E-Readers · owner-verdict comparison

Kindle Colorsoft vs Kobo Clara Colour: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Kobo Clara Colour: 60% of 321 owners recommend it, vs 49% of 41 for the Kindle Colorsoft.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Kindle Colorsoft

49%of 41 owners recommend
49% recommend · 10% neutral · 41% don't
Owners praise
  • Color E Ink makes covers, comics, graphic novels, and magazines enjoyable to read
  • Page turns and navigation feel fast and snappy, comparable to or quicker than the Paperwhite
  • For the right reader, it's a fun, satisfying device that owners say they love using
Owners complain about
  • A yellow band or discoloration along the bottom of the screen plagued many launch units, leading some owners to return the device
  • Quality-control defects like dead or stuck pixels, dark screens, and charging quirks turned up on a number of units
  • At around $280 it's pricey for an e-reader, and several owners felt the color didn't justify the cost
Full owner report →

Kobo Clara Colour

60%of 321 owners recommend
60% recommend · 15% neutral · 25% don't
Owners praise
  • Color covers, comics and highlighting
  • Compact, light and portable
  • Easy sideloading and library support
Owners complain about
  • Grainy texture, lower B&W contrast
  • Freezing, crashing and bugs
  • Dark screen needs backlight on
Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the Kindle Colorsoft if
  • ✓Readers who want color for comics and graphic novels
  • ✓Kindle Unlimited users reading color magazines
  • ✓People upgrading from an older Paperwhite for speed
Skip it if
  • Buyers bothered by a yellow band or tint at the bottom
  • Anyone needing a true dark mode
Get the Kobo Clara Colour if
  • ✓Readers who want color covers, comics or color highlighting
  • ✓People leaving Amazon who want library and Libby support
  • ✓Those wanting a compact, pocketable color reader
  • ✓Night readers who like a dimmer, warm screen
Skip it if
  • Purists reading mostly B&W text who want maximum sharpness
  • Manga and graphic-novel readers needing a larger screen

What Kindle Colorsoft owners say

“I bought it. It’s expensive but I can make up for it by using Libby, plus I don’t drink or smoke or anything so I feel it’s a justified splurge.”
— @Skate_noir on YouTube
“Actually impressed with the color screen”
— @afrothundar on YouTube
“I've had two Colorsofts and sent both back because of screen issues.”
— @gsogymrat on YouTube

What Kobo Clara Colour owners say

“Thank you kobo for the ease of use for someone with thousands of ebooks already in a (non-amazon) library.”
— @ljroberts83 on YouTube
“I have the same one and I’m so in love with it!! everyone hates the screen but for me I can read perfectly and the colour is huge for me”
— @log81427 on YouTube
“I just bought The Witcher omniubus, and it is basically unreadable on my Kobo Clara Colour. The font is far to small for comfortable reading. There is a zoom option, but that is not a good experience with eInk.”
— davyyd on Reddit

Kindle Colorsoft vs Kobo Clara Colour: frequently asked questions

Is the Kindle Colorsoft or the Kobo Clara Colour better?

Real owners lean toward the Kobo Clara Colour: 60% of 321 owners recommend it, vs 49% of 41 for the Kindle Colorsoft.

Who should get the Kindle Colorsoft?

Owners point the Kindle Colorsoft at readers who want color for comics and graphic novels, and kindle Unlimited users reading color magazines.

Who should get the Kobo Clara Colour?

Owners point the Kobo Clara Colour at readers who want color covers, comics or color highlighting, and people leaving Amazon who want library and Libby support.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the Kindle Colorsoft is a yellow band or discoloration along the bottom of the screen plagued many launch units, leading some owners to return the device. For the Kobo Clara Colour, it's grainy texture, lower B&W contrast.