We are lucky to have two e-readers sold for about $100: the Kobo Nia and the Kindle. So we can compare them and see which one is the best for you.
Kobo Nia vs Kindle
First of all, you can find complete tests of both of these e-readers on the site :
Reading the reviews and watching the videos is still the best way to understand how these readers work and see if there is one that interests you more than the other.
Kindle and Kobo Nia technical specifications
As a complement, here is the table that allows you to see the technical and specification differences between the two e-readers:
| Kobo Nia | Kindle | |
| Image |  |  |
| Screen size | 6" | 6" |
| Resolution | 1024 x 768 pixels | 1448 x 1072 pixels |
| Color | No | No |
| Backlight | Yes | Yes |
| Waterproof | No | No |
| Storage | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Pen / Stylus | No | No |
| SD card | No | No |
| Ebook formats | EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ, CBR | Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, EPUB, MOBI, PRC; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP |
| Blue light filter | No | No |
| Other | Black or Blue color | |
| Review | Good affordable Kobo eReader ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Very good ereader at a good price ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Link (where to buy?) | Check the price on amazon.com - Official website Kobo.com | Check the price on amazon.com |
The differences between the Kobo Nia and the Kindle
The price difference
Kobo Nia e-reader from the Kobo brand
Both e-readers are almost at the same price (not counting the possible promotions you may find on these machines).
The differences in design
The Kobo Nia is about the same size as the Kindle. The plastic used also seems to be more solid than the one of the Kindle.
So there may be a slight advantage for the Kobo Nia in terms of finish.
The difference in the screen
The screen used in the Kindle has a resolution of 1448 x 1072 pixels.
The screen used in the Kobo Nia has 1024 × 768 pixels.
Both e-readers have built-in lighting.
The Kindle e-reader therefore offers a better screen that displays finer text.
The difference in EPUB file formats
A Kindle e-reader from Amazon
The ebooks you buy on your Kobo will not be compatible with a Kindle e-reader.
Similarly, the ebooks you buy from Kindle will not be compatible with a Kobo e-reader.
There is a way to make ebooks compatible with each other, but it involves a complex process of removing the digital lock and going through a file format conversion step.
All this is possible, but it is better to have this in mind before making a choice of e-reader.
If you want to know more about these brands and choose a Kobo or Kindle e-reader, you can go read this comprehensive article.
As the Kobo Nia e-reader supports native EPUB, which is widely used, it has an advantage over the Kindle which does not fully support native EPUB ebooks. However, it is very easy to add EPUB files to your Kindle.
Interface and software
The two interfaces are different. But on both readers you can quickly find the settings, the ebooks and the library that allows you to easily download new books (in Wifi).
We can not necessarily differentiate the readers on the software part and reading ebooks is a real treat both on the Kobo Nia and on the Kindle.
On the other hand, the Kobo Nia is much slower than the Kindle (don't hesitate to see the video at the beginning of the article to realize this difference)
So the advantage goes to the Kindle.
Additional services: Pocket for Kobo and Prime Reading for Kindle
Each e-reader offers a complementary service.
On the one hand, there is an integration with the Pocket service on the Kobo Nia e-reader.
Pocket allows you to "save articles, videos and stories from any publication, page or app. Organize your own space by filling it with everything you're eager to learn." (from their site).
You can then find the saved pages on the Kobo e-reader for a more comfortable reading.
On the other hand, the Kindle is perfectly integrated with Amazon services such as Prime Reading and the Kindle subscription.
The Kindle subscription provides access to unlimited reading for a monthly subscription fee (but the first month is free).
Prime Reading provides access to a library of books to borrow for free. To benefit from this service, you just need to have an Amazon Prime subscription. You can learn more by reading this page that details everything.
Conclusion: should you buy a Kindle or Kobo Nia?
In the end, both e-readers are very good and it is hard to say that the Kobo Nia is better than the Kindle.
Indeed, the Kindle has a better screen and more storage for your ebooks.
It doesn't matter which e-reader you choose: at a price about $100 you can hardly regret this purchase and you can turn to one e-reader or the other to test the ebook reading.
I think the Kindle e-reader is well positioned with its low price and its nice HD screen. It really becomes excellent if you have a Prime subscription (and Prime Reading).
But, the Kobo is also attractive and if you consume a lot of articles on the web, the presence of the Pocket service is a real plus and its screen is of better quality.
