Amazon
Kindle (2024)
The default first e-reader. Slow, closed, and still the one most people should buy.
ReadersCarta 1200
$110
8.6
34 devices in the catalog
E Ink devices
E-readers, note tablets, phones, pocket devices, watches, monitors, and electronic shelf labels. Street prices as of September 2026. Adjacent (not E Ink) tech is labeled.
Kind
Panel
Pigment
Maker
9 in view
Best overall reader
Amazon
Kindle Paperwhite (12th gen)
The most complete dedicated reader you can buy without thinking about ecosystems.
ReadersCarta 1300
$160
9.1
Amazon
Kindle Colorsoft
The most polished color Kindle. Covers look like covers. Body text still prefers Carta.
ReadersKaleido 3
$280
7.8
Best open reader
Kobo
Kobo Clara BW
The open Paperwhite. OverDrive, EPUB, and a Carta 1300 panel in a pocketable shell.
ReadersCarta 1300
$130
8.8
Kobo
Kobo Clara Colour
The cheapest good color reader. Library comics without a Kindle account.
ReadersKaleido 3
$150
8.2
Best color reader
Kobo
Kobo Libra Colour
Page-turn buttons, a stylus, and Kaleido 3. The color reader we actually carry.
ReadersKaleido 3
$220
8.7
PocketBook
PocketBook Verse Pro Color
Europe’s file-format omnivore, now in color. Ugly software, beautiful compatibility.
ReadersKaleido 3
$200
7.9
Onyx Boox
Boox Go 7
A 7-inch Carta 1300 Android reader. Install Kindle, Kobo, and Libby on the same glass.
ReadersCarta 1300
$250
8.3
Bigme
Bigme B6 Pro
A 6-inch color tablet that thinks it is a phone. Fast refresh, loud spec sheet.
ReadersKaleido 3
$330
7.7
Looking for two at once? Open the compare bench.