What is the best app to build a reading habit?

It depends on where you read. If you read ebooks on your phone, FirstPage is a reader with a daily goal and a streak, so your reading counts by itself. If you read paper books or on a Kindle, a tracker like Bookly, Bookmory or The StoryGraph lets you log it.

What is the difference between a reading tracker and a reading app?

A reading tracker, like Goodreads, The StoryGraph, Bookly or Bookmory, is where you log books and pages you read somewhere else. A reading app, like Kindle or FirstPage, is where you read. Trackers need you to remember to log; a reading app with goals counts as you read.

Is there a free reading habit app?

Yes. Goodreads is free with ads. Bookly, Bookmory, The StoryGraph, Fable and FirstPage all have free versions, with paid plans for extra features.

Do I have to lock my apps to use FirstPage?

No. The lock is optional. You can use FirstPage only as a reader with a daily goal, a streak and reminders, and turn the lock on later if scrolling keeps winning.

Guides

Reading habit apps

The best apps to build a reading habit in 2026

Updated October 23, 2026

The short version: if you read ebooks on your phone, FirstPage gives you a daily goal, a streak and the reader in one app, so the reading counts by itself. If you read paper books, Bookly or Bookmory time your sessions and keep a streak. The StoryGraph and Goodreads suit yearly goals and finding what to read next, and Fable suits book clubs.

We make FirstPage, so it’s on this list, and we say where the others suit you better.

Trackers and readers

Most reading habit apps are trackers: you read somewhere else, then open the app to log pages or start a timer. That works well for paper books. The weak spot is the logging itself, because the days you forget to log are often the days you didn’t read.

A reading app with habit tools works the other way round: you read inside it, and your goal, streak and stats fill in as you go. That suits ebooks, and it means the app can remind you of the book you were actually reading.

The apps, side by side

From each app's US App Store or Google Play listing, checked October 23, 2026. Prices change often.
App	Reader or tracker	Habit tools	Price (US)
FirstPage	Reader (EPUB, PDF)	Daily goal in pages or minutes, streak, reminders, stats, optional app lock	Free plan; Pro $6.99/mo or $49.99/yr
Bookly	Tracker	Timer, goals, streaks, reminders, stats	Free; Pro $29.99/yr
Bookmory	Tracker	Timer, daily and yearly goals, streaks, calendar	Free; Premium $30.99/yr
The StoryGraph	Tracker	Yearly goals, streaks, challenges, charts	Free; Plus $49.99/yr
Goodreads	Tracker	Yearly Reading Challenge	Free with ads
Fable	Tracker with a store	Goals, streaks, book clubs	Free; Fable Plus $49.99/yr
Kindle	Reader	Progress and highlights	Free; books extra

FirstPage: best if you read on your phone

FirstPage home screen: 7 of 10 pages read today, apps locked, 22-day streak — FirstPage: A reading habit app for Android. Screens from the app.

FirstPage is an ebook reader built around one daily goal in pages, minutes or both. Read in the app and the goal fills in as you turn pages; there is nothing to log. A streak counts your days, a brain mascot levels up as you read, and a weekly view puts your reading time next to your time on social apps. You can split the day into reading windows, each with its own goal and reminder.

Bring your own EPUB and PDF files or download free classics inside the app. It has five fonts, highlights in five colors, translation and read-aloud voices in six languages. If scrolling keeps winning, you can turn on the lock, which keeps the apps you pick closed until today’s goal is done. It’s optional: the goal, streak and reminders work without it.

Pick it if you read ebooks on an Android phone and want the goal and the book in one place.

Bookly: best reading timer for paper books

Bookly is a tracker: start its timer when you open a book, stop it when you’re done, and it builds streaks, goals and detailed stats from your sessions. The reading itself happens outside the app. Pro is $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year.

Pick it if you read paper books and like seeing your time add up.

Bookmory: best reading journal

Bookmory is a reading journal with a timer, daily and yearly goals, streaks and a calendar of what you read when. On iPhone the timer runs on the Lock Screen. Premium is $3.49 a month or $30.99 a year, the cheapest here.

The StoryGraph: best for goals and what to read next

The StoryGraph tracks yearly goals in books, pages or hours, with streaks, challenges and detailed charts, and it recommends books by mood. It has no timer. Plus is $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year.

Goodreads: best for the yearly challenge

Goodreads is the biggest book community, and its yearly Reading Challenge is the most common reading goal there is. It has no daily goal, timer or streak, so it suits a year-long target more than a daily routine. It’s free with ads.

Fable: best for book clubs

Fable combines goals and daily streaks with book clubs, and it sells ebooks you can read in the app. Fable Plus is $5.99 a month or $49.99 a year.

Kindle: best for reading what you buy

Kindle is a reader, not a habit app: it syncs your place and your highlights across devices, and you read what you buy from Amazon. If you want a daily goal on top, pair it with a tracker like Bookly.

Which one should you pick?

Ebooks on an Android phone, a daily goal: FirstPage.
Paper books, a timer and a streak: Bookly or Bookmory.
A yearly goal and recommendations: The StoryGraph or Goodreads.
Reading with other people: Fable.
Your phone keeps winning: see reading apps that also block social media.

App names are trademarks of their owners. FirstPage is not affiliated with any other app on this page. Details about other apps can change; this page was last checked on the date at the top.

Questions

What is the best app to build a reading habit?: It depends on where you read. If you read ebooks on your phone, FirstPage is a reader with a daily goal and a streak, so your reading counts by itself. If you read paper books or on a Kindle, a tracker like Bookly, Bookmory or The StoryGraph lets you log it.
What is the difference between a reading tracker and a reading app?: A reading tracker, like Goodreads, The StoryGraph, Bookly or Bookmory, is where you log books and pages you read somewhere else. A reading app, like Kindle or FirstPage, is where you read. Trackers need you to remember to log; a reading app with goals counts as you read.
Is there a free reading habit app?: Yes. Goodreads is free with ads. Bookly, Bookmory, The StoryGraph, Fable and FirstPage all have free versions, with paid plans for extra features.
Do I have to lock my apps to use FirstPage?: No. The lock is optional. You can use FirstPage only as a reader with a daily goal, a streak and reminders, and turn the lock on later if scrolling keeps winning.