Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
Amazon’s Kindle Scribe from 2024 was one of our favorite e-readers when it came out, earning the Editor’s Choice award for its fantastic writing experience. But it’s not the newest Kindle Scribe on the block. The third-gen Kindle Scribe improves on its predecessor with a larger screen and more features.
The new models are a little pricey, however: $629 for the flagship Colorsoft with a color display and front light, or $499 for the base black-and-white Kindle Scribe.
Also: Kindle Scribe vs. ReMarkable Paper Pure: Why I’m not writing off Amazon’s E Ink tablet just yet
Sensing customers’ desire for a more affordable tablet, Amazon released the Kindle Scribe (2026) without a front light for a much more accessible $429. By ditching the light and bringing internal storage down to 16GB, it’s a solid “entry-level/premium” e-paper option that hits the sweet spot of features versus cost. This also positions it against the ReMarkable Paper Pure, that brand’s latest affordable e-paper tablet for $399.
So how does it compare to the Paper Pure? Both feature a fantastic writing experience, both ditch the front light, and both are at similar price points. I’ve gone hands-on with both; here’s where each one shines.
Specifications
|
Amazon Kindle Scribe (without front light) (2026) |
ReMarkable Paper Pure |
|
|
Display |
11-inch glare-free display, 300 ppi, no backlight |
10.3-inch Canvas display, 226 ppi, no backlight |
|
Weight |
0.88 pounds |
0.79 pounds |
|
Processor |
MediaTek quad-core |
1.7 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A55 |
| RAM/Storage | 1GB / 16GB (10GB available to user) storage | 2GB / 32GB |
| Battery | Up to 16 weeks based on a half hour of reading per day, up to three weeks with writing | Up to three weeks (3,820 mAh) |
| Subscription | Kindle Unlimited: $11.99/month (optional) | ReMarkable Connect: $3.99/month (optional) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Price | Starting at $429 | Starting at $399 |
Usability with e-books
Winner: Amazon Kindle Scribe
The Kindle Scribe wins this category hands down. If you want easy access to the Kindle library or your library through the Libby app, the Scribe is built specifically for that purpose. You can certainly read e-books on the ReMarkable Paper Pure, but you’ll have to download the EPUB files manually. It’s certainly not a difficult process, but you still have to acquire the files somewhere, which implies you have an account somewhere else anyway.
Review: Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft
If your goal is to read and annotate books from your library, the Kindle Scribe is better positioned to serve that purpose. In addition to this, the Scribe also has a “Recaps” feature, which offers spoiler-free summaries of key plot points. You can also ask the AI questions about the book, including character names, places, and key themes — an interesting feature some readers will certainly find useful.
Amazon Kindle Scribe without front light
Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET
Usability at work
Winner: ReMarkable Paper Pure
Where the Kindle Scribe excels as a personal e-reader, the Paper Pure is a bit more comfortable in the office. Much of that has to do with ReMarkable’s software experience, which I find to be top-notch. First, it’s streamlined and distraction-free, so you won’t see random notifications, ads, or pop-ups at any time when you’re using the device.
Review: ReMarkable Paper Pure
Second, the Paper Pure has a rich feature set designed with productivity in mind. When it comes to meetings, you can sync with your calendar and categorize your handwritten notes according to the event. Documents and sketches are easy to organize into keywords or tags, which allows you to keep work assigned to the right projects or clients. Also, the rich library of “methods” (what ReMarkable calls templates) is business-focused and professional — meaning you could actually bring them up in a meeting.
On that note, sharing your screen is as easy as navigating to a URL, and sending sketches and notes to teammates or clients is just as simple, not to mention the integrations with Slack, Google Drive, and other file-sharing platforms.
Display clarity
Winner: Amazon Kindle Scribe
Look, both of these tablets have incredibly similar displays, and if you’re opting for a device without a backlight, you should already be aware of its limitations. You’re not going to be able to read or write in dim lighting, but it’ll be just fine outside on a bright day or in normal light. The Kindle Scribe, however, has both a larger screen and slightly higher pixels per inch, giving it a slight lead in quality. This is most evident in small text and writing with extremely fine pen tips.
Writing experience
Winner: Tie
I know this sounds like a cop-out, but let me explain. Both tablets have fantastic pen-to-paper experiences, but they’re a little different, ultimately coming down to personal preference. The ReMarkable’s E Ink Carta 1300 display is a little more like “real” pen and paper; it’s more responsive to how you hold the pen, there’s more resistance, and the pen itself is better in my opinion (it’s heavier, and there’s no button). There are also more brush options, allowing for granular customization.
Also: What e-reader tablets do published authors use? My survey found results beyond the Kindle
Writing with the Kindle Scribe, on the other hand, is smooth-flowing and ample — the ink seems to burst out of the pen, and it feels very “close” to the tip. There is no lag whatsoever, and there is a narrower, but more impactful, brush kit. Each brush (pen, fountain pen, marker, pencil, and highlighter) is wholly distinct, and each has five thickness settings.
While I like the weight of the ReMarkable Paper Pure’s pen, the Kindle Scribe’s rubberized eraser is fantastic and couldn’t be more intuitive. If you like using a “real” eraser, the Kindle’s pen wins. But it does have the multiuse button near where your index finger sits, which personally I could do without.
Portability
Winner: ReMarkable Paper Pure
In terms of size and weight, both of these tablets are essentially the same: The Paper Pure is 0.79 pounds and has a 10.3-inch screen, while the Kindle Scribe weighs 0.88 pounds with an 11-inch screen. The Paper Pure is easier to hold, in my opinion, thanks to the thick left-side bezel.
Also: ReMarkable Paper Pure vs. Boox Go 10.3: I used both tablets at work, and it comes down to this
In handling the Kindle Scribe, I constantly accidentally turn pages and activate the menu because its design resembles a traditional tablet more than an e-reader, with smaller bezels that are even on all four sides. This happens a lot less on the Paper Pure.
What’s interesting is that the Paper Pure’s design actually models the previous-gen Kindle Scribe, which did have the grippable bezel and was a lot easier to handle in my opinion. Fortunately, you can toggle the “swipe only” setting on the Scribe, which requires a more intentional motion, but I still found the screen to be particularly sensitive.
Writer’s choice
Both of these tablets offer fantastic writing experiences and are well-priced compared to the pricier options in their product families. Ultimately, I maintain that it comes down to whether you want to use it for work or for leisure. The Amazon Kindle Scribe without front light is better for the latter: reading, annotating, and journaling, while the ReMarkable Paper Pure is better for the office, particularly if you want to share what you’re working on with others.
Personally, I fall into the second category, so the ReMarkable Paper Pure fits my use case better. I also appreciate ReMarkable’s commitment to its distraction-free ethos, which keeps the focus on the work and is evident each time you power it on.
