6 Kindle alternatives for every kind of e-book reader

Not everyone needs their e-reader to do fifteen things. Some of us just want something that loads our books without a subscription or a loyalty oath to one bookstore. The Verse Lite supports more file formats than almost anyone else in this space so you can get content from online libraries without conversion faff.

Although the screen is not as sharp as a Paperwhite, it’s cheap, it works, and sometimes that's all you need.

The Nook is the e-reader nobody talks about, which is a shame because it’s actually really good. Sharp screen, physical page buttons, zero ads, and it now comes in this really pretty teal variant that makes it look less like a gadget and more like something you’d actually want on your nightstand. The catch? It’s pretty locked into the Barnes & Noble ecosystem. So, if you’ve got a stack of ePubs from other stores, it’s going to be a bit of a headache.

If someone told you there was a reading device that’s also an Android phone (minus the calling and texting), you’d probably think that sounds unnecessarily complicated. And you’d be a little bit right. But it’s also extremely cool. The phone-sized e-reader is a perfect pick for readers who spend even those five minutes waiting in line at their neighbourhood cafe reading. This December 2025 launch was marketed as a smartphone replacement, and while, according to most reviews, it’s not that, it’s definitely a favourite to replace the Kindle. It offers cellular connectivity and runs on Android, so you can download all the apps you need to complete your reading journey and journal it along the way. Plus, it’s got a colour screen for graphic novels and comics.

The reMarkable Paper Pro isn’t technically an e-reader; it's more of a digital notebook that also reads your PDFs and epubs. There’s no bookstore, no Libby, no Kindle app, and the 11.8-inch doesn’t make it the best pick for portability. So, if you’re a “just let me read my novel in peace” person, this probably isn’t your thing. But if you’re the type who reads and writes, annotates everything from Didion essays to work documents, doodles in margins, journals and sketches, then this is a brilliant two-in-one device for you.

If there’s one e-reader that comes up every time someone asks “okay, but what instead of Kindle?” it's this one. Kobo has always been the sensible Kindle alternative. The Libra Colour is that same energy, now with a colour e-ink screen so your book covers finally look the way they were meant to, physical page-turn buttons (a luxury people don’t know they need until they have it), no ads, and your Libby borrows show up automatically. You can also buy books from wherever you want, not just one store. That alone is worth switching for. The colour has a cottagecore twist, with soft pastels rather than the usual bright shades, which suits reading fine. It’s waterproof, the battery lasts weeks, and it’s not cheap but it doesn’t nickel-and-dime you with subscriptions. Reddit’s e-reader community has basically made it their mascot at this point, and honestly? Fair enough.

The Xteink X4 is roughly the size of a large credit card, weighs 77 grams, snaps magnetically to the back of your phone, and is budget-friendly. Thanks to its pocket-sized dimensions, reading slips effortlessly into your life. Enjoy your favourite stories anywhere, anytime; just snap it onto your phone and dive in. Although, there’s a newer model, the X3, which is even smaller. But ask around in the e-reader corners of the internet, and the X4 still has its loyalists, proving that “latest” doesn’t always mean “best”.