Readwise, known for its read-it-later app and digital highlight tracking, has launched Readwise Books, a new app that combines an e-book store with a sophisticated reading tracker. Positioned as a hybrid between Amazon’s Kindle and Goodreads apps, Readwise Books allows users to purchase, read, and monitor books in one place. The app differentiates itself by offering detailed reading analytics such as words read, reading pace, depth, and immersion, providing a more comprehensive view of reading habits beyond just start and finish dates.

The app’s bookstore features millions of titles from major publishers in the U.S., with plans for international expansion. It also supports print book orders through Bookshop.org’s fulfillment and offers some audiobooks. This launch enters a competitive market where many new reading and book-tracking platforms aim to challenge Goodreads by enhancing discovery, organization, and community features. Readwise Books stands out by going further than most indie developers, as it directly competes with Amazon’s Kindle store, which currently dominates with an 83% share of the e-book market.

While Readwise doesn’t manufacture hardware like Kindle’s proprietary e-readers, it is building a reading ecosystem focused on user engagement. It provides tools to read purchased and uploaded e-books (including DRM-free EPUBs), track reading sessions with integrations such as Kindle’s Cloud Reader, and even capture progress via photos of physical books. The app includes text-to-speech functionality and encourages consistent reading through its data-driven approach, likening the experience to “Strava for reading” by making progress quantifiable and motivating without traditional gamification elements.

The company also plans to deploy AI features within the app, such as session summaries and interactive queries about the text, with HarperCollins as its first publishing partner to opt in. Unlike Goodreads’ closed environment, Readwise offers open APIs and support for AI agents that can enhance book recommendations and integration with personal websites or customized e-readers. Currently in beta and free to try by invite or for existing subscribers, some AI-enhanced capabilities will eventually require a subscription, with pricing for Readwise’s existing apps at $7.99 to $9.99 per month.