E-readers are easy to carry around and they give you access to multiple titles at a time, so it makes sense that a lot of people prefer them over physical books. The Kobo Clara HD and the Kindle Paperwhite are two e-readers that have some similarities and they don’t differ much when it comes to price. Below, we put the two in a head to head comparison to help you decide which one is right for you.
Kobo Clara vs Kindle Paperwhite Comparison Chart
| Model | Kobo Clara | Kindle Paperwhite |
 |  | |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Dimensions | 4.3 x 6.3 x 0.33 inches | 4.9 x 6.9 x 0.32 inches |
| Weight | 5.86 ounces | 7.23 ounces |
| Display | 6 inches E Ink display 300 ppi | 6.8 inches E Ink display 300 ppi |
| IP Rating | N/A | IPX8 |
| Storage | 8GB | 8GB |
| Connectivity | WiFi | WiFi |
| Audiobooks | Not supported | Audible via Bluetooth |
| Adjustable Light | Yes | Yes |
| Charging Interface | MicroUSB | USB-C |
Design
The Kobo Clara HD is more compact and lightweight than the Kindle Paperwhite, but the latter is waterproof and has a flush-front design.
When it comes to design, the Kobo Clara HD and the Kindle Paperwhite both have thin bezels at the sides and at the top, with a thicker bezel at the bottom containing their branding. But that’s where the similarities end. The Kobo Clara HD is smaller and lighter, measuring 4.3 x 6.3 x 0.33 inches and weighing only 5.86 ounces. Meanwhile, the Kindle Paperwhite’s dimensions are 4.9 x 6.9 x 0.32 inches and it weighs 7.23 ounces. Needless to say, the more compact form factor of the Kobo Clara HD is easier on the hand and forearm during longer reading sessions.
One noticeable difference between the two is with their screens. The Kobo Clara HD’s screen is not flush with the bezels and this can introduce issues such as dirt and dust accumulation. On the other hand, the Kindle Paperwhite has a flush-front design where the screen is level with the bezels. Aside from having a more seamless look, you don’t have to worry about dirt and dust accumulation in between the screen and the bezels. Also, this design choice allows the device to have an IPX8 rating, which means that it’s waterproof.
Display
The Kobo Clara HD’s 300 ppi 6-inch screen displays sharper text than the 6.8-inch 300 ppi display of the Kindle Paperwhite.
Sporting a 6-inch E-Ink HD display, the Kobo Clara HD is a compact e-reader. Its 6-inch screen has a resolution of 1072 x 1448 for a pixel density of 300 ppi (pixels per inch). On the other hand, the Kindle Paperwhite has a 6.8-inch screen with the same pixel density of 300 ppi. The smaller screen of the Kobo Clara HD allows it to display sharper and clearer text, but the difference is very small and almost negligible.
Both devices use E-Ink displays and they both resemble the appearance of actual paper. With this technology, both are excellent at displaying text and they are quite easy on the eyes. As far as screen quality goes, it’s a tie between the two since the only difference is with their size.
Features
The Kobo Clara HD is strictly an e-reader, while the Kindle Paperwhite has Audible support.
When it comes to features, the two are actually quite similar. They both have adjustable backlights that allow you to adjust the brightness and color temperature to your preference. One advantage that the Kobo Clara HD is its automatic backlight that adjusts itself depending on the time of day and your chosen time zone. The standard Kindle Paperwhite does not have this feature, but the Signature edition does, however, that’s significantly more expensive.
As for storage, the two devices have 8GB of internal storage. They don’t have a microSD slot for storage expansion, but for most people, 8GB will be more than enough for thousands of eBooks.
One feature that’s exclusive to the Kindle Paperwhite in this comparison is its Audible support. You can purchase and listen to Audible audiobooks using the device. While this feature is great, one downside is that the Kindle Paperwhite only supports Bluetooth audio, so you’ll need to have a pair of Bluetooth earbuds or headphones to take advantage of this feature.
Supported Formats
The Kobo Clara HD supports 15 file formats that include EPUB, MOBI, EPUB3, PDF and image formats such as CBR and CBZ. For reading text, the Kobo Clara HD is excellent, however, for comic books, it’s not really ideal to read colored pages on a black and white screen.
On the other hand, the Kindle Paperwhite supports 13 file formats that include commonly used ones such as EPUB3, EPUB and more. In addition to those, it also supports audiobooks from Audible.
When it comes to their stores, the two Kobo Store and Kindle Store offer almost the same number of eBooks, so there’s no shortage of options on either. As for cross device compatibility, both Kobo and Amazon support it with their iOS and Android apps. However, cross device compatibility is limited to books that are purchased through the Kobo and Kindle Stores.
Battery
Battery life is quite similar with these devices. They can last for weeks on a single charge, but it will vary depending on the settings that you are using, particularly, the brightness level of the backlights. That said, both will last a long time. The Kobo Clara HD has a micro USB port, while the Kindle Paperwhite has a USB-C port.
Verdict
Buy the Kobo Clara HD if you’ll only be reading; get the Kindle Paperwhite if you also want to listen to Audible audiobooks.
The Kobo Clara HD is a very good option if you’re only interested in reading eBooks. The Kobo Store rivals the Kindle Store when it comes to availability of titles, so you won’t be missing much if you opt to go with the Kobo Clara HD. It’s also more compact and lightweight, so it’s more portable and easier to hold. The cheaper price is just the icing on the cake if you don’t want to spend too much.
On the other hand, the Kindle Paperwhite is excellent for those that want an e-reader with support for audiobooks. It’s not as compact and lightweight as the Kobo Clara HD, but it has a much better overall design. You’ll get access to the Kindle Store and Audible with the device, and for a lot of people, those are good enough reasons to get it over the Kobo Clara HD.
FAQs
The two are quite similar in many ways, but the Kindle Paperwhite has the advantage when it comes to overall design and support for audiobooks.
Officially, no, but there are a few workarounds that can be done in order to read Kindle books on the Kobo Clara HD. That said, these workarounds are not guaranteed.
Yes, it connects to the internet via 2.4GHz WiFi.
No, you can’t watch any type of content on the Kindle Paperwhite as it is strictly for reading eBooks and listening to Audible audiobooks.