Kindle may not have invented the e-reader, but it has been the name in e-readers since the devices found their way to a mainstream audience. Helped largely by its intimate tie to the Amazon webstore, the Kindle has been the best e-reader for millions of people.
Heck, for many people, it was the first and only e-reader they’ve ever owned. I started with a Nook e-reader, but quickly pivoted to an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite when Nook packed its bags and fled British shores. And since then, I haven’t looked back.
But that day is over, I now know how good other e-readers are, and it’s changed how I look at my Paperwhite. The Kindle is no longer the only game in town, and there are a number of very attractive alternatives that you should be considering if you’re thinking of buying another e-reader.
Amazon, for all its positives, has grown fat and lazy on its vast profits. The Kindle is no longer the young, athletic device it once was, and that’s starting to show. I’ve suffered too long under the yoke of Amazon, and this particular e-reader, the Kobo Clara Colour, has set me free. And if you’re still using a Kindle, you should look elsewhere too.
Amazon’s control over e-books is getting tighter and tighter
We don’t really own our e-books. That’s a necessary evil I’ve come to accept, though I don’t like it. Due to industry shenanigans at the dawn of the e-book (and admittedly, justified worries about piracy), none of us actually own the Kindle books we purchase. Instead, we buy a license to view that e-book for as long as the vendor is willing or able to offer it to us. That’s the same across all e-book platforms, and is largely the case in other areas too. Think you own your Steam games? You don’t, not really.
Does this really matter? After all, if you can still read your book whenever you want, what does it matter? For a start, it means you can’t read your book whenever you want. Because it’s a license, Amazon can yoink that title back whenever it likes, or alter it to change the text. Nobody’s breaking into your house to steal your copy of Moby Dick, but they can take it from your Kindle library if needed. It happened to Kindle copies of 1984 in 2009, a hilariously ironic turn of events for that particular book. I admit it’s rare that it happens, but it can and does happen.
But this is a common issue across all e-book sellers, so why is it playing into my decision to ditch Amazon after all these years? Well, Amazon is getting stricter with what it’ll allow you to do with Kindle e-books.
In this day of cloud storage, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, sending files via a cable connection to your e-reader is an antiquated approach. But it still exists, and even for e-readers like the Kobo Clara Colour, it’s a common occurence, especially if you use third-party stores to buy your e-books. So, it makes sense most places will allow you to download your e-books separately, in case you need to transfer them manually.
That used to be the case for Kindle devices. Then, took Amazon took the option away for the newest versions of the Kindle. Now, as of February 27, 2025, nobody can download their e-book files from Amazon. Instead, you can only download them directly to your Kindle or Kindle app.
I can see Amazon’s logic here — it’s probably not the most popular way to put titles on a Kindle, and I can’t even remember the last time I used it. So it’s easy to see why it might be high on the list to chop. But the larger issue is that it provides a weakpoint in Amazon’s DRM. Downloaded e-book files can have the DRM removed, and can then be converted into other formats suitable for, say, other e-readers. Sure, some people may be making a backup of their e-books, since you never know when a book might disappear, but it’s likely a large number of people were simply moving their books from one reader to another.
It’s easy to make the argument that Amazon is protecting its DRM, and I get it. But if I decided to take all of my paperback books and give them to a neighbour, the store I bought them in can’t stop me. Why are e-books treated differently? Yes, legally people who take their Kindle books and remove the DRM are in the wrong. But ethically, can you really say they shouldn’t expect access to the product they’ve bought?
Where you fall on this is an entirely personal choice, and I won’t lie, it has weighed heavily on my choice to finally leave the Kindle behind. But it helps it’s come at a time where the Kindle is one of the least interesting e-readers you can buy.
Kindles are no longer must-buy devices
I’ll get this out of the way immediately: Kindles are still excellent. But they’re no longer the standout devices in the space, and they’re definitely losing their sparkle.
Amazon hasn’t slackened off in providing new devices. The Oasis, Scribe, and Kindle Colorsoft were all introduced in the last decade. But they’re not really the most exciting devices around. The Colorsoft, while great, is basically the Paperwhite Signature Edition with a color screen and a hefty $80 bump in price. The Scribe is a cool change in direction, but a large e-ink tablet is hardly breaking new ground. And the Oasis? It ticked all the boxes: it was different, useful, and attractive — but after a few updates it was ignored and allowed to slowly die.
All-in-all, while Amazon is still producing great e-readers, the edge is gone. The Kindle has been caught up by, and in some cases, surpassed by other manufacturers. My current beau, the Kobo Clara Colour, is an e-reader with a 6-inch color display, an IP68-rating for dust and water-resistance, and a 300ppi resolution. Add to this a repairable build, and you’ve got a solid competitor for the Kindle Colorsoft.
So that costs about the same as the Colorsoft, right? Nope. While the Colorsoft starts from $280, the Clara Colour costs $160. You’re getting an experience on par with the Colorsoft for the same price as the Paperwhite, an incredible value proposition.
It’s not a flawless victory, though. When compared to the Colorsoft, the Clara Colour has a smaller display, lacks wireless charging, and has half the storage at 16GB — but the price difference of $120 (a 75% increase in price) makes this a no contest for me. I’ve also used the Kobo Clara BW, which is basically the same device as the Clara Colour, but with a black and white display and $20 cheaper. So if you’re not keen on a color display, there’s a more traditional option for you.
I’m very much in the Paperwhite space where an e-reader is concerned, but if you’re looking for a really cheap e-reader then I admit you’re probably best off sticking with the lowest priced Kindle. Kobo does offer refurbished Nia e-readers for $80 — $30 less than the baseline Kindle — but it has a lower resolution and less storage, so I would think twice about that. If your budget can stretch any further, the Clara BW is a great upgrade for the base Kindle, but until Kobo releases a new Nia, you don’t have many great options.
I’ve made the switch, and so should you
It’s time to move away from the Amazon Kindle. The good news is in hardware, software, and just pure ability to keep hold of the stuff you buy, the Kindle is matched and beaten by Kobo. The bad news is, it still isn’t painless.
I have a fairly large Kindle library. Legally, I could never take that with me, but it still really rankles that I’m now physically barred from doing so. That’s an entire library of books I won’t have on my new e-reader.
But I refuse to let the sunk cost fallacy hold me back. A fresh start is valuable, and it allows me to blow out the dust and try something new. Plus, I can keep my Kindle in case I do want to re-read an old favorite.
What about the Amazon Kindle store? While I doubt Kobo has the same number of deep deals as Amazon does, what it does have is a solid price guarantee. Kobo will refund you the difference plus 10% if you find an e-book cheaper than on their store. That’s a great guarantee, though I admit it’s going to be a pain to submit the form every time I notice an e-book I want is on sale on Amazon.
I won’t lie, the Kindle Paperwhite has been a stalwart companion, and I’m definitely too attached to it to simply cast it asunder. But, I am looking forward to a fresh start. The Kobo Clara Colour has given me the excuse I needed to ditch Amazon and all of its baggage, and move to something new. I know I won’t regret my decision.
