If you’re the type to track your reading, set yourself monthly page-count challenges, and geek out over all kinds of stats, I’ve got some news you’ll love. Rakuten Kobo just announced an official partnership with StoryGraph, and the integration is arriving as early as June 2026 on all Kobo e-readers and apps.
TLDR: Rakuten Kobo is partnering with StoryGraph, the popular independent book-tracking platform, with integration rolling out in June 2026. Your reading progress will automatically sync from your Kobo e-reader or app to StoryGraph, including books purchased from the Kobo store and borrowed through OverDrive/Libby. Sideloaded books won’t sync, and the integration is one-way only (Kobo to StoryGraph). It’s free for all Kobo users and can be set up through your account settings on Kobo.com.
StoryGraph, what is it exactly?
For those who aren’t familiar, StoryGraph is an independent book-tracking and discovery platform launched in 2019. It’s often described as the alternative to Goodreads (Amazon’s service), and it’s better in quite a few ways.
The interface is cleaner, ad-free, and StoryGraph puts a strong emphasis on data analysis and recommendations based on your mood and reading preferences.
StoryGraph now has around 5 million users and even won an Apple App Store award in 2025. Not bad for an independent service.
When it comes to recommendations, StoryGraph relies on machine learning (so, AI) to suggest reads tailored to your tastes, rather than just pushing whatever’s on the bestseller lists.
That’s a big draw for readers who are tired of seeing the same popular titles recommended over and over.
What will actually change on my Kobo?
Starting in June, you’ll be able to link your Kobo account to a StoryGraph account. Once connected, syncing happens automatically. Here’s what’s planned:
When you open a book purchased on Kobo, it automatically appears on your “Currently Reading” shelf on StoryGraph. Your reading progress (as a percentage) syncs between both platforms.
And when you finish a book, it automatically switches to “Read” status on StoryGraph. All of this works for both ebooks and audiobooks.
It’s free, available to all Kobo e-reader owners and Kobo app users, and you can turn it off anytime if you change your mind.
Limitations to keep in mind
Before getting too excited, there are a few important things to be aware of.
First, the integration only works with content purchased or borrowed through your Kobo account. That includes books from the Kobo store and those borrowed via OverDrive/Libby, which is a nice surprise.
However, sideloaded books (added manually through Calibre or USB transfer, for example) won’t be synced. That’s a bummer, but it makes sense since Kobo doesn’t have account metadata for those files.
Another thing worth noting: highlights, notes, and reverse syncing (from StoryGraph to Kobo) are not supported. And if you disconnect your accounts, data already shared with StoryGraph won’t be deleted.
We also don’t know yet whether reading stats will be visible directly on the e-reader, or if you’ll need to go through the StoryGraph website or app to see them. For now, it looks like a one-way sync only.
How to link your account
The process is pretty straightforward. Just go to Kobo.com, sign into your account, and head to your account settings. Look for the “Integrations” section, select StoryGraph, and follow the steps to authorize the connection.
You’ll be redirected to StoryGraph to log in (or create an account if you don’t have one yet) and approve the link between the two services.
Here are the official instructions on Kobo’s website: https://help.kobo.com/hc/en-us/articles/40276991427223-Sync-your-Kobo-reading-progress-with-StoryGraph
Why this matters
I think this is a smart move from Kobo.
In a market dominated by Amazon and its Kindle/Goodreads ecosystem, offering an integration with an independent alternative that’s well-loved by the reading community is a strong signal.
It positions Kobo as a more open choice for readers who want to step outside the Amazon universe.
If you add to that the recent integration with Instapaper, you can tell Kobo is looking to build up the extra services around its e-readers.
Also, this will likely bring more users to StoryGraph (I’m not a user myself) and Instapaper (I am a user). Everybody should benefit here; users, the services, and Kobo.
That said, I also understand those who couldn’t care less. Not everyone wants to track their reading or get algorithmic recommendations. But for those who love that kind of feature, this is clearly great news.
See you in June to find out how it all works in practice…
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