Kobo is finally copying one of Kindle’s biggest ecosystem advantages

Goodreads integration has been one for a long time Kindle’s ecosystem benefits are few. Meanwhile, Kobo users have mostly struggled to manually update third-party reading trackers or rely on cumbersome workarounds. That’s changing very soon thanks to Kobo’s newly announced partnership with StoryGraph.

Starting in June, Kobo users will be able to connect their Kobo device to the StoryGraph platform. Recently opened books will automatically appear in users’ Now Reading shelves, and reading progress percentages will be synced between the Kobo and StoryGraph platforms. Likewise, completing a title on Kobo will automatically mark it as “Read” in StoryGraph, and star ratings will be synced as well. If users want more nuanced control, they will still be able to manually edit notes within StoryGraph. The new integration will support all Kobo account-based content, including both e-books and audiobooks.

For Kobo users, it’s a pretty meaningful quality of life upgrade, and one that’s been in demand Reddit threads for years. Many consider auto-follow to be one of the Kindle’s few remaining ecosystem advantages. The move feels very on-brand for Kobo, too. While Amazon’s Kindle ecosystem continues to feel increasingly closed, Kobo consistently offers a more flexible yet equally comprehensive alternative.

StoryGraph, meanwhile, has built a strong reputation for analytics and personalized recommendations. It also offers motivational and community features such as reading lines, challenges, and book clubs. Automatic syncing should make all these features feel more seamless to Kobo users and help make the Kobo ecosystem feel even more complete.