Key facts
- Readwise Books combines an e-book store with reading tracking, which Readwise described as a cross between Kindle and Goodreads.
- Readwise said the store carries millions of ebooks from the big five publishers and others, initially in the US.
- The app tracks words read, pace, depth, immersion and sessions, which Readwise likened to a Strava for reading.
- Harper Collins is the only publisher that has opted in to the app's AI-powered features, according to the report.
- Readwise Books is free, with some AI features later going behind a paywall; the app is in beta and invite-only for non-subscribers.
Readwise, the maker of a read-it-later app and digital reading companion, launched Readwise Books, an e-book store that also tracks what readers have read, TechCrunch reported. The bootstrapped startup described the app as a cross between Kindle and the Goodreads apps, offering one place to buy, read and track books.
The app offers what Readwise called millions of ebooks from the big five publishers and others, initially in the US, with more countries to come. Print books, fulfilled by Bookshop.org's distributor, and some audiobooks are also available, the company said. Readwise Books aims to offer more detailed reading statistics than the dates a book was read and whether it was finished, letting readers see words read, pace, depth, immersion and sessions.
Readwise is not selling its own e-readers. The app tracks reading sessions through Kindle's browser-based Cloud Reader, lets users photograph physical books to mark progress, and accepts uploads of DRM-free EPUB files, a common e-book format without copy protection. It can read ebooks aloud via text-to-speech. Readwise likened its metrics to a Strava for reading.
In a blog post, co-founders Daniel Doyon and Tristan Homsi wrote: "The desire to read books, like exercising and eating well, is laden with guilt." They added that session tracking "makes the reading you're doing legible." The company said the most consistent feedback from users is that the app led them to read more without goal-setting, streaks or scheduling.
With publishers' permission, the app will support AI-powered features including session recaps, definitions and term lookups, translations, and questions about the part being read. Harper Collins is the only publisher to have opted in so far, according to the report. Readwise is also offering a public API and an MCP server, the latter supporting AI agents that could research book recommendations or log reading sessions.
The app will remain free, with some AI features later going behind a paywall. Readwise's prior apps for reading and tracking highlights cost $7.99 per month each, or $9.99 per month for both. Readwise Books is in beta and requires an invite unless the user is already a Readwise subscriber. The report said Amazon's Kindle remains the industry leader, with an 83% share of the market when Kindle+ (formerly Kindle Unlimited) is included.