Bookly vs. Book Tracker: Do You Need a Coach or a Librarian?

If you search the App Store for “reading apps,” you will likely find two heavyweights: Bookly and Book Tracker. At first glance, they look similar. They both track your reading, generate stats, and help you build a habit.

But they serve two very different types of readers. Bookly acts like a Personal Trainer. It yells at you (nicely) to read more, times your sprints, and gives you badges. Book Tracker acts like a Personal Librarian. It organizes your collection, tracks your loans, values your library, and helps you read more.

If you are currently using Bookly but feeling limited, or if you are deciding between the two, here is why Book Tracker might be the smarter long-term choice for your reading life.

1. The “Inventory” Gap

Bookly is fantastic at tracking sessions, but it is weak at tracking books. Once you finish a book in Bookly, it becomes just a stat.

The Book Tracker Difference: Book Tracker is built to manage a Home Library.

• Deep Metadata: Track publisher, publication year, ISBN, and edition.
• Acquisition Data: Track how much you paid for a book and when you bought it.
• Lending: Track who you lent a book to (and when it’s due back).
• Wishlist: Manage books you don’t own yet but want to buy.

The Verdict: If you care about your collection—not just your time—Book Tracker is the superior choice.

2. Organization & Tags

Bookly’s organization is basic. You have “Collections,” but they are often clunky to manage if you have hundreds of books.

The Book Tracker Difference: We know that readers love to categorize.

• Powerful Tags: Create custom tags like #DarkAcademia, #Owned-Hardcover, or #Priority-2026.
• Smart Filtering: Instantly filter your library to see “All unread books, tagged Sci-Fi, under 300 pages.”
• Search: Find a book instantly by title, author, or ISBN.

3. The “Timer” Experience (Yes, We Have That Too)

One reason people stick with Bookly is the Reading Timer. They love hitting “Start” and seeing the clock tick.

The Good News: Book Tracker has a robust Reading Timer too. You don’t have to give up the habit-building tools to get the organization tools.

• Track Sessions: Log your reading time automatically.
• Reading Speed: The app calculates your pages/minute just like Bookly.
• Quotes: Save quotes via OCR (text scan) while the timer is running.

You get the “Coach” features inside the “Librarian” app.

4. Aesthetics: Cartoon vs. Clean

This is subjective, but important. Bookly has a very specific, gamified aesthetic with a cartoon mascot (the green blob). It feels like a game. Book Tracker uses a native, clean iOS design. It puts the focus entirely on your book covers. It feels like a premium utility that blends perfectly with your Apple ecosystem.

If you prefer a professional, clutter-free look for your digital library, Book Tracker is the way to go.

Summary: Why Switch?

If your only goal is to track minutes read, Bookly is a great stopwatch. But if you want to:

1. Catalog your physical and digital books.
2. Track your spending and lending.
3. Organize with powerful tags.
4. And track your reading time…

Then you don’t need a coach. You need a system. Book Tracker gives you the best of both worlds.