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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Reading List vs Bookly

Reading List 4.8★ · Free + IAP 75
Winner Reading List
Bookly 4.6★ · Free + IAP 60

Reading List is generally preferred for its straightforward book tracking and organization, despite recent issues with adding books, while Bookly offers more gamified features and statistics but is hampered by aggressive monetization and technical glitches.

Full reviews: Reading List · Bookly

Reading List excels in simple, ad-free book tracking and organization, favored by users for its ease of use and customizable lists. Bookly offers advanced stats and gamification, but its free version is heavily restricted and users report frequent bugs and aggressive subscription prompts.

Head to head

Features for Tracking & Organization edge: Reading ListR2R5R11R13
Reading List Reading List users appreciate its simplicity for tracking books, creating custom lists, and organizing their reads R2R5. Many find it a straightforward alternative to social reading apps like Goodreads R11. The ability to manually add books and customize covers is also valued . However, some users desire more advanced features like series tracking, better statistics without Pro, and improved note-taking functionality R13R15R43.
Bookly Bookly is praised for its detailed tracking, including reading sessions, stats, goals, and gamified elements like reading points and achievements . Users enjoy timing their reading sessions and seeing their progress . However, the app's core features are often locked behind a paywall, limiting the free experience significantly R63.
Ease of Use & Adding Books tieR1R2R3R4
Reading List Reading List is generally considered easy to use and intuitive R2. However, a significant number of recent reviews highlight severe issues with adding books, particularly the barcode scanning and online search functions, forcing manual entry for many users R1R3R4R10. This has led to frustration and some users considering switching apps R1R4.
Bookly Bookly users find the app easy to use for tracking once books are added . However, adding books is a common pain point, with many reporting that the ISBN lookup and barcode scanner frequently fail, requiring manual input . The free version also has strict limits on the number of books that can be added, making it difficult to fully evaluate .
Reliability & Bugs edge: Reading ListR1R3R4R7
Reading List Reading List has recently experienced several bugs, including non-functional barcode scanning and online search, missing metadata for added books, and issues with widgets R1R3R4R7. Some users also report glitches with reading logs, date changes, and an inability to undo 'finished' status . Data loss has been reported by at least one user .
Bookly Bookly users report numerous reliability issues and bugs. These include the barcode scanner failing, loss of entire collections, incorrect page counts, reading sessions glitching, and the app thinking books are still being read after completion . Cross-platform syncing and premium purchase recognition are also problematic for some users .
Price & Value (Free vs. Paid) edge: Reading ListR3R5R13R19
Reading List Reading List offers a functional free tier for basic tracking and organization R5R45. However, key features like statistics are locked behind a Pro subscription, which frustrates some free users R19R43. There are also complaints about unauthorized charges and difficulty getting refunds . Some paid users express disappointment with recent bugs despite their subscription R3R13.
Bookly Bookly's free version is severely limited, allowing only a small number of books (e.g., 10 books), making it effectively useless for many users without a subscription R63. Users are frequently bombarded with pop-ups and prompts to subscribe, even immediately after downloading, which is a major turn-off . Many feel the app is overpriced given the issues .
Customer Support & Updates edge: BooklyR14R16R68R88
Reading List One user reported emailing the app creator about syncing issues and never receiving a response R16. However, another user noted a recent update fixed their search issues R14.
Bookly Bookly users report an active team on Discord and quick email responses R68. However, some paying users are frustrated by vague responses like "they're working on it" for long-standing issues, particularly data loss R88.
Pick Reading List if

you want a straightforward, easy-to-use app for tracking and organizing your books with custom lists, and you prefer a cleaner, less intrusive experience, even if it means occasionally dealing with manual book entry R2R5.

Pick Bookly if

you are highly motivated by detailed reading statistics, gamified progress tracking, and goal setting, and you are willing to pay for a subscription and tolerate frequent bugs and aggressive monetization .

Evidence note: Recent reviews for Reading List are heavily skewed by issues with adding books, which might temporarily lower its perceived quality despite many long-term positive experiences. Bookly's negative reviews are strongly focused on its aggressive monetization and numerous technical bugs, even for paid users.

Frequently asked

Can I use Reading List or Bookly for free?
Reading List offers a functional free tier for basic book tracking and list creation, but statistics are locked behind a Pro subscription R5R19R45. Bookly's free version is severely limited, allowing only a small number of books (e.g., 10 books) before requiring a subscription, and it frequently prompts users to pay R63.
Do these apps have barcode scanning to add books?
Both apps offer barcode scanning functionality, but users report significant issues with its reliability in both. Reading List users frequently state the barcode scanner no longer works or fails to find books, forcing manual entry R1R4R10R50. Bookly users also report that its barcode scanner only recognizes a small fraction of books (e.g., 1 in 10), making manual input necessary .
Which app is better for detailed reading statistics?
Bookly is generally better for detailed reading statistics, offering features like timed reading sessions, progress tracking, reading streaks, and monthly reports, which motivate users . Reading List offers simple statistics, but more advanced reporting is typically a Pro feature, and some users wish for more comprehensive stats R9R15R19R43.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Reading List 5/5 · US Best book tracker: This app is very easy to use. Highly recommend!
  2. [R5] Reading List 5/5 · US Great to keep things organized!: It’s really a great app, I don’t have pro so I’m sure it only gets better from here! Keeps everything neat, pretty to look at, and organized!
  3. [R11] Reading List 5/5 · US V good: I didn’t like good reads and this is way more straight forward. I do wish I could connect with friends but eh oh well.
  4. [R13] Reading List 2/5 · US Not Worth The Renewal Subscription: I am not sure why all the rave reviews, what am I missing. This app is rudimentary at best. The note section needs much improvement in the copy and paste function. Each time you copy a note from a book and try to paste it in a running stream of already inserted notes, the app scrolls you back to mid-section of the screen and then you have to scroll down to your
  5. [R1] Reading List 2/5 · US Scanning functionality no longer works: The scanning barcode functionality does not work at all anymore. Every book now needs to be added manually. I will probably be switching to a different app if this is not fixed.
  6. [R3] Reading List 3/5 · US Used to Love it!: I’ve used this and paid for the pro membership for years. I’ve been disappointed that the last 7 out of 10 ebooks I read had to be manually added. The “search online” function used to work about 95% of the time, but not any more….
  7. [R4] Reading List 1/5 · US Inputting myself: Not sure what happened but it seems like any book I am reading/listening too I have to enter manually now. Even scanning its like no books can be found. Pretty frustrating.
  8. [R7] Reading List 2/5 · US It’s nice ..but..: Been using this app for a while. I like it … but the widget doesn’t work anymore. Kind of makes me not want to use it anymore.
  9. [R19] Reading List 1/5 · US Not useful unless willing to pay for Pro version: Downloaded this so my son cold track how many pages he’s read this year. Was very disappointed to see that the “statistics” (the entire reason for an app like this), is only available if you are willing to pay a monthly or annual fee. So without a purchase, this is as useful as keeping a list in a note app of which books you have read.
  10. [R14] Reading List 5/5 · US Great update!: So glad for the most recent update! Before I was having trouble searching online to add books to my list, but now it seems to be fixed, and they are all popping up! The best feature of this app is that I can make my own lists (as many as I want) and categorize all my books in every little way that I want and then search for them later. Really really helpful!
  11. [R16] Reading List 1/5 · US I'd give it no stars if I could: I loved it until I couldn't get it to sync to my other device. I emailed the app creator a month ago and never received a response.
  12. [R68] Bookly 5/5 · US Love: They are active and have an awesome team on discord and they respond to emails quickly. They are a wonderful app and I can’t wait for new things to come
  13. [R88] Bookly 1/5 · US Not five stars anymore: I’d give five stars but half the app no longer works and when you send emails, all you get is “they’re working on it” but no indication on when it will be fixed. I paid for the app and it is very frustrating that they have wiped ALL OF MY BOOK LISTS. I cannot see my previously read, my current reads, OR THE ENTIRETY OF MY LIBRARY. Bookly, this is UNACCEPTABLE. I paid for
  14. [R45] Reading List 5/5 · US Easy to use: It does what I need it to do and it’s free. It’s a win-win. I recommend if you want to keep track of the books you read.
  15. [R63] Bookly 3/5 · US Eh: Its a scam if u dont buy pro
  16. [R10] Reading List 1/5 · US Will not work for me: I downloaded this app because it was recommended by a book BESTIE on TikTok, and the app will not allow me to upload any books while using the camera. It’ll scan the barcode and says that it can’t find the book or it just simply doesn’t exist. I restarted my phone because the camera wasn’t turning on before, I deleted the app and redownloaded it, I even paid for the yearly su
  17. [R50] Reading List 4/5 · US Only one problem: I really like this app and use it daily- my hundreds of books are now organized! Lately though, books do no scan. Solid five stars if not for that.
  18. [R9] Reading List 3/5 · US Pretty Book Tracking App: This app has phenomenal at tracking books that you have read books that you would like to read. It does track by the book added date so you can easily go to the last book that you added or the first book that you’ve added to read them in a particular order. The pro option of the app allows you to see some reporting on your usage, including a breakdown by month, year, and
  19. [R15] Reading List 3/5 · US Need Series & Better Stats: This would be my favorite book tracking app, but I am still dependent on other apps for better statistics and connecting series. Hope improvements are implemented soon.
  20. [R43] Reading List 4/5 · US Good but could be better: This is a great app but I do not like that you do have to have the pro to see your reading stats but other than that it’s pretty good but please try and change that to where you don’t need to pay for pro to be able to see your stats

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store