If you spend serious time reading papers, the question of which e-ink writing tablet to buy is not academic. The reMarkable 2 and the Kindle Scribe are the two devices that come up most often among researchers, and they are genuinely different tools despite looking similar from a distance. This comparison is based on extended use of both devices in a research context — reading preprints, annotating PDFs, taking notes during talks, and integrating with a reference management workflow.
The short version: the reMarkable 2 is better for people who primarily annotate and write; the Kindle Scribe is better for people who primarily read. The long version is more nuanced, and which one fits your workflow depends on specifics that most reviews skip over.
What Each Device Actually Is
The reMarkable 2 is a 10.3-inch e-ink tablet with a custom operating system built entirely around writing and annotation. It runs no apps, has no browser, and cannot be extended with third-party software. Its stylus (the Marker Pen) is widely regarded as the best pen-on-screen experience available outside of the iPad Pro. The focus is extreme: this is a device for reading and writing, full stop. The base device is $399, with the Marker Pro stylus adding another $130.
The Kindle Scribe is a 10.2-inch e-ink tablet made by Amazon that doubles as a reading device and a writing tablet. The second-generation model released in late 2024 added significant improvements to the writing experience, including better stylus pressure sensitivity and native notebook features. It costs $299 with the basic pen included, integrating directly with the Kindle ecosystem — which means every Kindle book and personal document you have is available on it immediately. Amazon sells the Kindle Scribe directly alongside accessories.
Writing and Annotation Experience
This is where the two devices diverge most clearly.
The reMarkable 2 has consistently impressed testers with pen latency that feels as close to paper as any digital device has achieved. The E Ink Carta 1.2 screen with reMarkable’s custom canvas coating produces a resistance that genuinely mimics writing on paper. Annotations feel natural rather than clinical. For scientists who mark up papers heavily — underlining, circling, writing margin notes — this matters more than any spec sheet.
The Kindle Scribe 2nd generation is meaningfully better than the original at handwriting. Amazon made real improvements to stylus response, and the experience is no longer clearly inferior to the reMarkable. That said, most head-to-head tests still give the reMarkable a slight edge on latency, particularly when writing quickly. The gap has narrowed but not closed.
Winner for annotation-heavy workflows: reMarkable 2, though the Kindle Scribe is now a credible alternative.
PDF Management for Research
This is the core use case for scientists, and the two devices handle it differently.
The reMarkable 2 was designed with PDF workflows in mind. You can upload PDFs via the desktop app, USB, or the reMarkable web interface, and the device handles large PDFs (50+ pages, multi-column journal formatting) well. Your annotations are stored on-device and sync to the cloud. Exporting annotated PDFs preserves your handwritten marks and exports as a clean PDF you can import back into Zotero or Paperpile. The friction is that this export/import step is manual — there is no direct sync with any reference manager.
The Kindle Scribe supports PDF upload via Amazon’s personal documents service (email-to-Kindle). The interface for reading PDFs is functional but designed around Amazon’s reading ecosystem, which prioritizes books over PDFs. Two-column journal PDFs can render awkwardly, and the annotation toolset is more limited — you can highlight and add typed notes, but freehand annotation is less polished. If your workflow is 80% PDF annotation, the reMarkable wins this category clearly.
Where the Kindle Scribe has a meaningful advantage: if you also read Kindle books, read on your phone or computer through the Kindle app, and want highlights synchronized automatically across devices, the Scribe integrates into that ecosystem seamlessly. Researchers who read popular science books alongside journal articles will appreciate this.
Winner for PDF annotation: reMarkable 2. The Kindle Scribe is fine for reading PDFs but not optimized for heavy annotation.
Reading Experience
For pure reading without annotation, the picture is different.
Both devices have high-quality e-ink displays that are easy on the eyes for extended sessions. The Kindle Scribe’s display is excellent and familiar if you have used Kindles before. The reMarkable 2’s screen is also good but has slightly lower pixel density (226 ppi vs. 300 ppi on the Kindle Scribe) — a difference that is noticeable when reading small-font papers and footnotes.
The Kindle Scribe wins on ecosystem for reading. Your entire Kindle library is there. Personal documents arrive instantly. You can send papers directly from your browser using the Send-to-Kindle browser extension. For researchers who also read popular science books, monographs, or have a large Kindle library, this is a real advantage.
The reMarkable 2 requires you to manage a separate file library on the device. There is no integration with Kindle, Audible, or any other reading service. If you want to read a book on it, you import an ePub. Manageable, but more friction than the Kindle ecosystem.
Winner for reading: Kindle Scribe, primarily because of ecosystem integration and higher screen resolution.
Note-Taking and Sketching
If you take notes during seminars, sketch experimental designs, or use a notebook for thinking, both devices support this — but the reMarkable 2 is noticeably better at it.
The reMarkable’s pen feel, combined with a solid set of built-in templates (lined pages, blank pages, grid, isometric grid), makes it a legitimate paper notebook replacement for many researchers. Note pages feel natural to fill in, and searching handwritten notes is available through the app (though accuracy varies). Several researchers I know use it as their primary lab notebook for meeting notes and design sketches.
The Kindle Scribe’s notebook features are more limited. The built-in notebooks are functional but lack the template variety of the reMarkable. For quick meeting notes, it is fine. For researchers who want to use their device for serious handwritten work, the reMarkable’s writing experience is materially better.
Winner for note-taking: reMarkable 2.
Ecosystem, Software, and Long-Term Commitment
This is a factor that is easy to underweight when choosing between these devices.
The Kindle Scribe is Amazon’s product, backed by one of the largest technology companies in the world. Software updates arrive reliably, Kindle ecosystem integration is deep and maintained, and the device will be supported for years. If you are already in the Amazon/Kindle ecosystem, the Scribe fits naturally.
The reMarkable runs a proprietary, closed operating system. The company has been growing and is well-funded, but it is a smaller company with more limited software development resources. Over the years, some features competitors had (like Dropbox sync or Notion integration) took a long time to arrive on the reMarkable. There is a small but active developer community that has created third-party integrations, though these require some technical comfort to use.
Neither device allows app installs or sideloading. The reMarkable is more restrictive in that it lacks even the Kindle ecosystem fallback.
Winner for ecosystem and reliability: Kindle Scribe.
Comparison Table
| Feature | reMarkable 2 | Kindle Scribe (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 10.3 inch | 10.2 inch |
| Pixel density | 226 ppi | 300 ppi |
| Pen latency | Best-in-class | Excellent (improved in 2024) |
| PDF annotation | Excellent | Good |
| Kindle ecosystem | None | Full integration |
| Note-taking templates | Extensive | Basic |
| Price (device + pen) | $529 (with Marker Pro) | $299 (with basic pen) |
| Export annotated PDF | Yes | Limited |
| Direct reference manager sync | No | No |
| Cloud ecosystem | reMarkable cloud only | Amazon ecosystem |
When to Use Which Device
Choose the reMarkable 2 if: Annotation is your primary use case. You read papers heavily and mark them up. You take handwritten notes in meetings or while sketching research ideas. You want the best possible pen experience and are willing to manage your own PDF library. You want a distraction-free device with no reading ecosystem attached.
Choose the Kindle Scribe if: Reading is your primary use case, with annotation as a secondary activity. You already use Kindle for books and want your reading ecosystem in one place. You want a higher-resolution display. You prefer the backing of a large company and seamless ecosystem integration. Budget matters and you want to spend $100–$200 less.
Neither device is right for you if: You need direct reference manager sync (neither does this well), you need a full tablet that runs apps (get an iPad), or you want color (neither has it).
Verdict
For researchers whose workflow centers on heavily annotating journal articles and writing notes alongside papers, the reMarkable 2 remains the better tool. The pen experience is still marginally ahead, the PDF annotation workflow is more thoughtfully designed, and the note-taking experience is genuinely excellent.
For researchers who read more broadly — Kindle books, papers, personal documents — and want those reading activities unified in one device, the Kindle Scribe is more practical and meaningfully cheaper. The 2nd generation model closed the gap on writing quality enough that it is no longer a clear concession.
If you are deciding between the two: if annotation is the reason you are buying this device, get the reMarkable. If reading is the reason and annotation is a bonus, get the Kindle Scribe. I reviewed the reMarkable 2 in depth separately — see my reMarkable 2 review for a full walkthrough of what it is like to use it in a real research workflow.
For a broader look at the full range of e-ink devices for scientists — including more affordable options like the Boox Air — see the guide to the best e-readers and tablets for scientists.