Which Kindle Should You Buy? Kindle vs Paperwhite vs Colorsoft vs Scribe
The four current Kindle e-readers compared on screen size, color, writing, waterproofing, and who each one makes the best gift for.
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Quick picks
- Best overallAmazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB (2024)$200–300Check today's price on Amazon
- Best budgetAmazon Kindle 16GB (2024)$100–200Check today's price on Amazon
- Best premiumAmazon Kindle Scribe 16GB with Premium Pen$300+Check today's price on Amazon
Compare our picks at a glance
| Product | Best for | Price | Rating summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB (2024) | Most readers | $200–300 | The balanced choice of screen size, waterproofing, and price. | Check price on Amazon |
| Amazon Kindle 16GB (2024) | Portability | $100–200 | The lightest, most compact Kindle; not waterproof. | Check price on Amazon |
| Amazon Kindle Colorsoft 16GB | Color books | $200–300 | Color e-ink for comics and covers; color is muted next to a tablet. | Check price on Amazon |
| Amazon Kindle Scribe 16GB with Premium Pen | Note-takers | $300+ | Large screen and pen for notes and PDFs; too big for a pocket. | Check price on Amazon |
A Kindle is one of the most reliable gifts for a reader. It’s light, the battery lasts for weeks, and an e-ink screen is far easier on the eyes than a phone at bedtime. The tricky part is that Amazon now sells four quite different models, and the names don’t make the differences obvious.
Here’s how the current lineup breaks down, based on Amazon’s product listings and specs and the patterns that come up in owner reviews. We haven’t run our own side-by-side tests.
A few things to check first
Do they read in the bath or at the pool? The basic Kindle isn’t waterproof. The Paperwhite and Colorsoft are. If your reader likes a beach book, that alone may decide it.
Ads or no ads. Many Kindles are sold in a version that shows “lockscreen ads,” which are book recommendations on the sleep screen, and a version without them that costs more. Check which one you’re buying. Some people never notice the ads. Others find them annoying on a gift.
Kindle Unlimited and library books. A Kindle Unlimited subscription opens up a large catalog of included titles, and in the U.S., many public libraries lend e-books that can be sent to a Kindle through the Libby app. Both are worth mentioning to the person you’re buying for.
Storage. For e-books, 16 GB is plenty. Thousands of books fit easily. Extra storage only matters for audiobooks or large comics.
Kindle Paperwhite (2024): best for most readers
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB (2024)
$200–300- 7-inch glare-free display
- Waterproof for reading in the bath or by the pool
- Weeks of battery life, per Amazon
- Larger and pricier than the basic Kindle
- Black-and-white only
The Paperwhite is the Kindle most people should buy. The 2024 model has a 7-inch glare-free screen, which Amazon lists alongside weeks of battery life. It’s waterproof, which removes one of the main worries about reading near water.
It costs more than the basic Kindle and is a little larger, so if pocketability matters most, look at the standard model below.
Who it’s for: regular readers who want the best balance of screen size, waterproofing, and price.
Kindle (2024): best budget and most portable
Amazon Kindle 16GB (2024)
$100–200- Lightest and most compact current Kindle
- 6-inch glare-free display with a front light Amazon says is 25% brighter than before
- Up to 6 weeks of battery and 16 GB of storage
- Not waterproof
- Smaller screen than the Paperwhite
The basic Kindle is the lightest and most compact model in the lineup. The 2024 version has a 6-inch glare-free screen, a front light Amazon says is 25% brighter at its maximum than before, dark mode, up to six weeks of battery, and 16 GB of storage. Amazon also notes it uses a high proportion of recycled plastic and magnesium.
The main thing it lacks compared with the Paperwhite is waterproofing.
Who it’s for: kids, commuters, and readers who want something small enough to carry everywhere.
Kindle Colorsoft: best for color
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft 16GB
$200–300- Color e-ink display for covers, comics, and illustrated books
- Highlight passages in color
- Same glare-free, easy-on-the-eyes reading
- Color is more muted than a tablet screen
- Costs more than the Paperwhite
The Colorsoft adds a color e-ink display. Book covers, comics, graphic novels, cookbooks, and children’s picture books are where it shines, and you can highlight in different colors.
Color e-ink is softer and less saturated than an LCD or OLED tablet, which is the trade-off for a screen that’s comfortable to read on for hours. If your reader mostly reads novels, the Paperwhite is the better value.
Who it’s for: comic and graphic novel fans, cookbook readers, and anyone who loves seeing covers in color.
Kindle Scribe: best for note-takers
Amazon Kindle Scribe 16GB with Premium Pen
$300+- Large 10.2-inch display
- Premium Pen included for notebooks and writing in books
- Good for PDFs and documents
- The priciest model here
- Too big to slip into a pocket
The Scribe is part e-reader, part digital notebook. It has a large 10.2-inch display and comes with a pen, so you can write notes, mark up documents, and jot in books. The bigger screen also helps with PDFs, which can be cramped on smaller Kindles.
Amazon updates the Scribe line fairly often, so check whether a newer generation is listed before you buy. It’s the most expensive option and much larger than the others, so it’s a better gift for a student, professional, or serious note-taker than a casual reader.
Who it’s for: students, writers, and anyone who reads PDFs or wants to handwrite notes.
Small extras that make it a better gift
A Kindle on its own is a great gift, but a couple of small additions make it feel complete. A cover protects the screen in a bag and can wake the device when opened. A gift card for e-books lets the person fill their library right away. And if you’re giving it to a child, setting up Amazon’s parental controls or a kids’ profile before you wrap it saves a frustrating first morning.
It’s also worth charging it before you wrap it, so it’s ready to use the moment it comes out of the box. When you order a Kindle as a gift, Amazon also lets you choose not to register it to your own account, which saves the recipient a step.
Our take
For most readers, the Kindle Paperwhite is the one to buy. If you want the cheapest, most portable option, the basic Kindle is excellent, as long as it won’t be near water. Pick the Colorsoft for comics and illustrated books, and the Scribe for people who want to write as much as read. Check current price, since Kindles are regularly discounted during Amazon’s holiday sales.
