Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook cost the same at both ends of their lineups: $149.99 for a 6-inch model and $199.99 for a 7-inch-plus model. The Nooks have more storage and physical page-turn buttons. The Kindles are newer, last longer on a charge, and connect to a much bigger store and to public libraries.
The short answer: for most people, buy a Kindle. The 2026 Kindle Paperwhite is the better all-around e-reader, and Amazon’s store, Kindle+, and US library support are hard to beat. Buy a Nook if you already own Nook books, like to shop and get help in Barnes & Noble stores, or want physical page-turn buttons and a bigger 7.8-inch screen for $199.99.
Kindle vs. Nook at a glance
| Spec | Kindle | Nook |
|---|---|---|
| Current e-readers | Kindle ($149.99), Kindle Paperwhite ($199.99), both redesigned in 2026 | GlowLight 4 ($149.99, 2021), GlowLight 4 Plus ($199.99, 2023) |
| Largest screen | 7-inch Paperwhite (7-inch Colorsoft in color) | 7.8-inch GlowLight 4 Plus |
| Page-turn buttons | Only with an add-on cover or remote | Built into both models |
| Storage | 16 GB (32 GB on premium models) | 32 GB on both |
| Warm light | Paperwhite and up | Both (Night Mode) |
| Waterproof | Paperwhite, IPX8 | GlowLight 4 Plus, IPX7 |
| Audiobooks | Audible, over Bluetooth | B&N Audiobooks on the 4 Plus, over Bluetooth or a headphone jack |
| Store | Kindle Store, plus Kindle+ ($11.99/mo) | Barnes & Noble, 4.5+ million e-books |
| Library books (US) | Send Libby loans to your Kindle | No built-in borrowing |
| Ads | Lockscreen ads unless you pay $20 more | None |
Best e-reader for most people
Kindle Paperwhite (2026)
A 7-inch flush-front screen with warm light, IPX8 waterproofing, and up to 12 weeks of battery.
Best for page-turn buttons
Nook GlowLight 4 Plus
A 7.8-inch flush screen with page-turn buttons, 32 GB, IPX7 waterproofing, and audiobook support.
The Lineups
Kindle. Amazon redesigned both of its main models in October 2026. The 6-inch Kindle ($149.99) now has a flush-front screen and a replaceable battery. The 7-inch Kindle Paperwhite ($199.99) adds warm light, IPX8 waterproofing, and up to 12 weeks of battery. Premium versions add aluminum, 32 GB, and no ads, and the Kindle Colorsoft adds a color screen.
Nook. Barnes & Noble sells two E Ink e-readers. The 6-inch GlowLight 4 ($149.99) came out in 2021, and the 7.8-inch GlowLight 4 Plus ($199.99) in 2023. Both have 300 ppi screens, warm Night Mode lighting, 32 GB of storage, and physical page-turn buttons on both sides. Barnes & Noble has said new Nook e-readers are coming but hasn’t announced them. The $149.99 Nook Reading Tablet 8.7, released in 2026, is an Android tablet with an LCD screen, not an E Ink e-reader.
Kindle vs. Nook GlowLight 4 ($149.99)
| Kindle (2026) | Nook GlowLight 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 6-inch, 300 ppi, flush front | 6-inch, 300 ppi, raised bezel |
| Warm light | No | Yes, Night Mode |
| Page-turn buttons | No | Yes, both sides |
| Storage | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Waterproof | No | No |
| Battery | Up to 6 weeks | ”Weeks” (no figure given) |
| Ads | Yes, unless you pay $20 more | No |
| Released | 2026 | 2021 |
On paper, the GlowLight 4 gives you more for the same $149.99: a warm light for reading in bed, page-turn buttons, twice the storage, and no ads. The Kindle is five years newer, with a sleeker flush-front screen, faster book opening, a replaceable battery, and Amazon’s store behind it. Neither is waterproof.
If buttons and warm light matter more to you than the store, the GlowLight 4 is a fair pick. Otherwise, the basic Kindle is the safer buy. And if you want warm light and waterproofing at this price without Amazon, the $159.99 Kobo Clara BW has both. Our Kindle vs. Kobo comparison covers it.
Kindle Paperwhite vs. Nook GlowLight 4 Plus ($199.99)
| Kindle Paperwhite (2026) | Nook GlowLight 4 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 7-inch, 300 ppi, flush front | 7.8-inch, 300 ppi, flush front |
| Warm light | Yes | Yes, Night Mode |
| Page-turn buttons | No | Yes, both sides |
| Storage | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Waterproof | IPX8 | IPX7 (3 feet for 30 minutes) |
| Audiobooks | Audible over Bluetooth | B&N Audiobooks over Bluetooth or headphone jack |
| Battery | Up to 12 weeks | ”Weeks” (no figure given) |
| Ads | Yes, unless you pay $20 more | No |
| Released | 2026 | 2023 |
This is the closer matchup. The GlowLight 4 Plus has the bigger screen, page-turn buttons on both sides so you can read one-handed with either hand, twice the storage, no ads, and a headphone jack for audiobooks, which no Kindle has.
The Paperwhite is newer and thinner, more waterproof (IPX8 vs. IPX7), and lasts up to 12 weeks per charge. It’s also the more polished device day to day, and it plugs into the Kindle Store, Kindle+, Audible, Goodreads, and library loans. For most readers, those advantages outweigh the Nook’s buttons and bigger screen.
Bookstores: Kindle Store vs. Barnes & Noble
Books from each store only open on that company’s devices and apps, so a Kindle library won’t move to a Nook, or the other way around.
The Kindle Store is the bigger one. It carries the many self-published books that are only sold on Amazon, and Kindle+ (formerly Kindle Unlimited, $11.99 a month) lets you borrow from millions of them. Barnes & Noble says its store has more than 4.5 million e-books, with more than 2 million that are free or under $4.99. It doesn’t offer an all-you-can-read e-book plan, though it does sell audiobook subscriptions.
The Nook’s advantage is the physical store. You can try a Nook in a Barnes & Noble, buy it there, and get help in person. Premium members also get 10% off Nook devices.
Library Books
In the US, Kindle is the clear winner. You borrow an e-book in the Libby app, tap “Read with Kindle,” and it downloads to your Kindle.
Nook e-readers have no built-in library borrowing, and Libby can’t send loans to a Nook. Where a library offers the Adobe EPUB version of a book, you can download it on a computer and copy it to the Nook with Adobe Digital Editions, but it takes several steps. If you borrow a lot of library books, get a Kindle or a Kobo, which has library borrowing built in.
EPUB, PDF, and Your Own Files
Nooks are more open with your own files. Connect one to a computer over USB-C and drag EPUB and PDF files onto it. On a Mac, you need Google’s Android File Transfer tool. Kindles read Amazon’s formats and PDFs, and you add EPUB files through Amazon’s Send to Kindle service, which converts them.
Which Should You Buy?
Buy a Kindle if:
- You want the newest hardware and the longest battery life
- You borrow library books or use Kindle+ or Audible
- You read self-published books that are only on Amazon
- You want the best waterproofing (Paperwhite, IPX8)
Buy a Nook if:
- You already own Nook books
- You like buying and getting help at Barnes & Noble stores
- You want physical page-turn buttons on both sides
- You want a 7.8-inch screen, 32 GB, and no ads for $199.99 (GlowLight 4 Plus)
Best cheaper kindle
Kindle (2026)
A pocketable 6-inch Kindle with a flush-front 300 ppi screen, 16 GB, and up to 6 weeks of battery.
Cheaper nook with buttons
Nook GlowLight 4
A 6-inch, 300 ppi e-reader with warm Night Mode, page-turn buttons, 32 GB, and no ads.
To choose between Amazon’s two main models, see Kindle vs. Kindle Paperwhite.
Kindle vs. Nook FAQ
Is a Nook better than a Kindle?
Not for most people. The Nook GlowLight 4 Plus has a bigger screen, page-turn buttons, and more storage than the Kindle Paperwhite at the same $199.99, but the Paperwhite is newer, lasts longer per charge, and has a bigger store and library support.
Can you read Kindle books on a Nook?
No. Kindle books only open on Kindle devices and Kindle apps. Nook books likewise only open on Nook devices and the Nook app.
Can you borrow library books on a Nook?
Not directly. Nook e-readers have no built-in library borrowing, and Libby can’t send books to a Nook. Some libraries let you download Adobe EPUB files that you can copy to a Nook with Adobe Digital Editions on a computer.
Is the Nook GlowLight 4 waterproof?
No. Only the GlowLight 4 Plus is waterproof, rated IPX7 for 3 feet of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.
Does the Nook have ads?
No. Nook e-readers don’t show ads. Kindles show lockscreen ads unless you buy the ad-free version for $20 more.
Is Barnes & Noble discontinuing the Nook?
No. Barnes & Noble still sells the GlowLight 4 and GlowLight 4 Plus, launched the Nook Reading Tablet 8.7 in 2026, and has said new e-readers are on the way.
