A Hardcover alternative
Bring your Hardcover library with you.
Export from Hardcover, upload one file, and your statuses, 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 Hardcover export that Readstead has a place for.
Read, Currently Reading, Want to Read
Your statuses map straight across. Paused books come over as currently reading.
Did not finish
DNF books stay DNF.
Star ratings
Half stars included.
Reviews
The full text of anything you've written.
Dates
When you finished each book and when you added it. For re-reads, the most recent finish is kept.
Series
Series and book numbers fill in wherever Readstead doesn't already have them.
What stays behind
- Lists
- Moods, tags, and content warnings you've added
- Owned-book status
- Books marked Ignored
- Earlier re-read dates (the most recent is kept)
How to move your Hardcover library to Readstead
Four steps. The export on Hardcover's side is the slowest part.
- 1
Export from Hardcover
Open hardcover.app/account/exports- Sign in to Hardcover on the website.
- Go to your account settings and open Exports. Or go straight to hardcover.app/account/exports.
- Choose CSV Export and click Generate Export.
- When it's ready, download the CSV file.
Hardcover builds the file in the background, so large libraries can take a few minutes.
- 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 Hardcover 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 Hardcover 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 Hardcover
How do I export my Hardcover library?
Sign in to Hardcover on the website and go to hardcover.app/account/exports. Choose CSV Export, click Generate Export, and download the file once it's ready.
Do I have to delete my Hardcover account?
No. Your Hardcover account stays as it is. If you keep logging books there while you try Readstead, 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 Goodreads or StoryGraph. Or see every way to switch.