App profile · Book Vitals Inc.
Basmo review: a reading journal that helps you remember the story
Basmo is a reading journal with session tracking, a highlight scanner for printed pages and Kindle highlight import, so your own notes are there when you come back. It scores 6.10 and ranks 5 of 7. Audiobook features are not described, and its privacy label is the heaviest in this set.
By The Margin Desk · Smart Bookmark Compare · Published 2026-10-08
Desk research from public App Store and Google Play listings and the app makers' own pages. Vendor facts read September 2026, updated 2026-10-11. Editorial assessment; we did not test the apps hands-on.
6.10 / 10
Rank 5 of 7 for picking up where you left off
Change the weights in the pick-up calculatorHow does Basmo help you pick a book back up?
A reading journal with session tracking: time your reading, scan highlights from printed pages, pull in Kindle highlights and write journal entries as you go.
Where does Basmo score well?
Does it work for print, ebooks and audiobooks?
| Print: lists and a page scanner for highlights | |
| Ebook | Ebooks: lists and Kindle highlight import |
| Audiobook | Audiobooks: tracked in your lists; no audio-specific tools described |
What does Basmo cost?
- Free to start
- Basmo PRO: $4.99 billed monthly or $39.99 billed annually, after a free 7-day trial (US App Store)
Source: Basmo, US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
How does Basmo score on each criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact place | 30% | 5 / 10 | Reading sessions with time tracking and a scheduler; your place is the page you log. Source: Basmo, US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Story recall | 20% | 8 / 10 | A reading journal, a highlight scanner for printed pages and Kindle highlight import. Source: Basmo website · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Print, ebook and audiobook | 10% | 8 / 10 | Lists for print books, ebooks and audiobooks, a page scanner for highlights and Kindle import; no audio-specific tools. Source: Basmo, US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 |
| Works with any book | 10% | 7 / 10 | Library lists and Kindle import; barcode scanning is not described on the pages we read. Source: Basmo, US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Phones and platforms | 10% | 7 / 10 | Android, and iPhone only on the App Store (no iPad version); no web app described. Source: Basmo, US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 |
| Price | 10% | 5 / 10Tied lowest | Premium is $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year, with several overlapping packs. Source: Basmo, US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Privacy | 10% | 3 / 10Tied lowest | The App Store label lists identifiers and usage data used to track you, plus contact info and user content linked to you. Source: Basmo, US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 |
What is it good at, and where does it fall short?
Good at
- The fullest set of your-own-notes tools here: journal, print highlight scanner and Kindle highlights.
- Session timer and scheduler suit readers who read in planned blocks.
Falls short
At least one app scores higher on: Exact place, Story recall, Print, ebook and audiobook, Works with any book, Phones and platforms, Price, Privacy
- No audiobook-specific tools, and the App Store version was last updated in May 2023.
- The heaviest privacy label in this set: identifiers used to track you and data used for third-party advertising.
Key facts
| Sessions | Reading time tracking, a reading session scheduler and a daily goal tracker. Source: Basmo, US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| Journal and highlights | Reading journal, highlight scanner and Kindle import. Source: Basmo website · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Sync | Kindle and Notion sync; a quote editor for shareable designs. Source: Basmo, US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Export | Export through the in-app share feature. Source: Basmo FAQ · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Formats | "Custom reading lists for all your print books, ebooks, and audiobooks." Source: Basmo, US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 |
| Last App Store update | Version 2.8.57, dated 5 May 2023. Source: Basmo, US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 |
| Barcode scanning | Not published Source: Basmo website (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 |
| Privacy label | Data used to track you: identifiers and usage data. Data linked to you: contact info, user content, identifiers, usage data and diagnostics. Source: Basmo, US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 |
How does Basmo compare head to head?
- Basmo 6.10, Bookly 6.90Basmo or Bookly?
- Basmo 6.10, Fable 5.60Basmo or Fable?
- Basmo 6.10, Goodreads 5.40Basmo or Goodreads?
- Basmo 6.10, Literal 6.20Basmo or Literal?
- Basmo 6.10, Magic Bookmark 7.10Basmo or Magic Bookmark?
- Basmo 6.10, The StoryGraph 6.40Basmo or The StoryGraph?
Frequently asked questions
How much does Basmo cost?
Free to start; Basmo PRO: $4.99 billed monthly or $39.99 billed annually, after a free 7-day trial (US App Store).
Does Basmo work on Android?
Yes. Platforms: iPhone (the App Store says "Only for iPhone") and Android.
Can Basmo find my place in an audiobook?
Audiobooks: tracked in your lists; no audio-specific tools described.