• 

  Amazon Kindle Scribe

  The best all-rounder

  The Kindle Scribe has a big display allowing space for note taking or annotation, while still offering all the Kindle reading functions. Its display is sharper than ReMarkable's, and it has an LED front light that adjusts brightness itself. 

  Pros

  • Integration with Amazon's Kindle store
  • Sharp display with front light
  • Three storage options

  Cons

  • Not as many notebook templates
  • No Google/Dropbox integration

  $340 at Amazon $390 at Best Buy

• 

  reMarkable 2

  The best notebook replacement

  The ReMarkable 2 is the ultimate minimalist document creation/editing tool. It has dozens of paper-style templates, integration with Docs and Dropbox, and is so well-designed. It's such a beautiful, sleek device to behold.

  Pros

  • Handwriting and drawing feels natural
  • Versatile notebook templates
  • Elegant and thin design

  Cons

  • No front light
  • Expensive

  $449 at Best Buy $449 at Amazon

Key Takeaways

• The Kindle Scribe and the reMarkable 2 are the two best devices in the digital notebook space, offering portability and electronic advantages.
• The reMarkable 2 has a sleeker design and more writing-focused features, while the Kindle Scribe has a more robust design and better display.
• The Kindle Scribe is a superior eReader with extra hardware features, while the reMarkable 2 is the ultimate minimalist document creation and editing tool.

The digital notebook space is relatively new. The idea of a digital notebook is to give you all the advantages of a regular, paper notebook, but with the portability, reusability, and advantages of an electronic device. There are a surprising number of such devices on the market, and some tablets like the iPad can also do it. However, we think the two best devices in this category are the Kindle Scribe and the reMarkable 2.

On the one hand, we have the older reMarkable 2, launched in 2020. It does its best to recreate the drawing and writing experience in a digital format. It's authentic enough that you even need a light to see. Meanwhile, the Kindle Scribe combines the digital notebook experience with the company's already excellent Kindle ecosystem. While the core functionality on both devices looks similar on paper, the two couldn't be more different. Let's talk about it.

Specs, price, and availability

• 	reMarkable 2	Amazon Kindle Scribe
  Storage	8GB	16, 32, 64GB
  Screen Size	10.3-inch E Ink display - Textured finish for paper feel - 226ppi	10.2-inch E Ink, 35 LED illumination, 300ppi, adjustable warm light
  Battery	2-3 weeks battery life	12 weeks (reading only), 3 weeks (writing)
  Connectivity	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  Front light	None	LED - With auto-brightness - Adjustable warmth
  Dimensions	187 x 246 x 4.7mm, 403g	196 x 229 x 5.8mm, 433g
  Resolution	1872 x 1404 (226 DPI)	2480 x 1860 (300 PPI)
  Processor	1.2GHz dual core ARM	1GHz MediaTek MT8113 processor
  RAM	1GB	1GB
  IP rating	NA	NA
  Ports	USB-C	USB-C

The Kindle Scribe costs $390 and includes a pen for drawing and writing. The reMarkable retails for $279, but doesn't include a pen. You have to buy the brand's Marker ($79) or Marker Plus ($129) as an added item, which puts the overall cost of both devices in the same neighborhood depending on the configuration.

You can buy the reMarkable 2 in a bundle with a Marker Plus. However, oddly enough, it's often less expensive to buy each item separately. In terms of availability, both are available at various online retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and, in the case of the reMarkable 2, on its own website.

Design details and style

There's more to them than meets the eye

The only similar parts of these two devices are their color and general shape. Both are large rectangles with E ink displays and a gray chassis. However, after that, the design language changes made these two competitors look pretty different. We think the reMarkable 2 looks like the sleeker device, while the Kindle Scribe looks like the more robust device.

The most noticeable difference between the two is the front of the display. The reMarkable 2 has a clean front with white bezels that blend in with the E Ink display along with a gray strip on the side that is likely there to help you hold the device. If clean design is your thing, the reMarkable 2 stands out against the Kindle Scribe as looking much cleaner.

That said, the Kindle Scribe is far from hideous. It has that undeniable and familiar Kindle aesthetic. The bezel doesn't blend into the E Ink display like the reMarkable 2, so it's much more noticeable. The Scribe also has a wider trip along the side for easier holding. It's shorter and wider than the reMarkable 2, which isn't a good or bad thing. It's just different. From the front, these devices look relatively different, but ergonomically, they're relatively similar.

Make no mistake, though, neither of these devices feels good to hold in one hand. You'll do most of your drawing with these things on a desk or tucked into your arm like people do with clipboards. For reading, two hands are going to be the most comfortable way to hold either of them.

For buttons, both have a sleep/wake/power button. They both use USB-C ports for charging and data transfer. There isn't any significant difference there. The backs of both devices are aluminum, so there aren't any real design divergences there except for the logos. Neither device has an IP rating either, so be careful when using them around water.

E Ink displays and backlighting

Almost the same, but not

Both devices sport large E Ink displays. The reMarkable 2 is ever so slightly bigger at 10.3 inches versus the 10.2-inch Kindle Scribe. However, the Scribe has backlighting and a higher-resolution display. We're going to talk more about both displays, but to save you some reading, the Kindle display is nicer.

There are several things that both tablets do right in the display department. For example, both devices have a textured screen that emulates the friction you get when writing on real paper. It actually does make a difference, and both companies do this well. When both devices are in a well-lit room, you'd be hard-pressed to tell them apart. The E Ink displays look nearly identical.

Overall, again, the Kindle Scribe wins when it comes to display. It's just all-around better. However, we do think the reMarkable 2 screen looks better in the context of design.

However, when the sun goes down, the Kindle Scribe adds LED backlighting with additional settings to make the light warm or cool, as you see on modern Kindle Paperwhite and Oasis devices. That light gives the Kindle Scribe an undeniable advantage unless you're really into candlelight. Overall, again, the Kindle Scribe wins when it comes to display. It's just all-around better. However, we do think the reMarkable 2 screen looks better in the context of design. The minimal bezels and clean look definitely have an impact here.

Software, hardware, and features

Very different approaches

Earlier, we talked about how these two devices acted similarly, but are targeted toward entirely different buyers. The software, hardware, and features are where we really start to see that. The Kindle Scribe is an eReader with the ability to write and draw. The reMarkable 2 is an eWriter that is also capable of reading ebooks. It seems like a distinction without a difference, but it speaks volumes as to what kind of buyer each company is targeting here.

Remarkable 2 has the advantage when it comes to writing, with extra features like handwriting recognition that the Kindle Scribe doesn't have.

When it comes to the reMarkable 2, the tablet's functionality differences are best exemplified during the first boot process. The device walks you through tutorials about how to create notebooks, the various templates, and how to draw and write. The device has the advantage when it comes to writing, with extra features like handwriting recognition that the Kindle Scribe doesn't have. There are also more templates on the reMarkable 2 than the Kindle Scribe, which means more flexibility.

Another thing that the reMarkable 2 does -- that the Kindle does not -- is cloud storage integration, including OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive. You can also get the Connect Subscription ($2.99 per month) to add another cloud storage option along with a few extra goodies, such as full cross-platform support with mobile and desktop apps. The subscription also includes a protection plan for the reMarkable 2.

If you want to learn more about the subscription nuances, reMarkable has a helpful FAQ about the various features you get with and without the subscription. The handwriting conversion, cloud storage integration, and limited cloud sync (the last 50 days) are all free.

Folks looking to use the eReader functionality, the reMarkable 2 is just okay. It lacks a lot of the features you get with the Kindle eReader experience. It supports PDF, EPUB, JPG, PNG, Microsoft Word, and PowerPoint.

In short, this is a writer first and a reader second.

Meanwhile, the Kindle Scribe is basically like any other Kindle device but with an extra Notebook tab on the home screen where you can access your notes. Because of this, it's the polar opposite of the reMarkable 2 when it comes to intended use. This is an eReader first and a writer second.

Most people already know how great Kindles are at reading books. There are myriad features for it, including a dark mode, warm light customization, and various things like font and margin size. Kindle's ebook library is massive and relatively easy to use. Plus, Kindles have audiobook support via Audible. Amazon sprinkles in the handwriting function throughout the Kindle experience, such as being able to write handwritten notes while reading books.

The Scribe does pretty well in terms of writing. You get a handful of templates, including sheet music for musicians, dotted paper, grid paper, and differently-ruled paper based on your preferences. It pales in comparison to the reMarkable 2's options, but there is still enough here to make it viable for this type of use.

Like the reMarkable 2, the Kindle Scribe supports PDFs, Word files, and other types of files. It's a bit less user-friendly than the reMarkable 2, but you can still do it.

Both devices have some similarities. They both support 4,096 pressure levels, have two optional pens with one having an eraser function, and both connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi. The Kindle adds Bluetooth and has more than double the storage of the reMarkable 2 in its base configuration. However, the reMarkable 2's 8GB of storage is still enough to house a metric ton of notes and books.

Bottom line: Which eReader/tablet crossover is "write on" the mark?

Overall, the better device depends heavily on what you intend to do with it. People looking for an eReader that also lets you take notes and draw are best served by the Kindle Scribe. It's the superior eReader with a superior display and extra hardware features that work best with an eReader experience. Plus, the backlighting is a clutch feature in the dark, and we're always going to enjoy having the option to warm those lights up for better eye comfort.

However, the reMarkable 2 is objectively the better writing tablet. Its feature set is geared more toward writing and drawing than reading, with a greater supply of templates and more robust cross-platform note syncing. You lose out on some of the eReader features of the Kindle Scribe, but ultimately, its selling point is geared more towards note-taking, whereas the Kindle is first and foremost an eReader.

So, the conclusion here is pretty simple. If you intend on using your device to both read and write heavily, the Kindle Scribe is arguably the better overall device for all purposes. However, if you're in it for writing and don't intend to read a lot, the reMarkable 2 is the better option.