A Goodreads alternative
Leave Goodreads. Keep every book.
Export your Goodreads library, upload one file, and your shelves, ratings, reviews, and read dates are waiting in Readstead. Then get back to reading.
Free on the web, iPhone, and Android. No paid tier.
What comes with you
Everything in your Goodreads export that Readstead has a place for.
Read, Currently Reading, Want to Read
Your three main shelves map straight across.
Did not finish
Books on a shelf named dnf or did-not-finish come over as DNF.
Star ratings
Every 1–5 star rating you've given.
Reviews
The full text of anything you've written.
Dates
When you finished each book and when you added it.
What stays behind
- Custom shelves other than DNF (the books still come over, with their read status)
- Friends, followers, and groups
- Reading progress updates and earlier re-read dates (the most recent date read is kept)
How to move your Goodreads library to Readstead
Four steps. The export on Goodreads's side is the slowest part.
- 1
Export from Goodreads
Open goodreads.com/review/import- Sign in to Goodreads on the website. The Goodreads app can't export.
- Open My Books, then Import and export in the left sidebar. Or go straight to goodreads.com/review/import.
- Click Export Library at the top of the page.
- Wait for the export link to appear below the button, then download the CSV file.
Big libraries can take a few minutes to export. If the link doesn't show up, refresh the page.
- 2
Create a free Readstead account
It takes a few seconds, and it's free.
- 3
Upload the CSV
Drop the file on the import page. Readstead works out that it came from Goodreads and maps everything across.
- 4
Close the tab if you like
The import runs in the background and we email you when it's done. Your library is on the web, iPhone, and Android.
A Goodreads alternative built for reading every day
Once your books are in, Readstead is about the reading itself, not just keeping a list.
Log a session in seconds
Pages or minutes, logged when you put the book down. The streak takes care of itself.
Goals you can keep
Pick a number of books for the year or pages for the day, and see whether you're on pace.
Stats from day one
Your imported read dates fill in your history, so your yearly numbers aren't empty on the first day.
Challenges with a finish line
Work through an official or reader-built list and check books off as you go.
Browse reading challenges without signing up.
Questions about switching from Goodreads
How do I export my Goodreads library?
On the Goodreads website, go to My Books, then Import and export (or goodreads.com/review/import), and click Export Library. When the link appears, download the CSV. The Goodreads mobile app doesn't have an export option.
Do I have to delete my Goodreads account?
No. Your Goodreads account stays as it is. Plenty of people import, try Readstead for a while, and decide later. If you keep logging books on Goodreads in the meantime, export again and re-import. Only the new books are added.
Is Readstead free?
Yes. Readstead is free on the web, iPhone, and Android, and importing your library costs nothing. There's no paid tier.
What if I import the same file twice?
Nothing gets duplicated. Books already in your library are matched and skipped. If the new file has a book further along than before (say it moved from want to read to read), Readstead updates it and fills in the rating and finish date.
How long does an import take?
It depends on the size of your library. The import runs in the background, so you can close the page, and we email you when it's done.
How are books matched?
By ISBN first, so you get the same edition you had. Books without an ISBN are matched by title and author. If a book isn't in our catalog yet, it's added so nothing in your file gets dropped.
Can I import from my phone?
Yes. You can import from the Readstead app on iPhone or Android, or at readstead.com on the web. Either way your library shows up everywhere you sign in.
Your library, ready when you are
Coming from somewhere else? Import from StoryGraph or Hardcover. Or see every way to switch.