Bookshop.org announced in 2025 that it would implement Kobo support that year, but the support was pushed back to an as-yet-unannounced future date, and many thought it would be put on hiatus indefinitely. This was primarily attributed to Bookshop.org changing the wording on its web page referencing Kobo support, removing “2026” and replacing it with “sometime in the future.”
Bookshop.org’s founder and CEO, Andy Hunter, told TechCrunch in an email that progress with Kobo has now been made. The web page has been updated, saying once again that support is expected to roll out “later this year.” “The Kobo integration is something both Kobo and Bookshop.org want to make happen,” Hunter said.
The delay has affected both the business and engineering aspects, and it is being handled to ensure compliance with publisher requirements for digital rights management. It required considerable time to finalize the business agreements and assign the necessary engineering personnel,” he stated. Hunter, whose company also competes with Amazon by offering physical books, says his engineers have been focusing on enhancing the mobile app launched about 15 months ago. Now, their focus is shifting back to Kobo support, though the timeline remains uncertain.
“We have recently agreed on business terms with Kobo, and we are optimistic that the partnership will take place, but we cannot guarantee a specific launch date until the engineering work is more advanced,” Hunter noted.
The anticipated launch could increase access to reading and support local Bookshop.org partner bookstores. From a market perspective, this is also a signal of Bookshop.org’s commitment to diversifying access to books and expanding compatibility with popular reading devices relied upon by thousands of readers. In the future, readers will be able to broaden their e-book selection, and independent bookstores will attract a new audience through the Kobo integration.