Kindle suits readers whose books already live in an Amazon account and want a wide choice of models, from the small Kindle to the colour Colorsoft and the Scribe for writing. Kobo suits readers who borrow from their local library, because Kobo builds OverDrive and Libby borrowing into the device itself. If you live in Amazon's world, pick Kindle; if the library is your bookshop, look hard at Kobo.
E-readers look almost identical in photos, so the real differences are in where your books come from. I read Amazon's Kindle e-readers and Send to Kindle pages and Rakuten Kobo's own product pages for the Clara BW and Libra Colour.
Kindle and Kobo compared
| Kindle | Kobo | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Amazon | Rakuten Kobo |
| Models named | Kindle, Paperwhite, Colorsoft, Scribe | Clara BW, Clara Colour, Libra Colour, Elipsa 2E |
| Library books | Not covered on the pages I read | OverDrive and Libby built in (select countries) |
| Your own files | Send to Kindle takes EPUB, PDF, Word files and more | Not covered on the pages I read |
| Waterproof | Paperwhite and Colorsoft | Clara BW and Libra Colour (IPX8) |
| Audiobooks | Not covered on the pages I read | Kobo Audiobooks over Bluetooth |
What Kindle offers
Amazon's e-reader page lays out a whole family: the compact Kindle with a 6 inch screen, the Paperwhite with a 7 inch waterproof screen, a Signature Edition with auto-adjusting light and no ads, the colour Kindle Colorsoft, and the Kindle Scribe for writing. Amazon sells them as an escape from the scroll: no notifications, no emails, no feed, and weeks between charges.
Send to Kindle is the feature I'd point out to anyone with their own documents. Amazon's page lists the file types it accepts, including PDF, Word files, plain text and EPUB, and you can send from the web, your phone, email or a Chrome extension.
The Kindle Scribe is the odd one out in Amazon's line-up. Amazon pitches the family at people who read or write, and the Scribe is its writing model, so if writing on the screen appeals to you, that's where Kindle stands apart.
What Kobo offers
Kobo's pages focus on reading comfort and freedom. The Clara BW has a 6 inch E Ink screen, ComfortLight PRO to cut blue light, Dark Mode and full IPX8 waterproofing. The Libra Colour adds a colour screen, more storage and support for the Kobo Stylus 2, which is sold separately.
Both models play Kobo Audiobooks through Bluetooth headphones, link to StoryGraph to track your reading and save web articles with Instapaper. Kobo also says its readers are repairable and made with recycled and ocean-bound plastic.
The library detail that settles it for many readers
Kobo's pages say you can borrow eBooks straight from your local library on the device, through OverDrive and Libby, in the countries where it's available. If you read a lot and borrow most of it, that's a big reason to choose Kobo. Amazon's e-reader pages don't mention library borrowing, so check your own library's options before you decide.
Going the other way, Send to Kindle accepts EPUB files as well as PDF and Word documents, so books and files from outside Amazon can still reach your Kindle library.
Who each e-reader suits
Kindle suits people who already read Kindle books, want lots of models to choose from, or like the idea of writing on a Scribe. Kobo suits library borrowers, audiobook listeners who want one device, and anyone who cares that their reader can be repaired. If you're writing a book of your own, my book writing prompts and this guide on how content skills help you write a book are good next reads.
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My advice on Kindle or Kobo
Start with where your books come from now. If most of them are already in your Amazon account, a Kindle is the easy, sensible choice. If you borrow from the library or want audiobooks on the same device, try a Kobo and set up library borrowing on day one. Either way, pick the screen size you'll carry, not the biggest one you can find.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you borrow library books on a Kobo?
Yes. Kobo says you can borrow eBooks from your local library through OverDrive and Libby, in the countries where it's available.
Can a Kindle read EPUB files?
You can send EPUB files to your Kindle library with Send to Kindle, which also accepts PDF, Word and text files.
Are Kobo e-readers waterproof?
Yes. Kobo says the Clara BW and Libra Colour meet IPX8, waterproof for up to 60 minutes in up to 2 metres of water.
Does Kobo play audiobooks?
Yes. Kobo's readers play Kobo Audiobooks through Bluetooth headphones or speakers, in select countries.
Which Kindle has a colour screen?
Amazon's colour model is the Kindle Colorsoft, with a 7 inch paper-like colour display.
