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The short answer: for most readers, the Kindle Paperwhite ($199.99) is the Kindle to buy. Compared with the basic Kindle, it has a bigger 7-inch screen, a warm light, waterproofing and twice the battery life, according to Amazon. Get the basic Kindle ($149.99) if you want the smallest and cheapest Kindle. The Colorsoft is worth it for comics, cookbooks and colored highlights, and the Scribe is for people who write notes or mark up PDFs.
Every spec on this page comes from Amazon’s own product listings and announcements. The 2026 Paperwhite and Colorsoft arrived on October 28, 2026, so owner reports are still coming in, and we’ll add them here.
7-inch, warm light, waterproof, up to 12 weeks of battery.
Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2026)
32GB, auto-adjusting light, aluminum back, no ads.
Basic Kindle vs Paperwhite: the 5 differences that matter
Both are 2026 models with 16GB of storage, a glare-free screen, a battery you can replace yourself and the same Kindle store. Amazon names the cheapest one just “Kindle”, which is why most people call it the basic Kindle. Here’s where they differ:
- Screen size. The basic Kindle has a 6-inch screen and the Paperwhite a 7-inch one, so the Paperwhite fits more text on each page. Amazon says the new Paperwhite also has the highest contrast of the lineup.
- Warm light. The Paperwhite’s light can shift to a warmer, amber tone for reading at night. Amazon lists adjustable brightness for the basic Kindle, but not a warm light.
- Waterproofing. Amazon calls the Paperwhite waterproof. It doesn’t list waterproofing for the basic Kindle, so keep that one away from the bath and the pool.
- Battery. Up to 12 weeks on a charge for the Paperwhite, against up to 6 weeks for the basic Kindle, by Amazon’s figures.
- Price. The Paperwhite is $199.99 and the basic Kindle is $149.99. Both prices include lockscreen ads. Without ads, they cost $219.99 and $169.99.
Which should you buy? Get the Paperwhite if you read in bed, in the bath or by the pool, or for hours at a time. The warm light, waterproofing and bigger screen are upgrades you notice every day. Save the money with the basic Kindle if you mostly read on your commute or want the most pocketable Kindle.
Paperwhite vs Paperwhite Signature Edition
The Paperwhite Signature Edition ($249.99) has the same 7-inch screen, waterproofing and 12-week battery rating as the Paperwhite, according to Amazon. It adds:
- 32GB of storage instead of 16GB
- A front light that adjusts itself to the room
- An aluminum back
- Double-tap page turns
- Dock charging
- No lockscreen ads
Is it worth it? Compare it with the ad-free Paperwhite ($219.99), since the Signature Edition has no ads either. 16GB already holds thousands of ebooks, so the extra storage mostly matters for audiobooks and comics. Pay for the Signature Edition if you want the automatic light and double-tap page turns.
Kindle Colorsoft: is color worth it?
The Colorsoft ($289.99) has a 7-inch color screen, a warm light, waterproofing and up to 8 weeks of battery, and Amazon sells it without lockscreen ads. Color helps with comics, graphic novels, cookbooks and children’s books, and you can highlight passages in five colors.
For novels, the Paperwhite does the same job for less and lasts longer on a charge (up to 12 weeks against 8, by Amazon’s figures). The Colorsoft Signature Edition adds 32GB, an auto-adjusting light, an aluminum back, double-tap page turns and dock charging. If you mainly read manga, see our best e-readers for manga and comics. For children, there’s a Colorsoft Kids version, covered on our Kindle Kids deals page.
Kindle Scribe: only if you write
The Kindle Scribe ($499.99) is a reading and writing device. According to Amazon, it has an 11-inch screen, a pen in the box that never needs charging, a built-in notebook, and imports from Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, so you can write on documents and export them as PDFs. It’s 5.4mm thin and weighs 400g.
As a pure e-reader, it’s big and expensive. Buy it if you take notes in class or at work, or mark up PDFs. Our guide to the best e-readers for students covers it in more detail. There’s also a color Kindle Scribe Colorsoft at $679.99.
Kindle Aluminum: the basic Kindle with more storage
The Kindle Aluminum ($189.99) is the basic Kindle with an aluminum back, 32GB of storage and no lockscreen ads. It has the same 6-inch screen and 6-week battery rating. Compare it with the ad-free basic Kindle ($169.99): the difference pays for the metal back and the extra storage. Like the basic Kindle, it has no warm light or waterproofing listed, so for most readers the Paperwhite is the better upgrade.
Specs side by side
| Our pick | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | ||||
| Screen | 6-inch | 7-inch | 7-inch color | 11-inch |
| Warm light | ||||
| Warm light | No (brightness only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waterproof | ||||
| Waterproof | Not listed | Yes | Yes | Not listed |
| Battery (Amazon) | ||||
| Battery (Amazon) | Up to 6 weeks | Up to 12 weeks | Up to 8 weeks | Weeks |
| Storage | ||||
| Storage | 16GB | 16GB | 16GB | 32GB |
| Pen | ||||
| Pen | No | No | No | Included |
| Price | ||||
| Price | $149.99 as of Oct 28, 2:21 am |
$199.99 as of Oct 28, 2:21 am |
$289.99 as of Oct 28, 1:22 am |
$499.99 as of Oct 28, 2:21 am |
Specs come from Amazon’s product listings. Battery figures are Amazon’s own ratings; for the Scribe, Amazon only says “weeks”.
2024 or 2026 model?
Amazon still sells some 2024 models while stock lasts. The 2024 Paperwhite ($199.99) has the same 7-inch size, waterproofing and 12-week battery rating. The 2026 model is thinner and lighter, and its battery can be replaced.
At the same price, get the 2026 model. The 2024 one only makes sense on a real discount, and our Kindle deals page shows whether today’s price is one.
What every Kindle shares
- Amazon’s store and Kindle+. Amazon renamed Kindle Unlimited to Kindle+ in October 2026. It costs $11.99 a month in the US and lets you borrow up to 20 books at a time, according to Amazon.
- Library books. In the US, you can borrow library ebooks through Libby and send them to any Kindle.
- Your own files. Kindles don’t open EPUB files directly. You send them through Amazon’s Send to Kindle service.
- No distractions. No notifications, email or social media, and a “Story So Far” recap when you return to a book.
- Kindle Click. Amazon’s wireless page-turn remote ($34.99) works with any Kindle from 2024 or later.
Not sure a Kindle is right for you? Our Kindle vs Kobo vs Boox comparison explains the trade-offs, and our guide to the best e-readers of 2026 covers every brand.