{"slug":"kindle-vs-kobo","question":"Kindle vs Kobo: Which E-Reader Should You Buy?","answer":"Choose a Kindle if you want Amazon's bookstore on a dedicated reader. The 6-inch Kindle starts at $149.99 with 16GB and up to 6 weeks of battery, and Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof with up to 12 weeks, from $199.99. Eligible US public-library Kindle books come through OverDrive. Choose a Kobo if you want EPUB on the device and built-in Libby browsing and borrowing. Kobo Clara BW is $159.99 and Kobo Libra Colour is $259.99. There is no winner.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"Best fit for Amazon's bookstore: Kindle. The 6-inch model starts at $149.99. Paperwhite is waterproof and has up to 12 weeks of battery, from $199.99. Eligible US public-library Kindle books come through OverDrive.\n\nBest fit for EPUB on the device and built-in Libby: Kobo. Clara BW is $159.99. Libra Colour adds a 7-inch color screen and page-turn buttons at $259.99. Libby browsing and borrowing is built in on Libra Colour, Clara Colour, Clara BW, Elipsa 2E, and Sage in the listed countries.\n\nThere is no single winner.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Bookstore","entityAValue":"Kindle store on the device","entityBValue":"Kobo Store on the device","winner":"tie"},{"label":"EPUB","entityAValue":"Send to Kindle accepts EPUB","entityBValue":"EPUB on the eReader","winner":"tie"},{"label":"Library loans","entityAValue":"US OverDrive loans. Checkout is on the library website","entityBValue":"Built-in Libby browsing and borrowing on listed models and countries","winner":"tie"},{"label":"Lowest new price","entityAValue":"6-inch Kindle from $149.99","entityBValue":"Clara BW $159.99. Refurbished from $79.99","winner":"tie"},{"label":"Color reader","entityAValue":"Colorsoft from $289.99","entityBValue":"Clara Colour $179.99, Libra Colour $259.99","winner":"tie"}],"winner":null,"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"Amazon Kindle","slug":"amazon-kindle","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/amazon-kindle","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/amazon-kindle"},{"name":"Rakuten Kobo","slug":"rakuten-kobo","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/rakuten-kobo","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/rakuten-kobo"}],"faqs":[{"question":"Can a Kindle open an EPUB file?","answer":"Send to Kindle accepts HTML, RTF, TXT, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, PDF, and EPUB. Web uploads are 200 MB or smaller, and the service is at no additional cost. A Kobo eReader supports EPUB, EPUB2, and EPUB3 on the device, plus PDF, FlePub, and MOBI."},{"question":"Can either reader borrow library books?","answer":"Eligible Kindle books can be borrowed from US public libraries through OverDrive. You need a library card and a PIN, you check the book out on the library website, and you send it to the Kindle. Libby by OverDrive on a Kobo eReader can browse, borrow, and place holds with a library card and Wi-Fi. That built-in feature covers Kobo Libra Colour, Clara Colour, Clara BW, Elipsa 2E, and Sage, among other models, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and several other countries. Libby may not be available at your library. Audiobooks borrowed through Libby cannot be played on Kobo eReaders."},{"question":"Which current models are waterproof?","answer":"Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof and has an adjustable warm light. Amazon lists Kindle Colorsoft as Waterproof (IPX8). Libra Colour, Clara Colour, Clara BW, and Sage are waterproof. Elipsa 2E is not waterproof."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/kindle-vs-kobo","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/kindle-vs-kobo), Choose a Kindle if you want Amazon's bookstore on a dedicated reader. The 6-inch Kindle starts at $149.99 with 16GB and up to 6 weeks of battery, and Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof with up to 12 week","dateModified":"2026-10-03T00:00:00.000Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/kindle-vs-kobo","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/kindle-vs-kobo","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/kindle-vs-kobo"}