Unlike WhatsApp, Facebook or Messenger, which route what you do through accounts and remote servers, BookStash keeps everything on the phone. It is a reader and library for web fiction and books, written by eirthae and released under GPL-3.0-only. Version 0.8.29 needs Android 5.1 or newer and takes up 5.9 MB.
A library with no server behind it
The defining fact is that your device is the database. BookStash stores works in an on-device database, does its own downloading, and has no central server. Nothing about what you read leaves the phone.
Backing up, exporting and moving the data is left to you, which fits the developer's principle that the library should never sit on someone else's computer. The app is free, has no ads and carries no paywalled features.
A typical session across three shelves
The Library holds downloaded works on three shelves: fanfic, web serials and books. Works are grouped by fandom or series, and you can search or filter by including and excluding tags.
Discover tracks tags from supported sources and surfaces new matching works on each sync. You can filter by completion status and set excluded tags for each shelf. The store text also describes a reader with adjustable fonts that remembers your place and moves between chapters and works in a series. A What's New view lists newly fetched and saved works, and Series lets you follow a series and pull every work in it.
Sources named in the description are Archive of Our Own, Royal Road and Scribble Hub, plus book metadata from public catalogues. Each device fetches only its owner's library, at a rate-limited pace.
How it differs from the listed alternatives
The alternatives on this page are WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, Google Photos, X and Aegis Authenticator. Most are messaging, social or photo apps, so they solve different problems. BookStash is closest to Aegis Authenticator in one respect only: both are about keeping personal data under your own control rather than in a hosted account.
As a reading tool it has no accounts, no subscription and no tracking, which the listed social apps do not claim. The trade-off is maturity. The developer describes the project as early development with rough edges while features stabilise.
What's new in 0.8.29
Version 0.8.29 was released and updated on September 9, 2026.
BookStash pros and cons
Pros
- Everything is stored in an on-device database, with no central server
- Free under GPL-3.0-only, with no ads and no paywalled features
- Three shelves for fanfic, web serials and books, with include/exclude tag filters
- Discover tracks tags and surfaces new matching works on each sync
- Small 5.9 MB download that runs on Android 5.1 and newer
Cons
- The developer calls it early development, so rough edges are expected
- Supported sources are limited to those named, such as Archive of Our Own, Royal Road and Scribble Hub
- Backups and exports are your responsibility, since no server holds a copy
Is BookStash safe?
The checksum for BookStash 0.8.29 is SHA-256 013759fccf87d287c506eb2541a3ac95e179822416b79ba585724e630be81182, so you can compare it with the file you download. The code is public on GitHub under GPL-3.0-only, which means anyone can read how the library and sync work. The app carries no ads, and the developer states that nothing about what you read leaves the device. Because the version number is still below 1.0, export your library now and then to keep your own backup.
How to install BookStash
- Download the APK with the button on this page and wait for it to finish.
- Compare the file with the SHA-256 checksum shown here if you want to confirm it arrived intact.
- Open the file on your phone and allow installs from this source when Android asks.
- Finish the install, then open BookStash from your app drawer.
