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Affinity Publisher vs Goodreads

Affinity Publisher logo

Affinity Publisher

Publishing

Desktop page layout application, free since the Affinity range was relaunched by Canva

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Goodreads logo

Goodreads

Publishing

Amazon-owned book cataloguing, review and recommendation app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Affinity Publisher it cannot open native InDesign documents, only IDML exports, so inherited client archives either come across imperfectly or have to be rebuilt from scratch.; Goodreads being owned by Amazon since 2013, the platform is structurally oriented toward driving Kindle and Amazon purchases rather than existing as an independent literary community, even though it remains free to use.
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Publisher covers Master pages and text flow, Goodreads covers Reading tracking and shelves.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Affinity Publisher and Goodreads actually diverge.

Attributes where Affinity Publisher and Goodreads differ
AttributeAffinity PublisherGoodreads
Pricing modelFree, no licence feeFree, no subscription or in-app purchases; funded by Amazon as a commerce and data feeder
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, iPadOSiOS, Android, Web

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Publishing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Affinity Publisher

  • Master pages and text flow
  • Prepress output
  • Unified application
  • IDML import
  • Data merge
  • Cross platform files

Only in Goodreads

  • Reading tracking and shelves
  • Reviews and ratings
  • Reading Challenge
  • Groups and discussions
  • Author profiles and Q&A
  • Kindle and Amazon purchase links

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Affinity Publisher

  • Freelance designers and small studios that cannot justify a monthly page layout subscriptionnot Goodreads
  • In-house marketing teams producing brochures, reports and price lists for commercial printnot Goodreads
  • Print buyers who need to check and correct supplied artwork without a design suite licencenot Goodreads
  • Schools, charities and community publishers where a zero licence cost decides the toolnot Goodreads

Goodreads

  • A reader wanting a personal log of books read with ratings and notes over timenot Affinity Publisher
  • Someone checking aggregated reviews before buying or borrowing a booknot Affinity Publisher
  • A book club coordinating discussion in a dedicated group spacenot Affinity Publisher
  • A reader setting and tracking an annual reading goal through the Reading Challenge featurenot Affinity Publisher

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Affinity Publisher

  • It cannot open native InDesign documents, only IDML exports, so inherited client archives either come across imperfectly or have to be rebuilt from scratch.
  • There is no scripting or plugin interface, so studios that automate catalogue or variable data production still need InDesign alongside it.
  • Signing in through a Canva account is now part of using the free application, which is a problem for regulated or offline environments that forbid cloud accounts.
  • The roadmap belongs to Canva, and the 2025 relaunch already reset the licence model that earlier perpetual buyers paid for, so long-term direction is outside your control.
  • Commercial printers and freelance collaborators still expect InDesign packages, so handoff usually means delivering flattened PDFs rather than editable files.

Goodreads

  • Being owned by Amazon since 2013, the platform is structurally oriented toward driving Kindle and Amazon purchases rather than existing as an independent literary community, even though it remains free to use.
  • Interface and feature development have seen limited meaningful investment since the acquisition, and long-standing user complaints about outdated design and moderation tools have gone largely unaddressed for years.
  • Review and rating manipulation, including review bombing and coordinated fake reviews, has been a persistent, documented problem with limited effective moderation response.
  • The recommendation engine and reading data are used to inform Amazon retail and advertising systems, which is a real data use consideration for readers who value privacy around their reading habits.
  • There is no official API for third-party developers since Amazon deprecated the previous public API, which has limited independent tools and integrations that used to exist around the platform.

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Publisher

Free
  • AffinityFree
    • Free for everyone since the 2025 relaunch
    • Layout, vector and photo tools in one application
    • Requires a Canva account to sign in

Goodreads

Free
  • GoodreadsFree
    • Full cataloguing, review and group features at no cost
    • No ads sold directly within the reading experience beyond Amazon purchase links
    • No premium tier exists

Which should you pick?

Choose Affinity Publisher if

  • You need master pages and text flow.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, iPadOS.
  • You also want prepress output.
Affinity Publisher review

Choose Goodreads if

  • You need reading tracking and shelves.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want reviews and ratings.
Goodreads review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Publisher or Goodreads better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Publisher starts at Free and Goodreads at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Publisher or Goodreads?
Affinity Publisher starts at Free and Goodreads at Free.
Does Affinity Publisher or Goodreads run on more platforms?
Affinity Publisher runs on macOS, Windows, iPadOS. Goodreads runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Affinity Publisher for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Affinity Publisher best used for?
Affinity Publisher is most often used for freelance designers and small studios that cannot justify a monthly page layout subscription, in-house marketing teams producing brochures, reports and price lists for commercial print, print buyers who need to check and correct supplied artwork without a design suite licence, schools, charities and community publishers where a zero licence cost decides the tool. Of those, freelance designers and small studios that cannot justify a monthly page layout subscription and in-house marketing teams producing brochures, reports and price lists for commercial print are not what Goodreads is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Publisher do that Goodreads cannot?
Affinity Publisher covers Master pages and text flow, Prepress output, Unified application, IDML import. Goodreads covers Reading tracking and shelves, Reviews and ratings, Reading Challenge, Groups and discussions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Affinity Publisher: Is Affinity Publisher really free now?

Yes. Since the 2025 relaunch the unified Affinity application is free. Artificial intelligence features need a paid Canva plan.

Goodreads: Is Goodreads free?

Yes, there is no subscription or premium tier; all cataloguing, review and group features are free.

Affinity Publisher: Can it open InDesign files?

Only IDML interchange files, and complex layouts lose fidelity. Native INDD files cannot be opened at all.

Goodreads: Who owns Goodreads?

Amazon, which acquired it in 2013.

Affinity Publisher: What happened to the perpetual licences people bought?

Canva made the relaunched application free to everyone, which superseded the paid version 2 licence model.

Goodreads: Does Goodreads have an API for developers?

Amazon deprecated the previous public Goodreads API, so third-party tool development is now much more limited than it once was.

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