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Publishing · head to head

Goodreads vs Lulu

Goodreads logo

Goodreads

Publishing

Amazon-owned book cataloguing, review and recommendation app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lulu logo

Lulu

Publishing

Quality book printing at a reasonable price

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Goodreads has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Lulu no fixed pricing published; vendor requires pricing calculator for quotes
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Goodreads and Lulu actually diverge.

Attributes where Goodreads and Lulu differ
AttributeGoodreadsLulu
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree, no subscription or in-app purchases; funded by Amazon as a commerce and data feederusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb

Identical on both: 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 Goodreads

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

Only in Lulu

Nothing recorded that Goodreads does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Goodreads

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

Lulu

  • Self-publishing novels without traditional publishingnot Goodreads
  • Producing print-on-demand photo books without inventorynot Goodreads
  • Creating photo books for preserving memoriesnot Goodreads
  • Accessing 40,000+ global book retailersnot Goodreads

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Lulu

  • No fixed pricing published; vendor requires pricing calculator for quotes
  • Costs vary significantly based on trim size, binding type, page count, and shipping
  • Author royalties and distribution fees not disclosed on website

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Lulu

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Lulu review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Lulu if

Nothing in the data separates Lulu from Goodreads on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Lulu review

Questions people ask

Is Goodreads or Lulu better?
Neither clearly leads. Goodreads starts at Free and Lulu at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Goodreads or Lulu?
Goodreads has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Goodreads and On request for Lulu.
Does Goodreads or Lulu run on more platforms?
Goodreads runs on iOS, Android, Web. Lulu runs on Web.
Can I use Goodreads for free?
Yes. Goodreads has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Lulu starts at On request.
What is Goodreads best used for?
Goodreads is most often used for a reader wanting a personal log of books read with ratings and notes over time, someone checking aggregated reviews before buying or borrowing a book, a book club coordinating discussion in a dedicated group space, a reader setting and tracking an annual reading goal through the reading challenge feature. Of those, a reader wanting a personal log of books read with ratings and notes over time and someone checking aggregated reviews before buying or borrowing a book are not what Lulu is typically brought in for.
What can Goodreads do that Lulu cannot?
Goodreads covers Reading tracking and shelves, Reviews and ratings, Reading Challenge, Groups and discussions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Goodreads: Is Goodreads free?

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

Lulu: How much does Lulu self-publishing cost?

Lulu does not publish fixed pricing. Costs depend on specific book specifications including trim size, binding type, page count, and distribution format. Users must access Lulu's pricing calculator to receive personalized quotes for their book project.

Source
Goodreads: Who owns Goodreads?

Amazon, which acquired it in 2013.

Lulu: How does Lulu's pricing calculator work?

Users input their book specifications such as trim size, binding type, and page count into Lulu's pricing calculator tool to receive customized pricing quotes and view production timelines.

Source
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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