As the new Kindle Paperwhite 4 and Kobo Forma released recently, many ebook lovers may be thinking of upgrading their older eReader models to the new one. Selecting the right eReader can be a real headache for many of us. Kindle and Kobo are always each other's biggest competitor no mater on eBook or device. Today, I will compare Kindle and Kobo on both eBooks and devices to see which eBook store should we purchase eBooks while which eReader is better to pick up. Kindle vs. Kobo, which is the winner?
Kindle vs. Kobo: eBooks
Let's compare the main elements that will affect customers' options at first to see which eBooks stores are more welcome by eBook lovers.
Amazon Kindle eBooks |
Kobo eBooks |
|
Titles |
Amazon has far more in-copyright eBooks than any other eBookstore. You can find many eBooks that you cannot find on other eBooks stores. An important reason that Amazon has more Kindle titles than other ebook stores is because it allows users to self-publish eBooks. |
Although Kobo has more than 6 million titles, it still can not outnumber the Amazon Kindle ebook titles. Kobo also has its own self-publishing service called Writing life, but this service is not as popular as Kindle's. |
Subscription service |
Amazon offers different subscription services, such as Kindle unlimited, Prime reading ect. which enable you to access many books without purchasing it. |
For subscription service, Kobo also offers Kobo plus subscription service, but it is only available in Netherlands and Belgium. |
Deals |
Compared with other eBooks stores, Amazon always provides the eBooks at the cheapest price. It is easy to get best deals on Amazon website as Amazon offers discounted eBooks daily for “Kindle Daily Deals”. What’s more, you can also get free Kindle books from Amazon Kindle store easily and legally. |
You can also find up to 80% off copuons to get a very good deal on Kobo website. But most of their books are not as cheap as Amazon Kindle eBooks. |
Customer service |
Amazon Kindle service is second to none. It allows you to return a purchased eBook for any reason. What a brilliant service! |
Kobo also allows you to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the order placed. |
eBook format |
Amazon Kindle eBooks use its exclusive ebook formats, like AZW, kfx, azw3, mobi, prc ect. which are only supported by Kindle related devices and reader apps. |
Kobo employs epub, pdf and kepub as their eBook formats. Kepub is their proprietary eBook format which are supported only by Kobo device and apps. |
DRM |
Kindle eBooks are protected by its own Kindle DRM. |
Kobo eBooks are protected by Adobe adept DRM or Kobo DRM. |
After the comparison of the main elements of these two eBook stores, it is clear that there are many advantages to purchase eBooks from Amazon Kindle store. I am more certain of this prediction when I read the post on some eBook forums. Most of users will consider price as the key factor when purchasing eBooks. As they can always find better deals at Amazon Kindle ebook stores, most of them prefer to purchasing ebooks on Amazon Kindle eBook store. Therefore, Amazon Kindle store becomes the top priority and is ranked 1st among all eBook stores.
Kindle vs Kobo: Devices
Besides the eBooks, both Amazon Kindle and Kobo store sell eReaders. These two eReaders are the most popular eReaders on the market and have achieved nearly 95% market share. As there are so many different models of Kindle and Kobo eReaders, I will review the eReaders released in 2018 by Kindle and Kobo to see which eReader can fit customers’ needs best.
Before reviewing eReaders one by one, I will list some of the most basic concerns and deciding factors of choosing a eReader. The elements or factors in below list is collected from forum like reddit, MobielRead, ebook-reader blog etc..
Screen size—Customers prefer to reading with larger screen. Bigger screen is better for reading Manga and PDF files.
Resolution—Customers prefer to purchasing the eBook reader with higher resolution.
Light—Lighting temperature adjustment is a key point when they purchase the new eReader.
Price—If you have limited budget, the price should be considered seriously. Special offers will save your money but many users really hate advertisement.
Built-in Overdrive—It enables you to get free books from your local library.
Waterproof—This design will enable you to reading your eBook while taking a bath or go to the beach.
Supported eBook formats--As each there are so many eBook formats on the market, you need to think about the format compatible issue.
Weight—If the reader is lighter, it would be handy for long time reading.
Technical details of Kindle Oasis 2, Kobo Forma, Kindle Paperwhite 4 and Kobo Clara HD are listed in the following table.
|
Kindle Oasis 2 |
Kobo Forma |
Kindle Paperwhite 4 |
Kobo Clara HD |
Released Date |
October, 2017 |
October 23, 2018 |
October 16, 2018 |
June 5th, 2018 |
Screen size & Rsolution |
7" glare-free display, 300 ppi, 159 mm x 141 mm x 3.4-8.3 mm |
8.0” HD Mobius Carta E Ink screen, 1440 × 1920 resolution, 160 x 177.7 x 8.5 (thickness at gripping area) & 4.2 (thickness at the thinner side) |
6” glare-free display with 300ppi, 167 x 116 x 8.18 mm |
6-inch Cara E Ink screen with a 300ppi resolution, 159.6 x 110 x 8.35 mm |
Lighting |
12 LEDs + adaptive light sensor |
ComfortLight PRO-Adjustable colour temperature |
5 LEDs |
ComfortLight Pro-Adjustable color temperture |
Battery life |
Weeks of battery life |
1200 mAh, weeks of battery life |
Weeks of battery life |
Weeks of battery life |
Price & Storage |
$249.99 for 8GB, |
$279.99 for 8 GB |
$129.99 for 8 GB(with special offer) |
129.99$ for 8GB |
Waterproof |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Built-in OverDrive |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
Supported eBook formats |
Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PMP through conversion; Audible audio format (AAX) |
EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR nativelys |
Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PMP through conversion; Audible audio format (AAX) |
EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR natively |
Weight |
194g |
197 g |
182 g |
166 g |
Kindle Oasis vs Kobo Forma
Since Kindle Oasis 2 and Kobo forma are in the same price range, I will compare these two models.
Compared with Kindle Oasis, Kobo Forma has a much bigger screen with higher resolution. For now, it is the best reader for reading manga because it has bigger screen and supports Manga format--CBZ and CBR natively. What’s more, its built-in Overdrive enables you to borrow eBooks from your local library easily and freely.
If you are seeking for high-end reading experience, Kobo forma is a good choice.
Kindle Paperwhite 4 vs Kobo Clara HD
Although start price for both models are from 129.99$, you will find advertisement at Kindle paperwhite 4 in this price. This is really annoying if you do not need their recommendations. For lighting issue, Kobo Clara HD has adopted Comfort Light Pro-- Adjustable colour temperature which can easily reduce blue-light exposure for more comfortable nighttime reading. However, Kindle paperwhite 4 is waterproof but Kobo Clara HD is not. So if you like reading in your bathtub, Kindle paperwhite 4 is a better option. Anyway, many people do not read a lot when they are taking the bath. Do you think this is an important factor? I do not think so, but I think the comfort light pro design is more attractive to me as I reading a lot before falling asleep. This remarkable design uses orange and red LEDs for illumination, minimizing my exposure to blue light which is really comfortable for my eyes. Therefore, I will pick up Kobo clara HD if compared with Kindle paperwhite 4.
In conclusion, Kobo device is equipped with better hardware and designed with customer experience in the first consideration. That’s why many people choose to purchase Kobo eReaders instead of Kindle eReaders. In the part 1, we come to the conclusion that Amazon Kindle book is most users' first choice. Here comes to the question—How can I read Kindle books on Kobo devices? As Kindle books are all protected by Kindle DRM and use its exclusive eBook formats which are not compatible with Kobo device, reading Kindle books on Kindle devices can be an major factor that many people stick on only one ebook store. Epubor Ultimate is the best DRM removal and eBook converter which can help you transfer Kindle to Kobo or read Kobo books on Kindle device easily and freely. Download the free trial now! It will surprise at the next second.
Iris Yan has been a passionate member of Epubor since 2017. Her mission is to enhance your ebook reading experience by sharing insightful tips and tricks. Join her on a journey towards reading excellence today!
