Best E Readers in Australia (2026): Kindle vs Kobo Compared

The best e reader for most Australians

An e reader is a device built for reading on an E Ink screen: the Kobo product tables list Electronic Ink as the display technology and eReader as the built in media. For most Australians the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB is the one to buy. It is rated 4.7 from 10,214 ratings, and its listing gives a 7 inch display, a light that adjusts from white to amber, up to 12 weeks of battery and a waterproof design.

Below, one comparison table sets five of the six cards side by side, then each card has its own section. The big choice is Kindle or Kobo, so the section after the best overall pick covers what the saved listings say about stores and file formats. The sixth card could not be bought, so it sits in its own dated section and not in the table.

Our e reader picks compared

Five e readers are compared below, using only what each Amazon AU listing says. The sixth card could not be bought and has its own dated section further down, so the table and the buying advice leave it out.

Best overall: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB is our best overall pick, rated 4.7 from 10,214 ratings. Its listing gives a 7 inch Paperwhite display with 25% faster page turns, a display you adjust from white to amber, up to 12 weeks of battery on one USB-C charge and a waterproof design, with 16 GB in the title.

The listing says the Kindle has no social media, notifications or other distracting apps, and it points to the Kindle Store and a Kindle+ subscription. The trade off is the store: the supported file list on the listing shows EPUB only through conversion, so read the Kobo Clara BW section below if you plan to load EPUB files. Its A+ text also calls the light an adjustable warm light.

Kindle vs Kobo: what the saved listings tell you

The three Kindle listings mention a Kindle+ subscription and list EPUB only through conversion. The Kobo Clara BW product table lists FB2, EPUB and PDF files, and the Clara Colour table lists EPUB and MOBI. Both makes list a glare free screen, so the choice comes down to store, file formats and features.

What about library books? None of the six listings we saved mentions Libby or OverDrive in its title, bullets, product information or description, so we cannot confirm library lending for any device from the listings. One buyer review on the Kobo Clara BW listing says the reviewer signed in to OverDrive with their local library membership. Treat that as one person's report and check your library's help page before you buy either make.

Which Kindle suits you? The entry Kindle listing gives a 6 inch display and up to 6 weeks of battery. The Paperwhite listing gives a 7 inch display and up to 12 weeks. The Signature Edition title says “Our fastest Kindle” and its bullets add an auto adjusting front light, wireless charging with a dock sold separately and 32 GB of storage.

Looking for a Kindle alternative? The two Kobo Clara cards are the only non Amazon e readers on this page. Onyx Boox, PocketBook, reMarkable and Kobo Libra models have no card or saved listing here, so we make no claim about them.

Kobo Clara BW eReader

The Kobo Clara BW is the Kobo for readers who want EPUB files: its product table lists FB2, EPUB and PDF. Its listing also gives a 6 inch E Ink Carta 1300 HD screen, ComfortLight PRO to adjust brightness, colour temperature and blue light, IPX8 waterproofing and 16GB of storage. It is rated 4.6 from 3,082 ratings on its listing.

Why choose an e reader over a phone or tablet?

An e reader is built for reading only. The Paperwhite listing says it has no social media, notifications or other distracting apps, and the Kobo Clara BW listing says its glare free screen can be read in bright sunlight without reflections. Battery life is described in weeks somewhere in all six listings. A tablet is not an e reader.

If you already own a phone or an iPad, the listings still describe a different kind of device. The Paperwhite bullets describe a Kindle without notifications or other distracting apps, and the Kobo Clara BW bullets describe a glare free E Ink Carta 1300 HD screen. If you want a device that does more than read, a tablet is the other route.

If you also read paper books, a book stand for reading paper books holds them open.

Amazon Kindle 16GB, the entry Kindle

The entry Kindle listing gives a 6 inch glare free display, an adjustable front light that is 25% brighter at its maximum setting, dark mode, 16 GB of storage and up to 6 weeks of battery on a single charge. Its bullets mention neither warm light nor waterproofing, so choose the Paperwhite if you read in the bath or want an amber light. It is rated 4.6 from 32,607 ratings on its listing.

The features that matter

Once you have picked a make, only a few features change your day to day reading. These are the ones the saved listings state.

• Light. The Paperwhite bullets say you can adjust the display from white to amber, and the Signature Edition bullets list an auto adjusting front light. The entry Kindle lists an adjustable front light, 25% brighter at its maximum setting, and dark mode. The Clara BW bullets say ComfortLight PRO adjusts brightness, colour temperature and blue light.
• Waterproofing. Four listings call the device waterproof: the Paperwhite, the Signature Edition, the Clara BW and the Clara Colour. The Kobo bullets name IPX8 and say waterproof for up to 60 minutes in up to 2 metres of water, and the Signature Edition A+ text names IPX8 too. The entry Kindle bullets do not mention waterproofing.
• Screen size. Three cards have 6 inch screens (the entry Kindle, the Clara BW and the Clara Colour), two have 7 inch screens (the Paperwhite and the Signature Edition) and the card with a dated note has a 10.2 inch screen.
• Storage. The Signature Edition title says 32 GB and the other live cards say 16 GB. The Clara BW bullets add that its 16GB carries up to 12,000 eBooks or 75 Kobo Audiobooks.
• Charging and battery. The Paperwhite and Signature Edition bullets say a single charge via USB-C lasts up to 12 weeks, and the entry Kindle bullets say up to 6 weeks. The Clara BW bullets say weeks of battery life. The Clara Colour product table lists a battery average life of 49 hours, while its own description block says battery life that lasts for weeks, so one listing gives both. The technical details of the sixth card also say a single charge lasts up to twelve weeks. The Signature Edition adds wireless charging with a dock sold separately.
• Blue light. The Clara Colour bullets say ComfortLight PRO automatically reduces blue light. The Kindle bullets we saved give no blue light line.

A front lit screen means you can read in the dark without a reading light clipped to the headboard, and the Paperwhite listing says to read in bright sunlight or in the dark. If you still read paper as well, a bedside lamp is the other half of the problem.

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB

The Signature Edition is the Kindle for readers who want extras on the Paperwhite display. Its title says “Our fastest Kindle”, and its bullets list a 7 inch display with 25% faster page turns, an auto adjusting front light, wireless charging and 32 GB of storage. The bullets say the wireless charging dock is sold separately. It is rated 4.7 from 5,545 ratings on its listing.

Kobo Clara Colour eReader

The Kobo Clara Colour is the Kobo for colour. Its listing gives a 6 inch Kaleido 3 colour display for ebook covers, comics, graphic novels and illustrations, colour highlights, ComfortLight PRO that automatically reduces blue light, a waterproof design that meets IPX8 and 16GB of storage. Its product table lists EPUB and MOBI files and a battery average life of 49 hours, while its description block also says battery life that lasts for weeks. It is rated 4.5 from 2,325 ratings on its listing.

Are colour e readers worth it?

Only if you read comics, graphic novels or illustrated books. The Clara Colour listing says its 6 inch Kaleido 3 display shows ebook covers, comics, graphic novels and colour highlights. The Clara BW listing describes a 6 inch E Ink Carta 1300 HD screen, so it is the simpler choice for plain text.

The Clara Colour bullets say you can add, erase or change highlight colours and see all your highlights by chapter. Check the battery line too: the Clara Colour product table lists 49 hours, while its own description block says battery life that lasts for weeks and the Clara BW bullets say weeks of battery life. The listing gives two wordings, so we do not rank on battery.

What about lockscreen ads?

Check the model before you buy. The entry Kindle listing says its Display Cover feature works on the without ads version of this device, which implies a version with ads exists. The other listings we saved do not mention lockscreen ads, so we cannot say which version you will receive.

The same entry Kindle note says covers of many books, comics and Manga are supported. Read the title and bullets of the exact model you open on Amazon AU before you buy.

Amazon Kindle Scribe 32GB, a note taking e reader

Could not be bought on 23 October 2026: Amazon AU showed it as temporarily out of stock.

A note taking e reader adds a pen to a large screen. The Scribe listing describes a 10.2 inch glare free, 300 ppi front lit display for reading and writing, a built in notebook, notebook summaries and a Premium Pen included, with 32 GB in the title. Its bullets do not mention waterproofing.

The bullets say you can start writing directly on the page of a book and Active Canvas will create space for your notes, and that you can convert handwritten notes to text and email them to yourself or your contacts. If it is only the writing you want, a paper notebook is the other route, and we compare paper notebooks on page count, paper weight and size, using only what each listing says.

Which e reader suits which reader?

Pick by what you read and where you read it. The Paperwhite suits most readers, the entry Kindle gives a 6 inch screen and up to 6 weeks of battery, the Kobo Clara BW lists EPUB files, the Signature Edition adds an auto adjusting light and 32 GB, and the Clara Colour suits comics.

None of the six listings we saved mentions parental controls or a kids mode in its title, bullets, product information or description, so we cannot say which device suits young readers.

How we pick our e readers

We read the Amazon AU listing for each of the six e readers: the title, the bullet points, the product information table, the description and the A+ content. Specs come from the maker's bullet points and the product information on each listing. This page shows no prices, and each rating and count is copied from the listing. We compare only what a listing says, and where a listing is silent we say so.

Last checked: 23 October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best ereader in Australia?

For most readers it is the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB, rated 4.7 from 10,214 ratings. Its listing gives a 7 inch display, 25% faster page turns, a light that adjusts from white to amber, up to 12 weeks of battery and a waterproof design. Choose a Kobo Clara instead if you want EPUB files.

Who sells Kindles in Australia?

Amazon Australia lists them. The Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition listings we checked each show Amazon AU as shipper and seller, and so does the Kobo Clara Colour listing. This page links only to Amazon AU listings, so it names no other shop.

Can you read library eBooks on Kindle Australia?

We could not confirm it from the listings. None of the six listings we saved mentions Libby or OverDrive in its title, bullets, product information or description, though one buyer review on the Kobo Clara BW listing says the reviewer signed in to OverDrive with a local library membership. Check your library's help page before you buy.

Are Kindle and Kobo the same?

No. Kindle is Amazon's range and Kobo is made by Rakuten Kobo, as the Kobo product table says. The three Kindle listings mention a Kindle+ subscription, while the Clara BW table lists FB2, EPUB and PDF files and the Clara Colour table lists EPUB and MOBI.

Which is better, an eReader or a Kindle?

A Kindle is one make of e reader, so the real choice is Kindle or another brand such as Kobo. The listings for both makes describe a glare free screen. Pick by the store, the file formats and the features you need, using the comparison table and the section on each card.

Is an e book reader worth it?

For many readers, yes. The Paperwhite listing says the Kindle has no social media, notifications or other distracting apps, and the Clara BW listing says you can read in bright sunlight without reflections. Every listing uses weeks wording for battery, and the Clara Colour also lists 49 hours in its table, so check its battery line.

What are the downsides of using an eBook reader?

The listings show a few trade offs. The entry Kindle bullets mention neither warm light nor waterproofing, the Signature Edition lists wireless charging with a dock sold separately, and the Clara Colour table gives 49 hours but its description says weeks of battery. The Paperwhite listing says it has no distracting apps, so it is not a tablet replacement.

What is the fastest e reader?

Among the Kindles on this page, the Signature Edition title describes it as “Our fastest Kindle”. The standard Paperwhite listing says its 7 inch display gives 25% faster page turns. The Kobo and entry Kindle listings give no page turn speed figure, so we cannot rank them.