Bookmory and ReadFirst share a quiet, private approach to reading: no feed, no followers, just you and your books. If you are looking for a Bookmory alternative, the honest question is whether you need a better journal or more time with your book. ReadFirst is an app lock and a reading tracker in one, so a page of your printed book comes before the apps that usually win. Below we also compare Bookmory, Bookly and The StoryGraph side by side.
We make ReadFirst, so we are not neutral. We checked every fact about Bookmory, Bookly and The StoryGraph on their App Store pages on 20 October 2026.
What is Bookmory?
Bookmory is a private reading log, journal, timer and goal app. On the US App Store it is listed as "Bookmory - reading tracker" by TonySoft, for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro.
You set daily and yearly goals and see daily and yearly stats on pages, time, authors, publishers, languages, ratings and tags. A reading timer runs on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. There is a daily or weekly streak, a calendar view, adding books by barcode or search, CSV and Excel import, export to text, Markdown or Excel, and an app lock with Face ID that protects Bookmory itself.
Bookmory is free with in-app purchases. Premium costs $3.49 a month or $30.99 a year, as listed on the US App Store on 20 October 2026.
Bookmory vs ReadFirst at a glance
| Bookmory | ReadFirst | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Private reading log, journal and timer | App lock plus reading tracker for printed books |
| How tracking works | Timer and logged pages | Reading clock with Live Activity, then a live photo of the page |
| Reading built into your day | Goals, streak, calendar | Chosen apps stay locked until you read a page |
| Printed books | Yes | Printed books only |
| Streaks and goals | Daily or weekly streak, daily and yearly goals | Daily page goal, streak with one grace day a month, 60 medals |
| Import and export | CSV and Excel import, text, Markdown and Excel export | No import |
| Price (US App Store, 20 Oct 2026) | Free, Premium $3.49 a month or $30.99 a year | $39.99 a year (3 days free for new subscribers), $7.99 a month or $99.99 once |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro | iPhone and iPad (iOS 18 or later) |
| Best for | A private, journal-style log | Reading more printed books, day by day |
Where Bookmory is a great choice
Bookmory is a careful, well-made log, and some readers need exactly that.
- Journaling. If you like writing about what you read, its journal and calendar suit you. ReadFirst has a reading log of pages and sessions, not a journal.
- Your data in and out. CSV and Excel import and exports to text, Markdown or Excel make it easy to move your records. ReadFirst has no import.
- Detailed breakdowns. Stats by author, publisher, language, rating and tag go further than ReadFirst's.
- Lower price and a free start. Premium is cheaper than ReadFirst, and you can begin without paying.
Why readers pick ReadFirst
Both apps are private. The difference is that ReadFirst also steps in at the moment you would rather scroll.
A page before the feed. You choose the apps and websites that pull you away, and Apple Screen Time keeps them locked. To open them, read a printed page and take a live photo of the last page you read. The page is checked on your iPhone and the photo is never saved. Only the apps you chose are locked, never your phone. See read to unlock.
Pages become minutes. Your rule sets the trade, for example one page for 15 minutes in your apps. Minutes only run while you use the locked apps. Read more than the rule asks and the extra minutes wait in a bank for later that day.
A log that writes itself. Every step you read lands in your reading log on Today, and your week, month and year show up in Progress with your goal line, best day, best week and reading days.
Rewards that feel earned. A streak with one grace day a month, a daily page goal and 60 reading medals, from your first 100 pages to three secret medals in black gold.
Widgets and a reading clock. Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, a Read now control and a reading clock with a Live Activity on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island.
If you would rather only track at first, set the minutes in your rule to 0. ReadFirst then runs in Track only and every page counts for your book, goal and medals.
Bookmory vs Bookly vs StoryGraph
These three are often compared, and each one leans a different way. Here is the short version, based on their US App Store pages on 20 October 2026.
| Bookmory | Bookly | The StoryGraph | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leans toward | Private journal and log | Timer and session stats | Stats, discovery and community |
| Timer | Yes, with Lock Screen and Dynamic Island | Yes, with ambient sounds | Not mentioned |
| Social | None mentioned | Sharing only | Friends, buddy reads, book clubs |
| Import | CSV and Excel | Goodreads sync | Goodreads import, Kobo sync |
| Paid plan | $3.49 a month or $30.99 a year | From $4.99 a month | $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year |
Pick Bookmory for a quiet journal, Bookly for timed sessions and detailed stats (see our Bookly alternative page), and The StoryGraph for recommendations and book clubs (see StoryGraph alternative). None of the three locks other apps. ReadFirst is the option for when the problem is not the log but the phone.
Switching from Bookmory
ReadFirst does not import from Bookmory, so you start with the printed books you are reading now. Scan the barcode, photograph the cover, search by title or type it in. If you want to keep your journal, Bookmory can stay alongside ReadFirst.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Bookmory if:
- you want to journal about your reading
- you need import and export of your records
- you want detailed breakdowns by author, language or tag
Choose ReadFirst if:
- you mean to read and end up scrolling
- you read printed books and want pages to come before your apps
- you want a goal, streak, stats, widgets and medals with no account
Frequently asked questions
Is ReadFirst free like Bookmory?
No. ReadFirst has no free tier. On the US App Store it costs $39.99 a year with 3 days free for new subscribers, $7.99 a month, or $99.99 as a one-time purchase.
Bookmory has an app lock. Is that the same as ReadFirst?
No. Bookmory's app lock protects Bookmory itself with a password or Face ID. ReadFirst locks other apps you choose, like social media, until you read a page of a printed book.
Can I import my Bookmory data into ReadFirst?
No. ReadFirst has no import. You add the printed books you are reading by barcode, cover photo, title search or by typing them in.
Does ReadFirst work with e-books?
No. ReadFirst counts pages of printed books from a live photo, so e-books, PDFs and screens are not supported.