Kobo

Rakuten e-reader hardware, app and ebook store, the reader-facing side of the Kobo ecosystem

As of 1 September 2026, Kobo is free to use. The consumer e-reader devices, app and ebook store from Rakuten. Softwr lists it under Publishing. Kobo is made by Rakuten Kobo Inc., available on iOS, Android, Web, Kobo e-readers.

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Overview

What Kobo does

Kobo sells e-ink e-reader devices and a companion app and storefront for buying ebooks and audiobooks, positioned as the main alternative to Amazon Kindle outside the Amazon ecosystem. Devices range from basic e-readers to larger note-taking models, and the store sells ebooks individually plus an optional Kobo Plus subscription for unlimited reading and listening. What matters for a buyer comparing readers is the open-format position: Kobo devices natively support EPUB, the format most non-Amazon ebook stores and library apps use, including borrowing through Libby via OverDrive integration built into many Kobo devices. Kindle, by contrast, is built around formats and an ecosystem Amazon controls tightly. That makes Kobo the more library-friendly and format-open hardware choice, at the cost of a smaller overall bestseller catalogue and fewer exclusive titles than Amazon can negotiate. Buyers are readers who want dedicated e-ink hardware rather than reading on a phone or tablet, and specifically readers who want to borrow library ebooks directly on their reading device without a workaround. This entry is the reader-facing store and hardware; authors and publishers looking to distribute books into the Kobo store should look at Kobo Writing Life instead, which is a separate self-publishing platform under the same parent company.

What people use it for

A reader who wants dedicated e-ink hardware instead of reading on a backlit phone or tablet
Someone who borrows heavily from a public library and wants OverDrive integration built directly into the device
A reader outside the Amazon ecosystem who wants an open EPUB-based alternative to Kindle
Someone who wants the option of both buying individual ebooks and an unlimited subscription from one store

Where it falls short

Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Kobo.

The overall ebook and audiobook catalogue, especially exclusive or first-run titles, is smaller than Amazon can offer through Kindle and Audible.
Kobo Plus, the unlimited subscription layer, is not available in every country the hardware and store otherwise serve.
Hardware pricing for higher-end note-taking models runs into the several-hundred-dollar range, which is a real commitment against reading on a phone for free.
Software updates and app polish have historically lagged the Kindle app in some regions, particularly around syncing and highlighting features.
This is a distinct product from Kobo Writing Life, and readers looking for author or publishing tools need that separate platform, not this one.

Cross-shopped

What people choose instead of Kobo

Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.

Kobovs
Kobo Writing Life
Kobo Writing Life: If you are an author or publisher looking to distribute books into the Kobo store, not a reader buying them
Kobovs
Libby
Libby: If you want free library borrowing without buying a dedicated e-reader device
Kobovs
Everand
Everand: If you want an unlimited subscription across ebooks, audiobooks and magazines rather than a per-title store

Pricing

What Kobo costs

Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.

Kobo app and store

Free

Free app and store, pay per ebook or audiobook
Hardware sold separately, from around $110 for entry e-readers
Full library of individual purchases

Kobo Plus

$9.99 /mo

Unlimited access to a Kobo Plus catalogue
Available in supported countries only
Layered on top of the regular store

Capabilities

Features

E-ink devices
A range of hardware from basic readers to larger note-taking models
EPUB support
Native support for the open EPUB format used by libraries and most non-Amazon stores
Built-in Libby integration
Borrow and read OverDrive library ebooks directly on-device on many models
Kobo Plus
Optional unlimited ebook and audiobook subscription layered on top of the store
Kobo Store
Individual ebook and audiobook purchases without a subscription
Note-taking models
Higher-end devices with stylus support for annotation and writing

Answered, with sources

Questions people ask

Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.

Is this the same as Kobo Writing Life?

No, Kobo Writing Life is the separate self-publishing platform for authors; this entry is the consumer reading app, store and hardware.

Can I borrow library books on a Kobo device?

Yes, many Kobo devices have built-in OverDrive/Libby integration for direct library borrowing.

Do I need a subscription to use Kobo?

No, you can buy ebooks and audiobooks individually; Kobo Plus is an optional unlimited add-on where available.

Keep looking

Where to go from Kobo

Best Publishing software for

Compare Kobo with

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From $11.99/mo11 researched notes
Moon Reader
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Storytel
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Kindle
Amazon's consumer e-book reading app, distinct from Kindle Direct Publishing, the author-facing service
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Calibre
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Atticus
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From $147/one-time11 researched notes
Libro.fm
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From $14.99/mo11 researched notes
Sigil
Open source EPUB editor for working directly on the file, not generating it
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IngramSpark
Print-on-demand and distribution into the wholesale catalogue that bookshops order from
10 researched notes
Kotobee
Interactive EPUB authoring that also exports native mobile apps and hosted libraries
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Scrivener
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11 researched notes
Lulu
Quality book printing at a reasonable price
9 researched notes
Affinity Publisher
Desktop page layout application, free since the Affinity range was relaunched by Canva
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PublishDrive
Ebook distribution aggregator that moved from a royalty-share model to flat-fee subscription pricing, so authors now keep 100% of the store royalty rather than splitting it with the platform
Free plan11 researched notes
QuarkXPress
The original desktop publishing software for print and digital design
9 researched notes
Calibre
Ebook library management and format conversion
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Atticus
One-time-purchase writing and book formatting that runs on Windows and Linux, not just Mac
From $147/one-time11 researched notes
Libro.fm
Audiobook subscription that splits revenue with an independent bookstore of your choice
From $14.99/mo11 researched notes

Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Kobo, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.

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