Amazon’s Kindle ereaders are convenient, compact, and incredibly popular. The lineup currently consists of the basic Amazon Kindle ($109.99), the bigger and faster Kindle Paperwhite ($159.99), the full-color Kindle Colorsoft ($279.99), and the note-taking-friendly Kindle Scribe ($399.99).
Amazon recently updated the Kindle and the Paperwhite, aligning its most popular models more than ever before. Both are small enough to fit in a purse or large pocket, both have grayscale E Ink screens, and both feature Amazon’s Kindle software, which makes navigating your library simple. They also come in Kids’ versions, which include parental controls, protective cases, kid-friendly content, and a no-questions-asked replacement guarantee (see the Kindle Kids and Paperwhite Kids). There’s also a Paperwhite Signature Edition with various spec upgrades.
Here, we highlight the similarities and differences between just the base models of the Kindle and the Kindle Paperwhite to keep things simple. But most of what we say is applicable to the Kids and Signature models.
Left to right: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, Amazon Kindle (Credit: Sarah Lord)
Price and Storage
The standard Kindle is Amazon’s more affordable ereader. It has a six-inch display and 16GB of storage for $109.99. You can remove the lock screen ads for an additional $20. It’s as cheap and as simple as it gets.
The Kindle Paperwhite increases the display to seven inches but keeps the storage the same at 16GB for $159.99. Once again, you can pay $20 to remove the lock screen ads. (If you need more than 16GB, the Paperwhite Signature Edition doubles the storage to 32GB and costs $199.99.)
Winner: Tie
Size and Design
The Kindle is the smallest and lightest Amazon ereader. It is made of plastic and measures 6.2 by 4.3 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 5.6 ounces. It comes in either Black or Matcha, and the color wraps around the back and front of the device. The bezels on the top and sides are thin, with a thicker bottom bezel for improved grip. The six-inch display is recessed into the bezels, which helps to reduce glare. The base Kindle isn’t waterproof.
Kindle Paperwhite (Credit: Sarah Lord)
The Paperwhite is slightly larger and heavier than the Kindle. It is also made of plastic and measures 7.0 by 5.0 by 0.3 inches and weighs 7.4 ounces. It comes in Black, Jade, or Raspberry, though the color is only visible on the back of the device. Like the Kindle, the Paperwhite has thin bezels on the top and side, with a thicker one on the bottom. Unlike the Kindle, the bezels are flush with the screen, which adds a little glare when viewed under direct sunlight. The glare is minimal, however. Unlike the Kindle, the Paperwhite is fully waterproof. It has an IPX8 rating, which means that it can withstand total submersion in up to two meters of fresh water for up to 60 minutes.
Both the Kindle and the Paperwhite have a USB-C port at the bottom for charging and transferring data.
Winner: Kindle Paperwhite
Display
Amazon doesn’t disclose the resolution of the display on either the Kindle or the Paperwhite other than to say that they both have a pixel density of 300ppi, which is standard across the entire lineup.
The Kindle’s six-inch screen is lit by a series of LED lights embedded into the top edge. The display reaches 94 nits at peak brightness but lacks the warm LEDs found in more expensive models, including the Paperwhite. The lighting on the Kindle is even and does a good job of making the display look white and clear, like paper.
Kindle (Credit: Sarah Lord)
The seven-inch display on the Paperwhite also reaches 94 nits of brightness. Amazon doesn’t specify how many LEDs it contains, but the Paperwhite supports both warm and cool tones.
Winner: Kindle Paperwhite
Speed
Amazon does not say what processor powers its Kindles or how much RAM they have, so we cannot differentiate them based on those specs.
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The Kindle doesn’t feel particularly slow, but page turns certainly aren’t the fastest we’ve experienced. It is still easy to navigate around the device, and the software is responsive.
Kindle Paperwhite (Credit: Sarah Lord)
Meanwhile, Amazon claims the Paperwhite is the fastest Kindle ever, with 20% faster page turns than the previous generation. Indeed, swiping through pages and navigating through the interface is instantaneous.
Winner: Kindle Paperwhite
Battery Life
Battery life on all Kindles is measured in weeks, not days. Amazon doesn’t specify the size of the battery in either device, though it does say that the Kindle should last up to six weeks on a charge. The Paperwhite appears to have a larger battery, as Amazon claims that it should last up to 12 weeks per charge despite its slightly larger screen. That said, your battery life will vary based on the length of your reading sessions and how bright you set the screen.
Recommended by Our Editors
The Kindle takes two hours to recharge using a 9W adapter or four hours at 5W. The Paperwhite charges in less than 2.5 hours with a 9W adapter. Neither includes a charger in the box.
Winner: Kindle Paperwhite
Software
Both the Kindle and the Paperwhite use the same Amazon software. For easy navigation, there’s a Library and Home tab. The Library contains all your books and documents, while the Home tab has a mix of books from your Library and Amazon-suggested content. A Quick Settings menu swipes down from the top of the screen and houses the screen brightness settings, along with Bluetooth, Airplane mode, and more.
Kindle (Credit: Sarah Lord)
Reading settings include access to the table of contents and sliders to adjust font size and line spacing.
Amazon books bought directly from the company download automatically to your Kindle. You can use Amazon’s Send-to-Kindle function to email Word docs, PDFs, and epubs that are free of digital rights management software to your device. You can also have library books sent to your Kindle through the Libby app, provided your local library is partnered with OverDrive, the company that runs the app.
Both Kindles will receive four years of security updates, but Amazon doesn’t say if that includes any significant OS updates.
Winner: Tie
And The Winner Is…
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024)
Both the Kindle and the Kindle Paperwhite offer excellent reading experiences within the Amazon ecosystem. While we like the Kindle as an affordable, simple, and highly portable ereader, the Paperwhite offers a better overall experience thanks to its larger screen, faster performance, waterproof design, and adjustable front light. It’s the best bet for most readers and our Editors’ Choice winner.
