Amazon has led the way with its Kindle lineup when it comes to reading e-books and interacting digitally with our favorite stories. The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is one of the most popular e-readers on the market and has been since its release. The best Kindles have a lot to offer, but not everyone wants to buy an Amazon product. If you’re one of those people, you may be wondering what the best Kindle alternatives may be. There are quite a few brands out there making quality e-readers, and we’ve tested them out. In the process, we’ve selected five of the best Kindle alternatives.
Best overall Kindle alternative
Boox Go Color 7
- Color e-ink screen
- Sleek design
- Gyro sensor changes screen orientation
- Expandable storage via microSD
- Full Android support
- Excellent battery life
- No headphone jack
- Some features only work in the Neo Reader app
| Specification: | |
| Size | 156mm x 137mm x 6.4mm |
| Weight | 195g |
| Display size | 7 inches |
| Storage | 64GB |
| Access to Kindle Store | Yes (but no purchasing) |
The Boox Go Color 7 is our pick for best overall Kindle alternative. With a gorgeous 7-inch ePaper screen, support for over 20 file formats including PDF, EPUB, MOBI, and TXT, and its own reading app, it's a worthy contender.
This e-reader has full Android support, so you can run most Android apps on it, though the ePaper screen's slow refresh rate will be limiting for some apps. The display's pale yellow hue is more comfortable on the eyes for reading than a tablet's night or reading mode, and lefties will appreciate the option to change screen orientation thanks to the built-in gyroscope.
The proprietary Neo Reader app is loaded with features such as an in-built dictionary and notebook, with dedicated modes for comics and articles, dividing the page into sections with magnified versions for easy reading. That said, many of the excellent features included here are limited to the reader app and can't be used with other apps like the Kindle app.
Speaking of, though you can read your currently owned Kindle books on the app, you can no longer purchase new books through the app. To buy books from Amazon, you'll need to purchase them on your PC then deliver them to the Kindle cloud before downloading them to your device. That can be a bit of a hassle, if you buy all your books from Amazon. It's easy to access other e-book stores, such as the Google Play Store.
With solid battery life, 64GB of onboard storage, and a wide range of settings to personalize your reading experience, the Boox Go Color 7 is an excellent Kindle alternative, provided you're flexible about where you get your e-books from. For those who read a lot of comics, it's also a great choice.
Best budget Kindle alternative
Amazon Fire 7
- Excellent battery life
- Access to Kindle store and app
- Low cost
- Portable
- Optimized for streaming
- Great if you're not a fan of e-ink screens
- Fire OS software
- Long charge times
- Poor display and cameras
- Still an Amazon product
| Specification: | |
| Size | 180.68mm x 117.59mm x 9.67mm |
| Weight | 282g |
| Display size | 7 inches |
| Storage | 16GB, 32GB |
| Access to Kindle Store | Yes |
If you're on a budget but want to read Kindle books on your device without shelling out for an e-ink Kindle device, the Amazon Fire 7 (2022) is a fantastic buy.
This Amazon tablet supports a huge range of e-book formats including Kindle's AZW, AZW3, and KFX, plus EPUB, PDF, TXT, and more. Amazon removed support for MOBI files in 2022, but there are ways around this that aren't too cumbersome. Books look great on the colorful 7-inch display, and though the resolution isn't the sharpest, it's not a bad screen for the sub-$100 price and is ideal if you don't like e-ink screens.
The Fire 7 packs 16GB or 32GB of storage, plenty for all your books and apps, with a microSD card slot offering expansion to 1TB. Battery life runs around 10 hours, though the 5W charging is painfully slow, taking upward of four hours to reach full capacity. You'll likely need to resort to overnight charging so it's always good to go.
This isn't the best buy for productivity or playing the latest games. The processor can be sluggish, but the tablet handles most simple tasks — including browsing the web, basic word processing, and streaming — with ease. It runs Fire OS, which generally feels clunky. There's no connection to the Google Play Store, so support for many popular Android apps is sadly lacking. Google apps also don't work amazingly on the tablet, so if you're a regular Maps or YouTube user, this could pose an issue.
Negatives aside, the Fire 7 is a perfectly good, portable tablet for a great price. Yes, it's still an Amazon product, but with excellent battery life, decent everyday performance, and a colorful display — plus a 3.5mm headphone jack — it's the best budget Kindle alternative out there.
Best premium Kindle alternative
Apple iPad Mini (2024)
- Pocketable size and gleefully light
- Battery life gives you hours of reading
- Powerful A17 Pro silicon
- Sharp, colorful display
- Better aspect ratio than other iPads
- Liquid retina display is harder on the eyes than e-ink
- Screen should be brighter
- More expensive than most Kindles
- Apple Intelligence is still half-baked
| Specification: | |
| Size | 195.4mm x 134.8mm x 6.3mm |
| Weight | 293g |
| Display size | 8.3 inches |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB |
| Access to Kindle Store | Yes |
The Apple iPad mini (2024) is our pick for best premium Kindle alternative. True, it may be pricey, but you get a sharp, colorful 8.3-inch display that's great for reading comics and graphic novels, outstanding battery life for hours of reading, and all the storage you could ever need — though this isn't expandable.
The iPad mini supports EPUB, PDF, and MOBI files, with EPUB the default format for most Google Play books. You can download the Kindle app to read all your Kindle titles on your iPad, but to purchase Kindle books, you'll need to buy them from Amazon on your computer, then download them via the Kindle app.
If we had to say anything negative about the iPad mini, it's that the gorgeous Liquid Retina display is harder on the eyes than an e-ink display, with night mode running warmer than most e-ink screens. That said, if you're not a fan of e-ink for whatever reason, or you want to use your device for gaming, productivity, and streaming as well as reading, the iPad mini is an excellent buy.
This little tablet packs a powerful A17 Pro chip for multitasking and productivity, is light and compact enough to throw into a bag or backpack, and, in our opinion, is the perfect size for reading.
Best big-screen Kindle alternative
Apple iPad Air (2024)
- Expansive colorful display is great for graphic novels
- Thin, light, and portable
- 128GB minimum storage
- Great for games and video
- Easy access to the Kindle app and store
- Good for general work with a keyboard
- Liquid Retina display is more tiring on the eyes than e-ink
- Slow charging
- 60Hz screen
| Specification: | |
| Size | 247.6mm x 178.5mm x 6.1mm |
| Weight | 462g |
| Display size | 11 inches (also available in 13 inches) |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB |
| Access to Kindle Store | Yes |
If you find yourself squinting at smaller e-readers or just want to read your books or graphic novels on a huge screen, the iPad Air (2024) is the device to grab. With its expansive, colorful 11-inch (or 13-inch) display, everything looks great, from your favorite novels to the latest Netflix shows.
Despite its size, the iPad Air is surprisingly portable thanks to its slim, light construction. It supports most e-book formats including EPUB, MOBI, and PDF, so you can download books from a variety of stores including Amazon and the Google Play Store. Kindle books can be purchased on Amazon or your computer then downloaded for reading in the Kindle app.
There's plenty of storage space for all your books, movies, photos, and more, with up to 1TB of storage (though that's not expandable). The iPad Air is a great choice if you're planning on using your device for productivity, too. The powerful M2 chip ensures multitasking is a breeze, and you can attach a keyboard (sold separately) for work.
The iPad Air (2024) isn't perfect, though. That 60Hz display isn't the most fluid around, charging is slow at just over two hours to full from empty, and you may not find the Liquid Retina display as comfortable for night-time reading as e-ink displays. That said, long battery life, a powerful processor, a huge display and wide support for e-book formats makes up for these shortcomings, ensuring the iPad Air (2024) has earned its crown as our best big-screen Kindle alternative.
Best note-taking Kindle alternative
Kobo Elipsa 2E
- Bright and clear display
- In-book annotations
- Big list of supported files
- Google Drive and Dropbox integration
- Weeks of battery life
- Stylus needs separate charging
- Sluggish performance in areas
- Dodgy exporting
| Specification: | |
| Size | 227.3mm x 192.8mm x 7.9mm |
| Weight | 390g |
| Display size | 10.3 inches |
| Storage | 32GB |
| Access to Kindle Store | No |
The Kobo Elipsa 2E is our best note-taking Kindle alternative, but it's more than just that. This e-reader supports a wide range of file types and, though the main way to get books is via the Kobo Store, Google Drive and Dropbox are integrated, too. That makes it easy to link your device to either app, drop e-books into the "Rakuten Kobo" folder and download them to your device. For Kindle books, you'll likely need to use an app to remove Digital Rights Management (DRM) from your files before transferring them.
Ease of transferring e-books aside, the Kobo Elipsa 2E has a bright, clear 10.3-inch e-ink display that's a great size for reading comics. If you regularly read in bed, this device might not be the best option for you as that larger screen can feel cumbersome, and it's not the greatest for one-handed use either.
There are all the usual e-reader features you'd expect, such as dark mode, changing fonts and font sizes, adjustable color temperature and brightness, and more, though dark mode doesn't activate automatically. The included stylus feels natural to use and makes it easy to take notes or make in-book annotations. You can choose from classic or advanced notebooks, with the latter allowing you to add diagrams, drawings, and the like.
Battery life lasts for weeks of reading, and 32GB of onboard storage should be enough for most bookworms, though if you download a lot of audiobooks or comics, you may find the space fills up fast, and there's no microSD card slot here.
The negatives? This e-reader can suffer from sluggish performance at times, exporting files can be dodgy, and the stylus needs to be charged separately from the device. However, it's still a fantastic e-reader for the price, and you'll be pushed to find a better note-taking alternative to the Kindle Scribe.
What to consider when buying Kindle alternatives
There are plenty of things you'll want to consider when shopping for a Kindle alternative. From display size and portability to battery life and access to the Kindle store or Google Play Store, we've got answers to your most frequently asked questions.
What display size is best for you?
While the latest Kindle Paperwhite, Oasis, and Colorsoft all sport a 7-inch screen, you'll find other tablets and e-readers on the market with larger displays. How do you decide what display size works best for your needs?
This will largely come down to portability, and what else you intend to use your e-reader or tablet for. If you're looking for a device for general productivity and streaming as well as reading, a larger 11-inch or 13-inch display, like that of the iPad Air (2024), should suit your needs.
If all you plan on doing is working your way through your to-be-read (TBR) list then you might favor portability over display size. You'll want to consider whether you like to read in bed, too. The Boox Go Color 7's 7-inch screen is the perfect size for reading, and it's small enough to slip into a bag for traveling. If you prefer a larger display, the Kobo Elipsa 2E's 10.3-inch screen ensures it's still compact enough for reading during your commute, though it may not be the best option for bedtime reading.
If you'll mostly use your e-reader or tablet for reading, but intend to occasionally stream content or reply to emails, the iPad mini (2024) treads a solid middle ground. Its 8.3-inch display is the perfect size for reading, but is also large enough to comfortably stream content or get some work done on the go.
What's your budget?
Everyone's budget is different, and the good news is that you don't have to spend a fortune to pick up a great Kindle alternative. Those on a tight budget can grab an Amazon Fire 7 for $60, while anyone with a bit more to spend who prefers the Apple ecosystem can pick up an iPad Air (2024) for $499.
To determine how much you should spend on your Kindle alternative, think about how you'll use the device. You might already have a tablet or laptop that you use for work, productivity, and streaming. In that case, a dedicated e-reader likely makes the most sense, and you can pick up the Boox Go Color 7 for $250.
If you want the latest apps and features, but you don't already have access to a tablet at home, you'll probably want to spend a bit more on an all-in-one device for reading, productivity, work, and streaming. The iPad Mini (2024) or iPad Air (2024) cover all bases here, with excellent battery life, bright, colorful displays, and access to the Kindle store.
Do you need access to the Kindle store?
To answer this question, think about where you shop for your e-books, and what format they're usually in. The most widely-supported format is EPUB, with most e-readers also supporting PDFs. Amazon Kindle books are generally in AZW or MOBI format, with KFX used on some newer Kindles.
That means if you want to read Amazon Kindle books on your e-reader or tablet, you'll need to convert them to the right format — and they come with Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection, which may mean you'll have to remove that using an app before transferring the file to your device. You may also need to connect your device to your computer to transfer purchased Kindle books to your e-reader.
That's because it's not possible to access the Kindle store on every device. Generally speaking, Android and Apple tablets will allow you to access the Kindle app and Amazon website (for purchasing new books) as you would through your phone. This goes for other apps too, like the Google Play Store. Amazon's Fire tablets also allow easy access to Amazon and the Kindle app for purchasing and reading.
Other e-readers may have their own native apps. For example, the Boox Go Color 7 has its proprietary Neo Reader app. However, you can't buy books from Amazon directly from the device. You'll need to purchase Kindle books on your computer, and then download them to your device.
It's often the case that Kindle alternatives like the Boox Go Color 7 support a wider range of e-book formats than Kindle devices, so if your heart isn't set on reading Kindle books, you'll be able to download e-books from a greater variety of stores.
If access to the Kindle store on your device is a must, the Amazon Fire 7 is a great budget pick. If you've more to spend, the latest iPad mini or iPad Air both allow you to purchase and read Google Play and Kindle books — as well as e-books from a variety of sources — directly on your device.
Which features are essential and which could you live without?
Which features you're willing to sacrifice mainly comes down to budget and how you'll use your e-reader or tablet. If you plan on purchasing a Kindle alternative simply for reading the latest thrillers or fantasy epics, there's little point spending upward of $400 on the latest iPad Air or iPad mini.
If, however, you want access to features for work and productivity, such as Apple or Android apps — or if you're planning on gaming or streaming, you might want to opt for a tablet over an e-reader.
You'll also want to think about e-reader-specific features that you can't live without. This could include an e-ink screen, a color display — great if you read a lot of graphic novels or manga — access to the Kindle app and store, and so on. If you're a lefty, you might want an e-reader with a gyro sensor to change screen orientation, such as the Boox Go Color 7, while those who want to take notes on their e-reader might need one with an included stylus, such as the Kobo Elipsa 2e.
We recommend making a list of the essential features you can't live without, and a separate list of nice-to-have features, before shopping for your Kindle alternative.
How we test
We love to read as much as the next bookworm, and we’ve put a lot of e-book readers to use because of it. When considering the best Kindle alternatives we leaned on our knowledge of the Kindle lineup and what makes it so popular. We compared those features to other e-readers, and came away with a the list of the best Kindle alternatives you’ll find above. We placed a strong emphasis on e-readers we’ve used ourselves, with a secondary emphasis on affordability, screen resolution, and battery life, as we feel these areas are important when it comes to choosing an e-reader that makes for one of the best Kindle alternatives.
Why trust us
We here at Digital Trends are some of the biggest nerds you'll ever meet. As such, we have an enormous love for all areas of tech, and make sure that anyone who writes for us is as knowledgeable as they are enthusiastic. Digital Trends has years and years of experience working with multiple tech brands, not only reviewing products but working with them to report their latest announcements, and sometimes, yes, tearing their products to pieces if they aren't very good. We strive to be as objective as it's possible to be as regards a product's quality, while also never forgetting that which makes tech truly special: The joy it brings us all.
