Can Kobo Kindle Books Transfer Between E-Readers?

I get picky about my reading setup, so let me give you the no-nonsense version from my perspective: you can move books between e-readers, but only under certain conditions.

Purchased books tied to a store are usually locked to that store’s ecosystem. Amazon’s Kindle store files are linked to your Amazon account and generally won’t open on a Kobo. Kobo purchases, when protected by Adobe DRM, won’t open on Kindle either. That means most direct transfers of store-bought content won’t work without action.

There are common workarounds though. If a file is DRM-free, converting formats is straightforward — I convert EPUB to MOBI/AZW3 using Calibre and then sideload to Kindle. Kobo natively loves EPUB, so moving an AZW file to Kobo would usually need conversion the other way. Libraries add another layer: Kobo’s built-in OverDrive support makes borrowing easy, while Kindle interacts with library systems differently (sometimes Amazon handles the loaned Kindle format directly). One important caveat: removing DRM is a legal gray area in many places; I don’t recommend it unless you fully understand the laws where you live and the terms you agreed to. For anything you legitimately own in DRM-free form, conversion and USB transfer are my go-to methods, and syncing highlights between the ecosystems is where I usually lose the nicest notes, so I try to pick a primary device for deep re-reads.

Here’s the quick, practical guideline I use when juggling Kobo and Kindle: check the file type and DRM status first. If the ebook is DRM-free (like many indie buys or classics from 'Project Gutenberg'), I convert EPUB to a Kindle-friendly format with Calibre and sideload via USB or send it through Send-to-Kindle; vice versa, convert Kindle formats to EPUB for Kobo. If the book is DRM-protected, you normally can’t move it across ecosystems — store-bought Kindle books stay bound to your Amazon account and many Kobo books use Adobe DRM that Kindles won’t accept. Library books depend on lending systems: Kobo’s OverDrive is great, while Kindle borrowing depends on publisher support via Amazon. I avoid removing DRM because of legality and prefer buying DRM-free when possible or keeping primary reads on one ecosystem to save headaches — that little discipline keeps my reading flow smooth.

Oh, this sparks the kind of debate I love at book club nights — short answer: sometimes, but it’s complicated.

Kobo devices primarily use EPUB files (often with Adobe DRM) while Kindle uses Amazon’s proprietary formats like AZW/AZW3/MOBI (and many Kindles expect files converted to their format). If the ebook you bought is DRM-free, you can absolutely move it between a Kobo and a Kindle: I’ve moved a few classics I grabbed from indie stores or from 'Project Gutenberg' between devices by converting EPUB to a Kindle-friendly format with a little tool like Calibre, then dragging the file across via USB or sending it with the Send-to-Kindle service. Those converted files usually keep my highlights and line spacing tidy enough that I don’t mind the tiny formatting tweaks.

Where things get sticky is DRM. Most store-bought books from Amazon are locked to your Amazon account; the same goes for many Kobo purchases tied to Adobe DRM. You can’t just transfer a DRM-protected Kobo purchase to a Kindle unless the publisher somehow distributed it in a format both ecosystems accept (rare). For library loans, Kobo’s OverDrive integration is neat, while Kindle has its own library mechanics through Amazon — borrowing across them depends on publisher permissions.

If you want practical steps: check file type, see if DRM exists, use Calibre for conversions (only on DRM-free files), or use Adobe Digital Editions for authorized Kobo downloads. I’ve danced through this enough to know it’s doable with patience, but it’s not always worth the hassle for a single title unless it’s a favorite I want on every device.