Readwise Launches Ebook Store and Reading Tracker App to Compete With Kindle and Goodreads

Readwise launched Readwise Books in November 2026, a new app that combines an ebook store, reading tracker, and AI-powered features in a direct challenge to Amazon’s Kindle and Goodreads platforms.

The bootstrapped company describes the app as “a cross between Kindle and the Goodreads apps,” offering a single place to buy, read, and track books. Its store carries millions of ebooks from the big five publishers and others, initially available in the U.S., with print books fulfilled through Bookshop.org’s distributor and some audiobooks also on offer.

Where Readwise Books aims to differentiate itself is in reading analytics. Rather than simply logging start and finish dates, the app tracks words read, pace, depth, immersion, and individual sessions — metrics the company compares to the running app Strava. Co-founders Daniel Doyon and Tristan Homsi wrote in a blog post that session tracking “makes the reading you’re doing legible,” citing user feedback that the approach has led people to read more without relying on streaks or goal-setting.

The app also supports reading outside its own ecosystem. Users can track Kindle sessions via the browser-based Cloud Reader, photograph physical books to log progress, upload DRM-free EPUB files, and use a built-in text-to-speech feature. A public API and an MCP server are available for developers and AI agent use cases.

AI features — including session recaps, translations, term lookups, and context-aware questions about the section being read — are available where publishers have opted in. So far, only HarperCollins has done so. Some AI features will eventually move behind a paywall, though the core app will remain free.

The launch comes as Amazon holds roughly 83% of the ebook market when its Kindle+ subscription service is included. Readwise Books is currently in beta and requires an invite, unless the user is already a Readwise subscriber.