Readwise, the company behind a read-it-later service and a tool that collects highlights from different reading platforms, is moving into territory long dominated by Amazon. Its new app, Readwise Books, lets people buy e-books, read them and log their progress in one place.
According to a report by TechCrunch, the bootstrapped startup pitches the product as a blend of Kindle and Goodreads, two Amazon-owned services that together shape how millions of people buy and record their reading.
A Store, Reader and Tracker in One App
The Readwise Books store offers what the company calls millions of e-books, drawn from the big five publishers as well as other houses. It is launching in the U.S. first, with additional countries planned.
Print books are also available, shipped through the distributor used by Bookshop.org, along with a selection of audiobooks. Users can read purchased titles in the app or have them read aloud using text-to-speech.
Reading Stats Modeled on Fitness Apps
Where most book trackers record little beyond start dates and whether a title was finished, Readwise Books measures words read, pace, depth, immersion and individual reading sessions. The company compares the approach to Strava, the data-rich exercise app.
In a blog post, co-founders Daniel Doyon and Tristan Homsi argued that guilt rarely changes reading habits, but making existing reading visible can. As they put it, "that which is measured is improved."
The company says users frequently report reading more without relying on goals, streaks or schedules.
Tracking Books Beyond Readwise's Own Store
Readwise does not sell e-reader hardware, so the app is built to log reading done elsewhere. It can track sessions in Kindle's browser-based Cloud Reader, and users can photograph pages of physical books to record progress.
Readers can also upload DRM-free EPUB files, the common e-book format without copy protection. Social features let people share their progress with friends, part of an effort to build a reading community around the app.
AI Features Depend on Publisher Permission
The app supports AI tools including session recaps, definitions, term lookups, translations of words and phrases, and the ability to ask questions about the specific passage being read. These features only work where publishers allow them, and so far HarperCollins is the only one to opt in.
Readwise is also offering a public API and an MCP server, which let AI agents and developers tap into reading data. Possible uses include researching book recommendations, generating a reading page for a personal website or connecting a modified e-reader to log sessions automatically.
Pricing and Access
Readwise Books is free, though some AI features are expected to move behind a paywall later. The company's existing reading and highlights apps cost $7.99 per month each, or $9.99 per month as a bundle.
The app is in beta and requires an invitation, except for current Readwise subscribers.
What the Launch Signals for the Reading App Market
A wave of new book trackers has emerged to compete with Goodreads, adding book clubs, widgets, better discovery and habit tools. Far fewer independent developers have attempted to compete with Kindle's store, which holds an 83% market share when Kindle+ is counted.
Readwise's bet is that openness and deeper data can offset Amazon's end-to-end advantage, from devices to tracking. For founders, it is a test of whether a self-funded company can win readers in a market where one player controls most of the infrastructure.
Source: TechCrunch
