Category: Nook

Looking for an E-Reader That Works With Kindle and Nook? Here’s the Problem

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When switching from physical books to eBooks, you face an immediate choice: where do you buy them? Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kobo, or directly from authors as DRM-free EPUBs or PDFs. That choice matters more than most people realize, because it may lock you to a single device forever, and finding an e-reader that works with Kindle and Nook is harder than it should be. I have previously compared the Kindle Colorsoft, Nook GlowLight 4, and iPad Mini as standalone devices, but the question I kept coming back to was whether any single e-reader could handle all the various ecosystems at once.

The issue at play is DRM, or Digital Rights Management. DRM is a system meant to prevent unauthorized copies of a digital asset such as an eBook from being shared with others who never paid for it. It protects retailers, publishers, and authors. Kobo, Amazon (Kindle), and Barnes and Noble (Nook) all use DRM. Unfortunately, that also locks you into their ecosystem rather than locking the eBooks to you specifically.

In practical terms, what this means is that if you buy an Amazon Kindle, you can only read eBooks purchased on Amazon. If you buy a Barnes and Noble Nook, you can only read eBooks purchased from Barnes and Noble. If you buy eBooks from Kobo, you can only read them on a Kobo device (note that Kobo does have a range of DRM free eBooks that you can purchase). Kobo is often cited as a more ‘universal’ solution, but it runs Linux rather than Android, meaning it cannot install Kindle or Nook apps at all. In the case of the Amazon Kindle, side loading content has been made difficult, requiring you to e-mail DRM free eBooks to the device to be readable.

While I am sure that for many people buying from a single ecosystem is fine, there are those of us who prefer to shop around for the best book deals or prefer not to be locked in a single store. Further, some devices go so far as to lock you out of library platforms such as Libby or Overdrive entirely, preventing the borrowing of eBooks, though this varies by device and platform.

There are some solutions. Some prefer to strip the DRM from their books to load them onto a device of their choosing. Legally this is questionable, and potentially risky. It also requires some technological know-how to accomplish. Another solution is rather than using an e-reader, you can use a tablet (such as an iPad or Android variant with full Google Play Store access) to load the various apps such as Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Libby, etc., onto a single device. The issue here is that a tablet is often heavier, more expensive, the battery is measured in hours rather than days and can be harder on the eyes.

I ended up with a simple question: is there an e-reader, using E Ink technology, that can use all the apps?

The Android E Ink Solution

Can you read Kindle and Nook books on a single e-reader? If the e-reader runs Android, the answer is yes. There are an increasing number of Android-powered E Ink (both color and monochrome) display devices available. These devices are around the same price as a Kindle or Nook, are often touted as being faster and more capable, and promise a more universal reading experience.

Over the coming weeks I’ll be testing each of these devices for real-world performance, not just specifications. My wife Kate, an avid eBook reader who currently uses an iPad Mini and suffers from eye strain, will also weigh in on whether these e-readers are a genuine alternative for heavy readers. I’ll also be comparing various price points ($120 to $290) to help you find the right fit for your budget.

The e-readers I will be reviewing in the coming weeks (and in no specific order) are the following:

Barnes and Noble Nook
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition
OBOOK6 – Read our full OBOOK6 review here!
BOOX Go 7
BOOX Go Color 7 Gen II
iPad Mini 7

eReader Comparison: How does the iPad Mini 6, Nook Glowlight 4, and Amazon Kindle Colorsoft compare?

Apple iPad Mini 6 vs Barnes and Noble Nook Glowlight 4 vs Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition

Over Christmas last year, I went haywire on updating our eReaders. Our Barnes and Nobel Nook was 13 years old with a battery that no longer held a charge. While our Kindle was newer by several years, it was still long in the tooth. The Apple iPad Mini 6 is a generation behind, but works well so we opted not to replace that. As such, I decided do an eReader comparison for those who aren’t sure which one they should get.

Apple iPad Mini 6 – $N/A (Mini 7 – $499)

The iPad Mini 6 has an 8.3″ screen, making it the largest of the eReaders reviewed. It is a full color tablet that runs any app in the Apple store. It is heavier than the other eReaders but makes up for that in its versatility and extra functionality. Battery life easily lasts most of the day, if reading, though it will require charging that night after a days use. It’s bright screen is suitable for outdoor use, however the screen can glare if the sun is directly behind you and the sunlight might lead to an overheated device (which happened to us). It is fast and reading through or highlighting in a book is a breeze.

Why would we pick the iPad Mini over the other eReaders? For one, it it more universal due to the app store, allowing us to use Kindle, Nook, Libby, and other apps for reading. If we get bored of reading, then we can use the iPad Mini to draw with the optional Apple Pencil Pro. Or check our email. Or reply to text messages. Or…, well, you get the gist. The price, however, makes it the most expensive. While our iPad Mini 6 is no longer sold, an equivalent (but faster and newer) iPad Mini 7 is currently $499.

My wife prefers the iPad Mini 6 over an individual eReader locked to a single store (aka, Amazon or Barnes and Noble), and her lack of patience is satiated by the snappy performance of the A15 Bionic chip. I dislike the weight of the iPad Mini for reading, though I do use it for other tasks such as listening to audio books.

Buy the iPad Mini if you need extra functionality and/or have a library of books across different apps like us.

Barnes and Noble Nook Glowlight 4 – $149.99

The Nook Glowlight 4 has a 6″ e-ink black and white screen (7.8″ if you opt for the plus model), making it the smallest eReader of the three. It is light weight, has an adjustable back light for nighttime reading (adjustable in brightness and color, from cool white to warm orange). It’s interface is simple. However, it is showing it’s age, having been released in late 2021. It is no where near as snappy as the Kindle, and I have had some books freeze for up to a minute on it’s table of contents.

The physical buttons are convenient for turning pages and going one chapter forward or backward, however due to placement I tend to hit them on accident while adjusting my hands. Battery life is better than the iPad Mini; with the backlight on at medium brightness, I have gotten a weeks’ worth of reading before getting a battery low warning. Without the backlight, reading for weeks at a time is possible.

While the eReader supports EPUBs and PDFs, it is largely meant for one purpose: to read eBooks purchased through Barnes and Noble. It does not support other apps natively nor does it support eBooks purchased through Kindle. It also does not support audio books (though the Glow Light 4 Plus, does).

I prefer the Nook for its small and lightweight body, making it the most comfortable to read on when laying down. However, the pesky buttons sometimes get in my way, advancing or backtracking the pages and even chapters when accidentally pressed. Considering the price and it’s age, however, its a hard purchase to swallow. Our library is largely Nook based, so its either this or the iPad Mini.

Buy the Nook Glowlight 4 if your library is Nook based.

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition – $279.99

Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition has a 7″ color e-ink screen. While the colors are limited and dull, especially compared to a tablet like the iPad Mini, it is a nice upgrade from the black and white e-ink readers and adds a splash of colorful fun to the reading and highlighting experience. While the weight is lighter than the iPad mini, it is heavier than the Nook, though I can tolerate it while reading in bed. The Kindle is noticeably snappier than the Nook Glowlight 4, but not as snappy as the iPad Mini.

There are no physical buttons to accidentally press, but if you like having said buttons, then this is not for you. Battery life appears as solid as the Nook, easily lasting a week with its backlight. Like the Nook, the backlight is adjustable.

The Kindle does not support EPUBS natively, requiring you to use the “Send to Kindle” feature to convert the file into a format readable by the Kindle. Unlike the Nook, you can technically use Libby via the “Send to Kindle” option, but like the Nook, there are no other native apps. The Kindle Colorsoft is meant for Amazon’s ecosystem of eBook purchases for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible for audio books.

The Signature Edition comes in 32 GB of storage and has a Qi Charger for wireless charging, so if you do not need that much storage or wireless charging then spring for the cheaper base 2025 Colorsoft instead.

While I like the Kindle Colorsoft and while I certainly use it, I mainly have it just for the Kindle library I maintain. It is lighter than the iPad Mini, so it is more comfortable to use it to read in bed than the Mini.

Buy the Kindle if your library is Kindle based, or you use/have Kindle Unlimited and/or Audible.

Conclusion and Notes

All three eReaders support USB-C and all three do the job they are meant for wonderfully well. The Nook does support side-loading content via USB-C, whereas the Kindle ‘supports’ it but has an increased complexity so that the “send to Kindle” option is a better choice for compatibility.

There are also other eReaders out there, from full tablet to e-ink, such as Kobo, Onyx, and Remarkable (which double’s as a note taker). There are also a plethora of models to choose from within each make (Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Colorsoft, Kindle Scribe, Kindle Scribe Colorsoft… for example). While this article does not cover them all, I hope it helps those trying to decide what to buy.