated and clunky
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Solid tracking; rivals more modern
  • Support quality. No usable evidence in sources
  • Security posture: 3/5. Publishes security pages; no public breaches
  • Free Price No reader subscription
  • Yes Free tier Readers pay nothing
  • 2007 Founded Acquired by Amazon in 2012
  • StoryGraph, Fable Challengers Alternatives gaining ground

Pricing

Reader account

Free

  • Track and review books
  • Reading challenges and friends feed
  • No subscription

Author Program

Free to join

  • Claim your author profile
  • Giveaways sold as paid packages

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Users and critics love the catalog and community but constantly complain the product is stagnant and outdated.

“For book lovers, it's perfectly awful.”
Slate
“Goodreads Is Terrible for Books. Why Can't We All Quit It?”
The Walrus
“Almost Everything About Goodreads Is Broken”
OneZero (Medium)
Full analysis

Based on 30+ public sources; many snippets were truncated, so exact ratings and funding figures were unavailable.

Free, huge catalog and community, but dated, stagnant, Amazon-owned. Readers: use it. Design snobs: look elsewhere.

Methodology

Based on 30+ public sources; many snippets were truncated, so exact ratings and funding figures were unavailable.

Sources

  1. Goodreads homepagegoodreads.com
    official
  2. Is Goodreads free? — Reddit r/goodreadsreddit.com
    review
  3. Goodreads: A Case Study in Outdated UX/UIlinkedin.com
    review
  4. Almost Everything About Goodreads Is Broken — OneZeroonezero.medium.com
    review
  5. Goodreads defense: For book lovers, it's perfectly awful — Slateslate.com
    review
  6. Goodreads Is Terrible for Books — The Walrusthewalrus.ca
    review
  7. Goodreads Gamification Case Study — Trophytrophy.so
    news
  8. Goodreads data without an API — Apify blogblog.apify.com
    news
  9. Trustpilot reviews of Goodreadstrustpilot.com
    review
  10. Goodreads product security pagegoodreads.com
    security
  11. Goodreads Help: Privacy and Securityhelp.goodreads.com
    security
  12. Amazon's Goodreads breeds division; StoryGraph gains groundtheconversation.com
    news
  13. Goodreads — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    news

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