The best Kindle alternatives — excellent ereaders for anyone who's had enough of Amazon's antics

Once upon a time, if you wanted a good ereader, you simply had to buy a Kindle.

<![CDATA[ <article> <p>Once upon a time, if you wanted a good ereader, you simply had to buy a Kindle. When it came to electronic reading devices, <a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/which-kindle-should-i-buy-a-guide-to-amazons-excellent-e-reader-range">Amazon's Kindle lineup</a> ruled the roost. Nowadays, the market has opened up, and Amazon has made a few moves that have done nothing to boost the general public's opinion of Kindles.</p><p>The latest Kindle update sparking complaints is the introduction of <a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/glad-i-switched-to-kobo-amazon-angers-kindle-owners-by-rolling-out-tougher-drm-and-reportedly-closing-a-popular-libby-loans-loophole" target="_blank">tougher DRM (digital rights management) rules and the closing of </a><a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/glad-i-switched-to-kobo-amazon-angers-kindle-owners-by-rolling-out-tougher-drm-and-reportedly-closing-a-popular-libby-loans-loophole">a book-borrowing loophole</a>. Now, we're not sure this particular outrage is particularly justified — as TechRadar's Lance points out, <a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/unpopular-kindle-drm-changes-arent-making-anyone-happy-especially-sleepy-readers-like-me-but-theres-an-easy-workaround-if-we-even-need-one">"writers gotta get paid"</a>, and authors' ability to make money off their work should take priority, whatever annoyances it might throw up for individual readers. </p><p>Less easy to justify, however, is Amazon's April decision to <a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/own-a-kindle-from-2012-or-earlier-it-could-be-time-to-upgrade-as-amazons-officially-ending-support-for-very-old-models">end support for Kindles made in 2012 or earlier</a>. That meant these perfectly usable devices would lose access to the Kindle Store and become completely defunct if you ever tried a factory reset. Overall, Kindles are starting to look a little less enticing to many people. </p><p>If you've decided it's time to embrace a different ereader brand, there are a number of great options open to you nowadays, with models from Kobo leading the charge, and Onyx Boox also coming up with some intriguing alternatives. I've rounded up our top-rated Kindle alternatives below — hit the 'More details' button to see the main pros and cons of each, and for a link to our full review.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-kindle-alternatives"><span>Kindle alternatives</span></h3> <div class="featured_product_block featured_block_standard" data-id="608d4786-9d4f-11f1-b69d-dbe7848a548c"> <div class='product-image-widthsetter'><p class='vanilla-image-block' data-bordeaux-image-check style='padding-top:100.00%';><img style="width: 100%" class="featured_image" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5j6cvJQXrSciDc6N5TV8Ag.png" alt="Kobo Libra Colour"></p></div> <div class="featured_product_details_wrapper"> <div class="featured_product_title_wrapper"> <div class='featured__brand'>Kobo</div> <div class="featured__title">Libra Colour</div> <div class="stars__reviews"><span itemprop="reviewRating" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Rating" class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><meta itemprop="bestRating" content="100.0" /><meta itemprop="worstRating" content="0.0" /><meta itemprop="ratingValue" content="100" /></span></div> </div> <div class="subtitle__description"> <p><p><a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/kobo-libra-colour-review">Read our full review</a></p></p> </div> <div class="pro-con"><div class="list-pros-wrapper"><h4 class="list-pros-label">Pros</h4><ul class="list-pros"><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Good size for portability and usability</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Relatively affordable for a color ereader</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Full writing features</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Repair kits available</li></ul></div><div class="list-cons-wrapper"><h4 class="list-cons-label">Cons</h4><ul class="list-cons"><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Couple of functions suffer from lag</li><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Stylus sold separately</li></ul></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="featured_product_block featured_block_standard" data-id="608d470e-9d4f-11f1-bd5e-67aa4cea5dfe"> <div class='product-image-widthsetter'><p class='vanilla-image-block' data-bordeaux-image-check style='padding-top:100.00%';><img style="width: 100%" class="featured_image" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/w8WJGszJVfnKP9D2bA8AZC.png" alt="Kobo Clara BW 6-inch ereader"></p></div> <div class="featured_product_details_wrapper"> <div class="featured_product_title_wrapper"> <div class='featured__brand'>Kobo</div> <div class="featured__title">Clara BW</div> <div class="stars__reviews"><span itemprop="reviewRating" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Rating" class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span><meta itemprop="bestRating" content="100.0" /><meta itemprop="worstRating" content="0.0" /><meta itemprop="ratingValue" content="90" /></span></div> </div> <div class="subtitle__description"> <p><p><a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/kobo-clara-bw-review-a-compact-ereader-showcasing-the-best-e-ink-display-yet">Read our full review</a></p></p> </div> <div class="pro-con"><div class="list-pros-wrapper"><h4 class="list-pros-label">Pros</h4><ul class="list-pros"><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>New E Ink Carta 1300 screen</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Compact, lightweight and waterproof</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Affordable and repairable</li></ul></div><div class="list-cons-wrapper"><h4 class="list-cons-label">Cons</h4><ul class="list-cons"><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>No cloud file transfer support</li><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Dated, plastic design</li><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>6-inch screen can be small for some</li></ul></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="featured_product_block featured_block_standard" data-id="608d47ea-9d4f-11f1-acf9-5d8c86ee18bf"> <div class='product-image-widthsetter'><p class='vanilla-image-block' data-bordeaux-image-check style='padding-top:100.00%';><img style="width: 100%" class="featured_image" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vse7LB53f3BvjoZQYCZryd.jpg" alt="The Kobo Clara Colour on a white background."></p></div> <div class="featured_product_details_wrapper"> <div class="featured_product_title_wrapper"> <div class='featured__brand'>Kobo</div> <div class="featured__title">Clara Colour</div> <div class="stars__reviews"><span itemprop="reviewRating" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Rating" class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span><meta itemprop="bestRating" content="100.0" /><meta itemprop="worstRating" content="0.0" /><meta itemprop="ratingValue" content="90" /></span></div> </div> <div class="subtitle__description"> <p><p><a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/kobo-clara-colour-review">Read our full review</a></p></p> </div> <div class="pro-con"><div class="list-pros-wrapper"><h4 class="list-pros-label">Pros</h4><ul class="list-pros"><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Responsive color display</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Compact and lightweight</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Good battery life</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Relatively affordable</li></ul></div><div class="list-cons-wrapper"><h4 class="list-cons-label">Cons</h4><ul class="list-cons"><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>6 inches can be too small for some users</li><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Black-and-white text lacks contrast</li></ul></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="featured_product_block featured_block_standard" data-id="608d4858-9d4f-11f1-8e7f-5b2d277940f5"> <div class='product-image-widthsetter'><p class='vanilla-image-block' data-bordeaux-image-check style='padding-top:100.00%';><img style="width: 100%" class="featured_image" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/x92t229AbRhZXsXUiQXnRV.jpeg" alt="Kobo Libra 2 in black"></p></div> <div class="featured_product_details_wrapper"> <div class="featured_product_title_wrapper"> <div class='featured__brand'>Kobo</div> <div class="featured__title">Libra 2</div> <div class="stars__reviews"><span itemprop="reviewRating" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Rating" class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><meta itemprop="bestRating" content="100.0" /><meta itemprop="worstRating" content="0.0" /><meta itemprop="ratingValue" content="100" /></span></div> </div> <div class="subtitle__description"> <p><p><a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/kobo-libra-2">Read our full review</a></p></p> </div> <div class="pro-con"><div class="list-pros-wrapper"><h4 class="list-pros-label">Pros</h4><ul class="list-pros"><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Winning asymmetric design</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>32GB storage</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Audiobook support</li></ul></div><div class="list-cons-wrapper"><h4 class="list-cons-label">Cons</h4><ul class="list-cons"><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Battery charging can be erratic</li></ul></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="featured_product_block featured_block_standard" data-id="608d48bc-9d4f-11f1-a264-b1622f001bc1"> <div class='product-image-widthsetter'><p class='vanilla-image-block' data-bordeaux-image-check style='padding-top:100.00%';><img style="width: 100%" class="featured_image" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RRveXafv77YM6yK9QjjgJ5.jpg" alt="Onyx Boox Go 7 ereader"></p></div> <div class="featured_product_details_wrapper"> <div class="featured_product_title_wrapper"> <div class='featured__brand'>Onyx Boox</div> <div class="featured__title">Go 7</div> <div class="stars__reviews"><span itemprop="reviewRating" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Rating" class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><meta itemprop="bestRating" content="100.0" /><meta itemprop="worstRating" content="0.0" /><meta itemprop="ratingValue" content="80" /></span></div> </div> <div class="subtitle__description"> <p><p><a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/onyx-boox-go-7-review">Read our full review</a></p></p> </div> <div class="pro-con"><div class="list-pros-wrapper"><h4 class="list-pros-label">Pros</h4><ul class="list-pros"><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Android 13-based operating system</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Excellent E Ink Carta 1300 display</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>64GB storage</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Page-turn buttons</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Snappy performance</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Stylus support</li></ul></div><div class="list-cons-wrapper"><h4 class="list-cons-label">Cons</h4><ul class="list-cons"><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Lacks waterproofing</li><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Complicated menu system</li><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Excessive battery drain</li><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Subpar writing experience</li></ul></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="featured_product_block featured_block_standard" data-id="608d4920-9d4f-11f1-b397-3fbd9d192da1"> <div class='product-image-widthsetter'><p class='vanilla-image-block' data-bordeaux-image-check style='padding-top:100.00%';><img style="width: 100%" class="featured_image" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6BZ9QHPeEczJB7Bsp9Vnk3.jpg" alt="Onyx Boox Palma 2 in black"></p></div> <div class="featured_product_details_wrapper"> <div class="featured_product_title_wrapper"> <div class='featured__brand'>Onyx Boox</div> <div class="featured__title">Palma 2</div> <div class="stars__reviews"><span itemprop="reviewRating" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Rating" class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><meta itemprop="bestRating" content="100.0" /><meta itemprop="worstRating" content="0.0" /><meta itemprop="ratingValue" content="80" /></span></div> </div> <div class="subtitle__description"> <p><p><a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/onyx-boox-palma-2-review">Read our full review</a></p></p> </div> <div class="pro-con"><div class="list-pros-wrapper"><h4 class="list-pros-label">Pros</h4><ul class="list-pros"><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Pocket-friendly color E Ink design</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>More versatile than the Palma 2</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Excellent case accessory</li></ul></div><div class="list-cons-wrapper"><h4 class="list-cons-label">Cons</h4><ul class="list-cons"><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Expensive for an ereader</li><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Text isn’t as crisp as on the Palma 2</li><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Stylus sold separately</li></ul></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="featured_product_block featured_block_standard" data-id="608d4984-9d4f-11f1-a651-f1b569db0af1"> <div class='product-image-widthsetter'><p class='vanilla-image-block' data-bordeaux-image-check style='padding-top:130.43%';><img style="width: 100%" class="featured_image" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qCWsUez8iBw9Xw5AnNBz7V.jpg" alt="Boox Palma 2 Pro"></p></div> <div class="featured_product_details_wrapper"> <div class="featured_product_title_wrapper"> <div class='featured__brand'>Onyx Boox</div> <div class="featured__title">Palma 2 Pro</div> <div class="stars__reviews"><span itemprop="reviewRating" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Rating" class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><meta itemprop="bestRating" content="100.0" /><meta itemprop="worstRating" content="0.0" /><meta itemprop="ratingValue" content="80" /></span></div> </div> <div class="subtitle__description"> <p><p><a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/onyx-boox-palma-2-pro-review">Read our full review</a></p></p> </div> <div class="pro-con"><div class="list-pros-wrapper"><h4 class="list-pros-label">Pros</h4><ul class="list-pros"><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Pocket-friendly color E Ink design</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>More versatile than the Palma 2</li><li class='list-item list-item-pros'>Excellent case accessory</li></ul></div><div class="list-cons-wrapper"><h4 class="list-cons-label">Cons</h4><ul class="list-cons"><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Expensive for an ereader</li><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Text isn’t as crisp as on the Palma 2</li><li class='list-item list-item-cons'>Stylus sold separately</li></ul></div></div> </div> </div><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-what-s-the-best-kindle-alternative"><span>What's the best Kindle alternative?</span></h3><p>The key rival nipping at Amazon's heels is Kobo. The <a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/kobo-libra-colour-review">Kobo Libra Colour</a> is the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/best/best-ereader">best ereader</a> we've tested, from any brand (including Amazon Kindle), and we also rate the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/kobo-clara-colour-review">Kobo Clara Colour</a> highly. For those happy to stick with black and white, and looking for a budget-friendly option, the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/kobo-clara-bw-review-a-compact-ereader-showcasing-the-best-e-ink-display-yet">Kobo Clara BW</a> is a winner. </p><p>Outside of Kobo, the Onyx Boox lineup is also worth checking out. Its e-ink tablets run on an Android OS, making them nice and versatile. The <a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/onyx-boox-palma-2-review">Boox Palma 2</a> and <a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/onyx-boox-palma-2-pro-review">Palma 2 Pro</a> are phone-sized ereaders that can be slipped into a pocket for reading on the go. </p><p>If you'd like an ereader that also supports note-taking, there are a few more brands worth considering. We're huge fans of the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/remarkable-paper-pure-review">reMarkable Paper Pure</a>, and we also rate the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/viwoods-aipaper-review">ViWoods AiPaper</a> highly. I'm assuming reading is your main priority, so I haven't included these options here. </p> </article> ]]>