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Goodreads vs Storytel

Goodreads logo

Goodreads

Publishing

Amazon-owned book cataloguing, review and recommendation app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Storytel logo

Storytel

Publishing

Unlimited audiobook and ebook subscription, strong in Europe and Latin America, no library card needed

From
$14.99/month
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.; Storytel catalogue depth and specific title availability vary significantly by country, so the experience in a core Nordic market is not the same as in newer markets.
  • They diverge on capability: Goodreads covers Reading tracking and shelves, Storytel covers Unlimited streaming.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Goodreads and Storytel actually diverge.

Attributes where Goodreads and Storytel differ
AttributeGoodreadsStorytel
Starting priceFree$14.99/month
Pricing modelFree, no subscription or in-app purchases; funded by Amazon as a commerce and data feederPer user per month, unlimited
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (iOS, Android, Web), 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 Storytel

  • Unlimited streaming
  • Offline downloads
  • Combined ebook and audiobook catalogue
  • Kids profiles
  • Personalised recommendations
  • Multi-device sync

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 Storytel
  • Someone checking aggregated reviews before buying or borrowing a booknot Storytel
  • A book club coordinating discussion in a dedicated group spacenot Storytel
  • A reader setting and tracking an annual reading goal through the Reading Challenge featurenot Storytel

Storytel

  • A commuter who listens to several audiobooks a month and finds per-title purchase or credit systems expensivenot Goodreads
  • A reader tired of library holds queues who wants guaranteed instant access to anything in the cataloguenot Goodreads
  • A family wanting a shared subscription with separate kids profiles for audio contentnot Goodreads
  • Someone in a Storytel-strong market such as Sweden, Poland or Brazil where the catalogue depth is greatestnot 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.

Storytel

  • Catalogue depth and specific title availability vary significantly by country, so the experience in a core Nordic market is not the same as in newer markets.
  • Access stops the moment you cancel, so a lapsed subscriber loses the ability to continue books they were partway through, unlike owned audiobook purchases elsewhere.
  • Its ebook catalogue is meaningfully smaller than dedicated ebook services, so heavy ebook readers may find it thinner than expected.
  • It competes on unlimited access, so heavy listeners get better value than light users, who may find a credit-based service like Libro.fm or Audible cheaper per book.
  • Pricing and plan structure have changed by market over time, so the number of concurrent profiles and exact price should be checked for your specific country.

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

Storytel

$14.99/month
  • Storytel$14.99/month
    • Unlimited audiobook streaming
    • Smaller unlimited ebook catalogue
    • Offline downloads

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 Storytel if

  • You need unlimited streaming.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want offline downloads.
Storytel review

Questions people ask

Is Goodreads or Storytel better?
Neither clearly leads. Goodreads starts at Free and Storytel at $14.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Goodreads or Storytel?
Goodreads has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Goodreads and $14.99/month for Storytel.
Does Goodreads or Storytel run on more platforms?
Both run on iOS, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Goodreads for free?
Yes. Goodreads has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Storytel starts at $14.99/month.
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 Storytel is typically brought in for.
What can Goodreads do that Storytel cannot?
Goodreads covers Reading tracking and shelves, Reviews and ratings, Reading Challenge, Groups and discussions. Storytel covers Unlimited streaming, Offline downloads, Combined ebook and audiobook catalogue, Kids profiles.

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.

Storytel: Do I need a library card for Storytel?

No, it is a paid subscription open to anyone regardless of library eligibility.

Goodreads: Who owns Goodreads?

Amazon, which acquired it in 2013.

Storytel: Is access unlimited or credit-based?

Unlimited streaming while subscribed, not a credit system like Libro.fm or Audible.

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.

Storytel: What happens to my books if I cancel?

You lose access to the catalogue, including anything you were partway through, since nothing is owned outright.

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