A free Hardcover alternative with your library and your book club
Track your reading, scan the books you own, save quotes from the page and read together with a club that has a plan. Every feature is free.
Pemberley is a free book app for iPhone that tracks your reading alongside the books you own. Scan your shelves, save quotes from a photo of the page, time your reading and run a book club with a reading plan. Every feature is free, with no paid tier.
| Feature | Pemberley | Hardcover |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Pemberley: Every feature free, no ads | Hardcover: Free with no banner ads, plus a paid tier (Supporter) |
| Who makes it | Pemberley: Independent, from Seth Parmenter LLC | Hardcover: Independent, from Hardcover LLC, since 2021 |
| Where it runs | Pemberley: iPhone (Android on the way) | Hardcover: Web, iPhone and Android |
| Import | Pemberley: Goodreads, Libby and Kindle | Hardcover: Goodreads and StoryGraph |
| Export your data | Pemberley: Yes | Hardcover: Yes |
| Add books by barcode | Pemberley: Yes, even offline | Hardcover: Yes |
| Reading status | Pemberley: Want, Reading, Finished, Dropped | Hardcover: Want to Read, Reading, Read, Paused, DNF |
| Ratings | Pemberley: Half stars | Hardcover: Half stars |
| Privacy | Pemberley: Any single book, or your whole shelf | Hardcover: Each book, list and goal: public, followers or private |
| Series | Pemberley: Yes, with what’s next in the series | Hardcover: Yes |
| Quotes and notes | Pemberley: Yes, including from a photo of the page | Hardcover: Yes, in a reading journal |
| Reading streaks | Pemberley: Yes | Hardcover: Yes |
| Yearly reading goal | Pemberley: Yes | Hardcover: Yes, in books, pages or hours |
| Reading stats | Pemberley: Yes, all free | Hardcover: Yes, with advanced stats for Supporters |
| Year in review | Pemberley: Your month and year, played back as a story | Hardcover: A yearly Wrapped |
| Recommendations | Pemberley: From your own shelves, each with a reason | Hardcover: Vibes lists, plus Match % for Supporters |
| Moods and content warnings | Pemberley: Not offered | Hardcover: Yes |
| Book clubs | Pemberley: Clubs with a reading plan by week, chapter or part | Hardcover: Not yet (book discussions are in progress) |
Based on Hardcover’s FAQ, roadmap, developer docs and store listings as of November 2026. Apps change. If something here is out of date, tell us at support@getpemberley.com and we’ll fix it.
What you can do in Pemberley
- Run a book club with a reading plan and a reminder before each section
- Scan your home library by barcode, even offline
- Lend and borrow books, with due dates
- Save quotes from a photo of the page
- Time your reading, with rain, waves or a fire in the background
- See your year in covers and play it back as a story
- Every feature free, with no paid tier
What readers love about Hardcover
Hardcover is an independent Goodreads alternative, founded in 2021 and “built for readers, not algorithms.” Readers love its detailed tracking, its moods and content warnings, privacy for every book, and an open API for people who like to build their own tools. It’s free, with no banner ads, and a Supporter tier for people who want more stats.
Every feature, free
Pemberley has no paid tier and no ads. Stats, clubs, quotes and everything else on this page are yours from the first scan. Here’s how that works: books you don’t own yet have a link to buy them on Amazon, and when you use one, we earn a small commission at no cost to you. That’s the only way Pemberley makes money, and nothing about you or your reading is sold.
Moving over
Download Pemberley and sign in with Apple.
If you keep a Goodreads shelf, bring it over from there. Pemberley reads Goodreads, Libby and Kindle files.
Scan the rest of your shelves, and start a club with your friends.
Questions
Can I import my Hardcover library?
Not yet. Pemberley imports from Goodreads, Libby and Kindle today. If you kept a Goodreads shelf, that’s the quickest way over.
Can I keep some books private?
Yes. Any single book can be private, and you choose who sees your shelf: anyone, people you follow, or just you.
Is Pemberley free?
Yes, every feature, with no ads. When you buy a book through one of our Amazon links, we earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Make reading easy again.
