Switching from Hardcover? Your lists come too
Bring your lists, moods, tags, ratings and read dates across in about a minute, then rate in quarter stars and read reviews without spoilers.
- Want to read, reading, read and DNF
- Ratings and reviews
- Your lists, moods and tags
- Read dates
What changes when you leave Hardcover
The things readers tell us made them look for a Hardcover alternative, and what Shelfola does instead.
Half stars aren’t quite enough
Rate in quarter stars. Your Hardcover halves come across exactly, and you can fine-tune from there.
Fixing book data is a perk
Any reader can suggest a correction on Shelfola. Reviewed edits go live with a public history.
Unclear how scores resist pile-ons
New accounts and pre-release ratings don’t count, and every book shows exactly how its score was built.
The scanner lives only in the mobile app
Shelfola installs from your browser on any phone or computer, works offline and scans ISBN barcodes.
Waiting for book clubs
Clubs and spoiler-safe buddy reads are already here: every message is locked to a page until you’ve read that far.
Too many emails from apps
Notifications are bundled, quiet overnight and capped at 3 non-essential emails a day by default. Or keep everything in the bell.
How to move from Hardcover
Two minutes, start to finish. Your Hardcover account isn’t changed.
In Hardcover
- 1On hardcover.app open Settings, then Exports.
- 2Start a CSV export and download it when it’s ready.
In Shelfola
- 3Create your free Shelfola account.
- 4Open Bring your books and choose Hardcover.
- 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 Hardcover
A fair side-by-side. Where we couldn’t confirm something in Hardcover’s own documentation, we show a dash instead of guessing.
| Feature | Shelfola | Hardcover |
|---|---|---|
| No adsNo display ads or sponsored books | Yes: Never | Yes: Funded by supporters |
| Quarter-star ratingsRate 3¾, not just 3 or 4 | Yes | Partly: Half stars |
| DNF trackingA real Did Not Finish shelf | Yes: With how far you got | Yes |
| Moods & paceFind a book by how it feels | Yes: Moods, pace, content warnings | Partly: Moods |
| Easy importBring your library from another app | Yes: Goodreads, StoryGraph, Hardcover; Fable via a spreadsheet. Preview and undo | Yes: Goodreads, StoryGraph, CSV |
| Review-bomb protectionPile-on ratings don’t move the score | Yes: New accounts and pre-release ratings don’t count | Couldn’t confirm |
| 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 | Couldn’t confirm: Book clubs in testing (roadmap) |
| Editions & translationsOne book, every edition and language | Yes: Switch editions, progress carries over | Yes |
| Lists & tagsYour own shelves, tags and public lists | Yes | Yes |
| Year in books & challengesGoals, challenges and a yearly recap | Yes | Yes: Goals and yearly Wrapped |
| Verified author pagesAuthors claim their page and talk to readers | Yes: Verified badge and Q&A clubs | Couldn’t confirm |
| 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: Librarians, a supporter perk |
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 Hardcover.
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 Hardcover: questions
How do I export from Hardcover?
On hardcover.app open Settings, then Exports, and start a CSV export. Download it when it’s ready and drop it into Shelfola.
Do my Hardcover lists come across?
Yes. Lists in your Hardcover export become Shelfola lists, and moods and tags are kept on each book.
What about half-star ratings?
They import exactly. Shelfola uses quarter stars, so every half star has a home.
Can I keep my reading stats private?
Yes. Your stats page (charts, streaks, taste, year against year) is private by default. You can choose to show it on your profile.
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.