By the Amazon Picks Desk, Canada News Media. We research products from real Amazon.ca listings, specifications and customer ratings; we have not tested them ourselves.
The Kindle Paperwhite ($279.99) is the safest pick for most Canadians who buy their books from Amazon. The Kobo Clara BW ($179.98) is the better value if you want a cheaper reader or prefer shopping outside Amazon. Colour screens add roughly $20 to $70. Prices were checked on Amazon.ca on Oct. 28, 2026.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through the links in this article.
Updated Oct. 28, 2026. Prices checked on Amazon.ca on Oct. 28, 2026 and may change. Black Friday is Nov. 27, and e-readers often get a price cut around then, so it can pay to watch the listings.
Kindle and Kobo e-readers compared
| E-reader | Price (CAD) | Screen | Rating (reviews) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kobo Clara BW | $179.98 | 6-inch black and white, waterproof, 16 GB | 4.6 (3,134) | Lowest price |
| Amazon Kindle 16 GB (2024) | $189.99 | 6-inch black and white, up to 6 weeks of battery | 4.6 (17.3K) | Simple Amazon reading |
| Kobo Clara Colour | $199.98 | 6-inch colour, waterproof, 16 GB | 4.6 (2,845) | Cheap colour |
| Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16 GB (2024) | $279.99 | 7-inch black and white, up to 12 weeks of battery | 4.6 (10.9K) | Most readers |
| Kobo Libra Colour | $289.98 | 7-inch colour, waterproof | 4.6 (4,293) | Colour and buttons |
| Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature 32 GB (2024) | $329.99 | 7-inch black and white, auto-adjusting light, wireless charging | 4.5 (6.5K) | Premium Kindle |
| Amazon Kindle Colorsoft 16 GB (2024) | $349.99 | 7-inch colour | 4.5 (2.9K) | Colour on a Kindle |
Kindle prices on Amazon.ca note that a $0.55 eco fee might apply. A newer 6-inch Kindle is also listed at $199.99, and a new Paperwhite Signature is listed for release on Nov. 11, 2026 at $349.99, so shoppers who can wait may want to compare those against the 2024 models here.
No. 1, best for most readers: Kindle Paperwhite (2024)
The 16 GB Paperwhite suits readers who buy from Amazon and want a bigger screen without paying for extras. The listing describes a 7-inch glare-free display, a USB-C charge that lasts up to 12 weeks, and 25 per cent faster page turns than the previous generation. It lists 4.6 stars from 10.9K ratings, with more than 2K bought in the past month. Because we have not read the review text, we cannot summarize owner complaints; check the listing’s most critical reviews before buying. The Kindle is sold and shipped by Amazon.ca, and at $279.99 it costs $90 more than the basic Kindle.
See the current price on Amazon.ca
No. 2, best on a budget: Kobo Clara BW
The Kobo Clara BW is the cheapest reader here at $179.98 and is sold on Amazon.ca by Rakuten Kobo, the maker. Its listing describes a 6-inch glare-free E Ink Carta 1300 HD touchscreen, ComfortLight PRO with adjustable brightness and colour temperature, 16 GB of storage and an IPX8 rating, meaning it can survive up to 60 minutes in two metres of water. Buyers have rated it 4.6 stars across 3,134 ratings. It is a good fit for readers who want a pocketable reader at the beach or in the bath. The 6-inch screen is smaller than the Paperwhite’s 7 inches.
See the current price on Amazon.ca
No. 3, best basic Kindle: Amazon Kindle 16 GB (2024)
At $189.99, the standard Kindle is the one to pick if you want the Amazon library at the lowest Kindle price. Amazon describes it as the lightest and most compact Kindle, with a 6-inch glare-free display, an adjustable front light that is 25 per cent brighter at its maximum setting, dark mode, 16 GB of storage and up to six weeks of battery life. It holds a 4.6 rating from 17.3K reviews and is the listing’s “#1 Top Rated” in its search results. It is not waterproof as far as the listing says, so readers who want to use it near water should look at the Kobo or the Paperwhite instead.
See the current price on Amazon.ca
No. 4, best cheap colour: Kobo Clara Colour
The Clara Colour costs $199.98, only $20 more than the Clara BW, and is also sold by Rakuten Kobo. The listing describes a 6-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 colour display, dark mode, waterproofing and 16 GB of storage. Colour is used for book covers, comics, graphic novels and highlighting, where readers can choose between several highlight colours. It has a 4.6 rating from 2,845 ratings. Readers who mostly read novels in plain text will not gain much from colour, and colour E Ink screens are generally less sharp for text than black and white ones, so the Clara BW remains the better text reader at the same size.
See the current price on Amazon.ca
No. 5, best colour all-rounder: Kobo Libra Colour
The Libra Colour is Kobo’s larger colour reader at $289.98, sold by Rakuten Kobo. Its listing describes a 7-inch colour E Ink Kaleido 3 screen, waterproofing, dark mode, audiobook support and recycled materials, and it is promoted for note-taking as well as reading. It has a 4.6 rating from 4,293 ratings and more than 500 bought in the past month. It costs about $10 more than the Paperwhite, so the choice comes down to whether you want colour and a Kobo ecosystem over Amazon’s store.
See the current price on Amazon.ca
No. 6, best premium Kindle: Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024)
The Signature Edition adds an auto-adjusting front light, wireless charging and 32 GB of storage to the Paperwhite, according to Amazon’s listing, at $329.99. It lists 4.5 stars from 6.5K ratings and more than 4K bought in the past month. The extra $50 over the Paperwhite buys convenience rather than a better screen, so it suits heavy readers who read in changing light or want the charging dock. Most casual readers will do fine with the standard Paperwhite.
See the current price on Amazon.ca
No. 7, best Kindle in colour: Kindle Colorsoft (2024)
The Colorsoft is Amazon’s colour Kindle, priced at $349.99 for the 16 GB model. Amazon says its 7-inch Colorsoft display shows covers and content in colour and lets you highlight in colour. The listing shows 4.5 stars from 2.9K ratings. It is the most expensive reader in this comparison, so it suits people who want colour and already read inside Amazon’s store. Anyone who prefers plain text can skip it. For a larger device for handwritten notes, see our separate look at the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.
See the current price on Amazon.ca
How do you choose between a Kindle and a Kobo?
The biggest difference is where your books come from. A Kindle is built around Amazon’s store and Kindle format, so if you already own Kindle books, a Kindle keeps your library in one place. Kobo e-readers are built around Kobo’s store and open formats such as EPUB, and Kobo says its readers work with OverDrive library borrowing. Check with your own library, because borrowing options differ and Amazon’s send-to-Kindle feature for library books has been offered only in the United States.
Screen size is the next choice. The 6-inch Kindle and Kobo Clara models are pocket-sized, while the 7-inch Paperwhite, Signature, Colorsoft and Libra suit readers who want larger text. Waterproofing matters for bath and beach readers, and the Kobo listings here state it clearly. Colour screens suit comics, magazines and covers; text readers should be content with black and white.
For Canadian buyers, check the warranty and seller. Every pick here is sold by Amazon.ca or by Rakuten Kobo, the maker, which matters for returns and warranty claims. Also remember that a Kindle bought here ships to Canadian addresses with prices in Canadian dollars, so there is no currency conversion to track. French-language readers should check the title selection in the store they prefer, since Kobo and Amazon both sell French e-books.
Who should skip an e-reader?
Readers who mostly read illustrated cookbooks, large PDFs or textbooks with complex layouts may be happier with a tablet. People who read a few books a year can also borrow from a library or use a phone. Anyone who wants a device for video or apps should look at a tablet, because these e-readers are built for reading.
How we chose
We searched Amazon.ca for Kindle and Kobo e-readers on Oct. 28, 2026 and kept current models with ratings of 4.5 stars or higher and at least 2,800 ratings. We opened each product page to confirm the seller was Amazon.ca or Rakuten Kobo and recorded the listed price, rating, review count and specifications. We left out third-party e-readers from unfamiliar brands. We did not test any of these products, and we did not read individual review text, so this article does not summarize owner complaints. For independent performance testing of e-readers, see RTINGS. Manufacturer information is at Kobo and on the Amazon.ca product pages linked above.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Kindle or a Kobo better in Canada?
Neither is better for everyone. A Kindle suits readers who buy from Amazon, while a Kobo suits readers who want open formats and a waterproof, lower-priced option.
What is the cheapest e-reader on Amazon.ca here?
The Kobo Clara BW at $179.98 is the cheapest in this comparison, followed by the Kindle 16 GB at $189.99.
Are Kobo e-readers waterproof?
The Clara BW listing states an IPX8 rating, good for up to 60 minutes in up to two metres of water. The Clara Colour and Libra Colour listings also describe waterproofing.
Is colour worth paying for on an e-reader?
Colour helps with comics, covers and colour-coded highlights. For plain novels, black and white costs less and is usually enough.
Related reading: our Amazon Picks Canada hub, the guide to the best laptops for students and our look at power banks.
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