A reading tracker can be built without your own server and sold inside the app. Fable makes $337K–1.35M a month by our estimate and Bookly $162K–650K (not Apple data, October 16, 2026). Shelfy launched on December 10, 2025 and already sits in the US grossing Books chart. Goodreads, with the most ratings, takes no money on the App Store, which leaves room for paid apps next to it.
How much book tracking apps make
On October 16, 2026 Fable was number 34 in the US top grossing Books chart, Shelfy number 37 and Bookly number 39. The chart is shared with readers and audiobooks, so for a tracker these are visible places.
| App | Released | US ratings | Top grossing rank | Monthly revenue, our estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fable | Dec 1, 2020 | 81,844 | #34 | $337K–1.35M |
| Bookly | Dec 7, 2016 | 62,090 | #39 | $162K–650K |
| Shelfy | Dec 10, 2025 | 1,149 | #37 | $54K–215K |
| Goodreads | Feb 16, 2010 | 758,376 | outside top 100 | not in the top 100 grossing |
| StoryGraph | Jun 22, 2021 | 3,590 | outside top 100 | too few new ratings to estimate |
Appto data as of October 16, 2026. Rating growth September 16 to October 16, 2026. Rating counts and chart positions from the US App Store on October 16, 2026. Revenue is our estimate, not Apple data.
Goodreads belongs to Amazon and sells nothing on the App Store. It has 758,376 ratings and reached number 5 among free Books apps on Oct 8, 2026, but it never touches the grossing chart. That makes it a convenient neighbor. The most familiar app in the niche doesn't compete for money.
Newcomers get in
Shelfy launched on December 10, 2025. It has 1,149 ratings, added 239 in the US in the month from September 16, and makes $54K–215K a month by our estimate. Margins launched on November 3, 2024 and has 19,628 ratings.
The niche punishes standing still. StoryGraph, with 3,590 ratings, was last updated on March 15, 2026. Its rating count grew by only 21 in the window, and we have no revenue estimate for it.
Where to get book data
The main open catalog is Open Library. Search, covers and editions by ISBN are free, but the project says its service is not meant as a backend for high-traffic commercial apps. For volume it offers monthly catalog dumps, and it asks you to identify requests with your own User-Agent and email and to cache responses (Open Library developer page, October 16, 2026).
Adding a book by barcode is the most convenient path. DataScannerViewController in VisionKit reads the ISBN on the cover. Some editions have no ISBN or are missing from the catalog, so manual entry with title, author and page count belongs in version 1.
What goes into version 1
- Three shelves. Reading, read, want to read. Move a book with one gesture.
- Page progress. Where the person stopped and how much is left.
- A yearly goal. How many books are done and how many remain.
- Goodreads import. Goodreads exports the library as CSV. Moving the shelves with one file removes the main reason not to switch.
- No feed and no friends. Discussions and clubs need a server and moderation, that is a separate product.
How the niche charges
All six apps in the chart are free to download (US App Store, October 16, 2026). Fable, Bookly and Shelfy charge inside the app, for Bookly that is a Pro subscription (Appto research, September 29, 2026). A tracker without a server can offer free tracking with a book limit and sell the yearly stats and import as one purchase or a subscription.
Risks
- Goodreads is free. With 758,376 ratings it owns the general query, people find a newcomer through narrow terms such as a yearly goal or a want-to-read shelf.
- Catalog quality. Missing covers and wrong editions annoy people more than missing features. Cache what you find and let people fix a book's record.
- Look-alike shelves. There are dozens of reading trackers on the App Store. The difference must show on the first screenshot.
How we counted
Appto estimates revenue from 30 days of App Store rating growth, before Apple's commission. It is our estimate, not Apple data. In half of the cases the estimate is within 2x of the real figure, in four out of five within 3x, and for large apps it tends to run low. Ads, web sales and Google Play are not included. The method is explained in our article on estimating app revenue.
Next steps
In the book 50 iPhone App Niches reading tracking is niche 27, with an angle for a newcomer, five version 1 screens and a task for the agent.
If the idea is yours, check it in Appto on fresh App Store data. Appto and the agent build the screens and code, the store text and screenshots in the languages you need, and submit to Apple from your account or show you what to press in App Store Connect.
Questions
How much do book tracking apps make?
By our estimate as of October 16, 2026, Fable makes $337K–1.35M a month, Bookly $162K–650K and Shelfy $54K–215K. It is an estimate from App Store rating growth, not Apple data.
Where do I get book data?
Open Library has search, covers and editions by ISBN. For heavy traffic the project recommends its monthly dumps, and responses should be cached.
How do I add a book by barcode?
DataScannerViewController in VisionKit reads the ISBN on the cover. The app looks the edition up in the catalog and offers manual entry if it finds nothing.
How do I win people over from Goodreads?
With import. Goodreads exports the library as CSV, and moving the shelves with one file removes the fear of losing the reading history.
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