This article lets you compare the two main 7-inch colour e-ink readers: the Kindle Colorsoft and the Kobo Libra Colour.
First of all, for a full picture of the quality of these readers, I recommend reading both full reviews:
Video comparison
To really appreciate the differences between the Kobo Libra Colour and the Kindle Colorsoft, I recommend watching the video that contains the essential information and, especially, lets you see the differences between the two screens’ colours.
| Kindle Colorsoft | Kobo Libra Colour | |
| Image |  |  |
| Screen size | 7" | 7" |
| Resolution | 300PPP | 150 PPI for Color / 300 PPI for B&W |
| Color | Yes | Yes |
| Backlight | Yes | Yes |
| Waterproof | Yes | IPX8 |
| Storage | 32GB | 32 GB |
| Pen / Stylus | No | Yes (optional) |
| SD card | No | No |
| Ebook formats | Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, EPUB (converted), MOBI, PRC; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP | EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR |
| Blue light filter | Yes | Yes |
| Other | Kaleido 3 color screen, Bluetooth, Kobo audio Books | |
| Review | Only Color Kindle e-Reader available, but a little expensive ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Link (where to buy?) | Check the price on amazon.com | Check on Amazon.com - Official website Kobo.com |
Kobo Libra Colour vs Kindle Colorsoft: what are the differences?
Firstly, here are the differences between the two readers:
In terms of features, the Kobo Libra Colour allows you to listen to audiobooks whereas the Kindle Colorsoft does not. However, only audiobooks from the Kobo library are compatible with the Libra Colour.
It is also worth noting that the Kobo Libra Colour costs less.
Both readers have a comparable colour e-ink screen measuring 7 inches (with lighting and a touchscreen).
Compatibility with EPUB and PDF files
Another notable difference between the two:
Kindle Colorsoft: compatible with PDF and EPUB files but you must use the "Send to Kindle" service to send files to the reader.
Kobo Libra Colour: you can copy and paste PDF and EPUB files directly to the reader from a computer. It just work and it is great!
Both readers are compatible with the software Calibre, but PDF files will appear in black and white (without colour) if you use Calibre to transfer them to the Kindle Colorsoft.
Lighting and screen for reading novels (ebooks containing only text)
Even though both readers use the same type of colour e-ink screen, the display result is very different:
Contrast: the Kindle Colorsoft displays higher contrast with a whiter page and sharper text.
Lighting: the Kindle handles front-lighting better, but as soon as the blue-light filter is activated, the differences diminish.
Speed: the Kindle seems a bit faster, even if the difference is minor.
I find that both readers display pages very well but with different contrast. If you prefer a page with a more “white” background, then the Kindle Colorsoft is to be preferred.
Reading comics and colour content
Here the main difference appears on the colour display side:
The Kindle Colorsoft offers deeper colours and denser blacks, which results in a more flattering display.
The Kobo Libra Colour, on its side, presents a slightly yellow-tinted page, with softer and more even colours which — in my opinion — improve readability of the page. (And it’s quite hard to explain, I highly recommend watching the video)
If you look at the photo above, you can clearly see that the Kindle Colorsoft (on the left) displays more intense and less washed-out colours than the Kobo Libra Colour (on the right).
Is that better? It depends on you, but I have a clear preference for the colour content display on the Kindle Colorsoft.
Conclusion: which e-reader to choose?
Personally, and despite a clear advantage of the Kindle Colorsoft in terms of colour display and contrast, I think its price remains a bit too high and that the Kobo Libra Colour is a good all-round e-reader.
So if you want the best possible colour reproduction, you will have to go for the Kindle Colorsoft.
Otherwise, the Kobo Libra Colour is convincing and will be more than sufficient.
| Kindle Colorsoft | Kobo Libra Colour | |
| Image | | |
| Screen size | 7" | 7" |
| Resolution | 300PPP | 150 PPI for Color / 300 PPI for B&W |
| Color | Yes | Yes |
| Backlight | Yes | Yes |
| Waterproof | Yes | IPX8 |
| Storage | 32GB | 32 GB |
| Pen / Stylus | No | Yes (optional) |
| SD card | No | No |
| Ebook formats | Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, EPUB (converted), MOBI, PRC; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP | EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR |
| Blue light filter | Yes | Yes |
| Other | Kaleido 3 color screen, Bluetooth, Kobo audio Books | |
| Review | Only Color Kindle e-Reader available, but a little expensive ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Link (where to buy?) | Check the price on amazon.com | Check on Amazon.com - Official website Kobo.com |
If you liked this article, consider sharing this page on social network or to someone that could benefit from the information.
You might also like:
- A new Color Kindle in 2025? (May 20, 2025)
- 3 Affordable Alternatives to the Kindle Colorsoft E-Reader (November 12, 2024)
- Kindle vs Pocketbook Verse Lite: Which eReader Should You Choose? (July 30, 2025)
- Kindle Paperwhite review (7 inches - 2024 - 12th generation): The Best Kindle! (December 13, 2024)
- You won't be able to download Kindle books after February 26, 2025 (February 24, 2025)
