Kindle Paperwhite Signature vs Kobo Clara BW vs Kobo Clara Colour vs Kindle 16GB vs Kobo Libra Colour vs BOOX Go 7: Reading the tea leaves

eReaders6 products

Quick verdict

The Screen Time Showdown

If you want the best all-rounder, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature is your best bet. If you hate being locked into Amazon, go with the Kobo Libra Colour or Clara BW. For those who want to run wild with Android apps, the BOOX Go 7 is the only serious choice.

Side by side

FeaturePhoto of Kindle Paperwhite SignatureKindle Paperwhite SignaturePhoto of Kobo Clara BWKobo Clara BWPhoto of Kobo Clara ColourKobo Clara ColourPhoto of Amazon Kindle (2024)Amazon Kindle (2024)Photo of Kobo Libra ColourKobo Libra ColourPhoto of BOOX Go 7BOOX Go 7
Price£139.99£149.00£169.99£94.99£239.00£239.99
Display TypeKindle's monochrome screen remains the sharpest and most natural for pure text reading.7-inch B/W (winner)6-inch B/W6-inch Colour6-inch B/W7-inch Colour7-inch B/W
StorageThe BOOX Go 7 leaves everyone in the dust with its massive 64 GB capacity.32 GB16 GB16 GB16 GB32 GB64 GB (winner)
Operating SystemAndroid 13 opens up a world of third-party apps, unlike the walled gardens.Amazon OSKobo OSKobo OSAmazon OSKobo OSAndroid 13 (winner)

Product by product

Kindle Paperwhite SignatureOur pick

Amazon loyalists

The gold standard for reading if you live in the Amazon ecosystem. Premium feel with wireless charging.

What We Liked 👍

  • Fast page turns
  • Wireless charging support
  • Beautiful auto-adjusting screen

What Could Be Better 👎

  • Amazon ecosystem lock-in
  • Expensive without discounts

Kobo Clara BW

Minimalist bookworms

A compact, no-nonsense device that does one thing very well. Perfect for travel.

What We Liked 👍

  • Highly portable
  • Great battery life
  • Excellent display clarity

What Could Be Better 👎

  • Basic build quality
  • Strictly monochrome display

Kobo Clara Colour

Graphic novel fans

Bringing colour to the budget-friendly space for comics and highlighting. The screen is a bit darker though.

What We Liked 👍

  • Colour e-ink display
  • Great for graphic novels
  • Waterproof design

What Could Be Better 👎

  • Screen can look grainy
  • Dimmer than monochrome screens

Amazon Kindle (2024)Best value

Budget buyers

The basics done right without the premium fluff. Ideal if you just want to read.

What We Liked 👍

  • Very light and compact
  • Good battery life
  • Solid, distraction-free experience

What Could Be Better 👎

  • No warm light adjustment
  • Smaller storage than premium models

Kobo Libra Colour

Annotators and power users

The ergonomic pick with physical buttons and stylus support for taking notes.

What We Liked 👍

  • Physical page turn buttons
  • Stylus support
  • Ergonomic shape

What Could Be Better 👎

  • Stylus sold separately
  • Still a niche display tech

BOOX Go 7

Android tech geeks

Basically a tablet with e-ink, letting you run any app you want. A true power user tool.

What We Liked 👍

  • Android flexibility
  • Huge 64GB storage
  • Supports third-party apps

What Could Be Better 👎

  • Steep learning curve
  • Battery drains faster than simple readers

Spec sheet says one thing, reality says another

We love to look at resolution numbers and RAM, but an e-reader is only as good as its distraction factor. The Kindles here offer the most frictionless experience; if you have a massive library of books on Amazon, you are buying a Kindle. Period.

The Kobo options are for those who prefer to curate their own files. They handle EPUBs like a dream and don't care where you got them. When it comes to the colour models, be warned: they look dimmer than standard black-and-white screens. Don't expect a vivid iPad experience, because that's not what E Ink is about.

When smart devices stop being smart

The BOOX Go 7 is the weird outlier. It is technically an e-reader, but it is actually a stripped-down Android tablet. If you want to install the Kindle app on your Kobo, you can't. If you want to install it on the BOOX, go for it. But with that freedom comes the same headache you get from a phone: updates, app crashes, and shorter battery life.

Choose your poison carefully. If you want a book, buy a Kindle or Kobo. If you want a computer that looks like a book, buy the BOOX.

The final chapter

If you want to read, buy the Kindle Paperwhite Signature. It is the most refined, effortless experience on the market. If you despise Amazon's corporate grip, the Kobo Libra Colour is the superior hardware choice for its ergonomics.

For the tech-obsessed who think an e-reader needs an octa-core processor to flip a digital page, the BOOX Go 7 is your toy. Just don't blame me when you end up checking emails on your e-ink screen instead of reading.

Prices on amazon.co.uk as of November 14, 2026. Prices may change.

Disclosure: We share affiliate links and can earn some money when you click on any of those.

  • eReaders
  • Kindle
  • Kobo
  • Digital Reading