Kindle vs Kobo: which e-reader ecosystem suits you?
The screens are similar. What really separates them is where your books come from and what files you can read.
By the Let’s Compare Editorial Team · 1 min read · Updated September 24, 2026
When you buy an e-reader, you're mostly buying into a bookstore. Kindles and Kobos have similar screens these days, so the real choice is about which store, which file formats and which library service you'll live with for years.
Kindle vs Kobo at a glance
| Kindle | Kobo | |
|---|---|---|
| EPUB files | Via Send to Kindle (converted) | Opens directly |
| Comics (CBZ/CBR) | No | Yes |
| Library ebooks | Via Libby, US libraries only | OverDrive built into many models |
| Store | Amazon | Kobo |
Files you can read
Kobo readers open EPUB, the standard ebook format used by most stores outside Amazon, directly. They also handle PDF, MOBI, and comic formats like CBZ and CBR. Buy a DRM-free book anywhere, copy it over, and it just works.
Kindles don't open EPUB files on the device itself. Since 2022 you can send an EPUB through Amazon's Send to Kindle service, which converts it to Amazon's own format first. It works, but it's an extra step, and it keeps Amazon in the middle of everything you read.
Borrowing from the library
If you borrow ebooks, this can decide it. Many Kobo readers have OverDrive built in: add your library card and you can browse, borrow and read on the device itself. Kindle library loans go through the Libby app, and that option exists only for libraries in the United States. Outside the US, a Kindle can't borrow library ebooks this way at all.
Which to pick
Already have a big Kindle library, or live in Amazon's world? A Kindle keeps everything in one place, and Amazon's store is the largest. Want to buy from any store, read EPUBs without conversion, or borrow from a library outside the US? Kobo is the freer choice. Either way, your purchases stay locked to that ecosystem, so it's worth choosing deliberately.
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Sources & further reading
The facts and figures in this article come from the references below (some of them not in English), so you can check them yourself.
- File formats your Kobo eReader and Kobo Books app support — Rakuten Kobo
- Send PDF, EPUB and other files to your Kindle — Amazon
- Borrow eBooks from the public library using your Kobo eReader — Rakuten Kobo
- Reading Kindle Books on a Kindle ereader — Libby Help