The Goodreads alternative that keeps your whole history
Bring every shelf, rating, review and read date across in about a minute. Then enjoy quarter stars, no ads and ratings you can actually believe.
- Read, currently reading, want to read and DNF shelves
- Star ratings and written reviews
- Read dates and re-read counts
- Custom shelves, which become tags
What changes when you leave Goodreads
The things readers tell us made them look for a Goodreads alternative, and what Shelfola does instead.
Whole stars only
Rate in quarter stars. A 3¾ stays a 3¾, and your Goodreads stars come across exactly as they are.
Ads and sponsored books
No ads and no sponsored placements. The Following tab is only the readers you follow, newest first, with no engagement ranking.
Scores that pile-ons can swing
New accounts and pre-release ratings don’t count, read-verified ratings weigh more, and every book shows how its score was built.
Spoilers in reviews
Reviewers tag spoilers by chapter. Anything past your current chapter stays hidden until you get there.
No way to pick by mood
Readers tag moods, pace and content warnings, so you can choose your next book by how it feels.
Group reads where someone always spoils it
Buddy reads stamp every message with a page. You only see it once you’ve logged that far, on your own or inside a club.
How to move from Goodreads
Two minutes, start to finish. Your Goodreads account isn’t changed.
In Goodreads
- 1On goodreads.com open My Books, then Import and export (under Tools).
- 2Tap Export library and download the CSV when it’s ready.
In Shelfola
- 3Create your free Shelfola account.
- 4Open Bring your books and choose Goodreads.
- 5Drop the file in and check the preview. Fix or skip anything that didn’t match.
- 6Import. Undo it in one tap if you change your mind.
Shelfola vs Goodreads
A fair side-by-side. Where we couldn’t confirm something in Goodreads’s own documentation, we show a dash instead of guessing.
| Feature | Shelfola | Goodreads |
|---|---|---|
| No adsNo display ads or sponsored books | Yes: Never | No: Shows ads |
| Quarter-star ratingsRate 3¾, not just 3 or 4 | Yes | No: Whole stars only |
| DNF trackingA real Did Not Finish shelf | Yes: With how far you got | Yes: Added in 2026 |
| Moods & paceFind a book by how it feels | Yes: Moods, pace, content warnings | No |
| Easy importBring your library from another app | Yes: Goodreads, StoryGraph, Hardcover; Fable via a spreadsheet. Preview and undo | Partly: CSV upload |
| Review-bomb protectionPile-on ratings don’t move the score | Yes: New accounts and pre-release ratings don’t count | Partly: Checks on pre-release ratings |
| Series & reading orderEvery series, in order | Yes | Yes |
| Spoiler-safe buddy readsRead together without spoiling each other | Yes: Page-locked chat, on its own or inside a club | Partly: Groups and discussion boards |
| Editions & translationsOne book, every edition and language | Yes: Switch editions, progress carries over | Yes |
| Lists & tagsYour own shelves, tags and public lists | Yes | Yes: Shelves and Listopia |
| Year in books & challengesGoals, challenges and a yearly recap | Yes | Yes |
| Verified author pagesAuthors claim their page and talk to readers | Yes: Verified badge and Q&A clubs | Yes: Author Program and Ask the Author |
| App, offline & barcode scanOn your home screen, scan a book in a shop | Yes: Installs from the browser, works offline, scans ISBNs | Yes: Native apps with scanner |
| Community catalogue editingReaders fix book data, with history | Yes: Any reader can suggest a fix | Partly: Volunteer librarians |
YesPartlyCouldn’t confirm either wayNoChecked October 2026 against each app’s help pages, app-store listings, roadmaps and changelogs. See all apps
New on Shelfola
Shipped recently, on top of everything that comes across from Goodreads.
Daily Book Puzzle
Guess the day’s book in six tries. Each miss reveals a clue: genre, year, pages, the author’s initials, a blurred cover, then a line from the story. Keep a streak and share your grid.
Play today’s puzzleSpoiler-safe buddy reads
Every message is stamped with a page and stays locked until you’ve logged that far. Start one from any book or inside a club, where checkpoints open each section.
Browse clubsPrivate reading stats
Charts, streaks, your taste and this year against last. Only you can see them unless you choose to show them on your profile.
Editions & translations
Every edition and translation sits under one book. Switch to the one in your hands and your progress carries over.
A feed you control
A Following tab with only the readers you follow, everything newest first, no engagement ranking. Tag @people and #books in posts, and mute anyone.
Quiet notifications
Email is bundled, held overnight in quiet hours and capped at 3 non-essential emails a day by default. Or keep everything in the bell.
Verified author pages
Authors claim their page, get a verified badge, keep their bio and links current and host Q&A clubs with readers.
Year in Books & challenges
Set a yearly goal, join or create reading challenges, and look back with a Year in Books recap.
See challengesProfile pictures
Upload a photo or keep your initials. Private profiles approve every follower, and your library starts private.
- Quarter-star ratings
- Review-bomb protection
- Chapter-aware spoiler tags
- Moods, pace and content warnings
- Series in reading order
- DNF with how far you got, and rereads
- Your own tags and public lists
- Installs from the browser, works offline, scans barcodes
- Book data any reader can help fix
- No ads, ever
Switching from Goodreads: questions
Will I lose my Goodreads reviews?
No. Your reviews, ratings, shelves and read dates come across from the Goodreads export file. Nothing changes on Goodreads itself, so you can keep or close that account later.
How long does the Goodreads import take?
About a minute for most libraries, up to 10,000 books per file. You see a preview of every match before anything is saved.
What if a book doesn’t match?
Books are matched by ISBN first, then title and author. Anything uncertain is flagged in the preview, where you can pick the right book with one tap or skip it.
What happens to my custom Goodreads shelves?
They become tags on Shelfola, so you can still filter your library by them.
Is there a Year in Books and a reading challenge?
Yes. Set a yearly goal, join or create reading challenges, and get a Year in Books recap. Your detailed reading stats stay private unless you choose to share them.
I’m an author on Goodreads. Can I claim my page?
Yes. Authors can claim their Shelfola author page. Once verified you get a badge, can keep your bio and links up to date and can host Q&A clubs with readers.
Is Shelfola free?
Yes. Shelfola is free to join and has no ads.
Can I undo an import?
Yes. Every import can be undone in one tap. Undo removes the books, reads, ratings, reviews, tags and lists that import added.
Who can see my imported reviews?
You choose before anything is saved: everyone, followers only or only you.
Coming from somewhere else?
Bring your books in 1 minute
Free to join. No ads. Undo any import in one tap.