Kindle Paperwhite 8GB vs 32GB How Many Books Can It Hold?

The Kindle Paperwhite is one of Amazon’s most popular ebook reader devices. The standard version features 8GB of storage space while the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition offers 32GB of storage space. You may wonder what the difference in book numbers is between the two.

On average, the Kindle Paperwhite with 8GB of storage space can hold between 2000 to 3000 books. The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition with 32GB of storage space can hold up to 13,500. This figure will vary depending on several factors.

If you are interested in purchasing a Kindle Paperwhite but aren’t sure which version to go for, read on below to find out the difference the two storage space options will make to your library.

Kindle Paperwhite 8GB vs 32 GB How Many Books Can It Hold?

The Kindle Paperwhite first iteration was released back in 2012, during Amazon’s fifth generation of Kindle ebook readers. Since then, it continued to be part of the Kindle line-up, and is currently enjoying its fifth version.

Type:	How Many Books? (avg)
Standard 8GB	2000-3000
Signature Edition 32 GB	9000-13,5000

The Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition only differ in one aspect: the storage size. The standard has 8GB, while the signature has 32GB. On average, the usual size of a standard-length book will be around 2 to 4MB.

Readers will be able to choose a curated experience with their Kindle Paperwhite. Those with huge libraries will want the option with more storage space, while those who want a more pared-down version will be better served by the standard version.

Choosing between the two versions will be influenced by the amount of books they can hold. Let’s take a look in more detail at the difference.

How Many Books Can the 8GB Kindle Paperwhite Hold?

The Kindle Paperwhite standard version comes with 8GB of storage. Around 2GB of that goes on system files, which leaves around 6GB to use on book storage. With most book sizes for average length text-centric titles taking between 2 and 4.5MB, this leaves enough space for a decent library.

The 8GB version of the Kindle Paperwhite can hold on average between 2000 and 3000 titles. There can be no clear exact figure because each file will vary, especially depending on the type of content it features.

When it comes to audiobooks, the 8GB Kindle Paperwhite can hold around 35 of them. This will also vary depending on the length of the audiobook. With an 8GB Paperwhite, users can build a significant library, especially if they know how to manage their space based on content.

This type of Kindle Paperwhite is ideal for the reader who wishes to have access to a curated library featuring the more immediate titles they wish to access. Most readers will be happy with this amount of books, especially considering the excellent battery life on offer.

How Many Books Can the 32GB Kindle Paperwhite Hold?

The Kindle Paperwhite Signatured Edition adds 32GB of space. It uses around 5GB on system files, which would leave an estimated 27GB to use only on books. Taking into account the usual file size of an average Kindle book, we can provide an amount estimate.

The 32GB Kindle Paperwhite can hold on average between 9000 and 13,500 titles. While this can once again only be an estimate, it shows that the book space on the larger Paperwhite is quite sizable.

This tends to be around four times more than what the 8GB Kindle Paperwhite can offer. With such a wealth of available book storage space, the 32GB Kindle Paperwhite is ideal for the consummate reader.

The 32GB edition of the Paperwhite allows users to build up a huge library that includes all the titles they could possibly want access to at any given time. This encourages users to make full use of Amazon services like Kindle Unlimited or Audible.

When it comes to audiobooks, the 32GB Kindle Paperwhite can hold around 150 of them.

What Type of Books Take Up More Space?

As you’ve seen, the factor with the most significant impact on how many books a Kindle Paperwhite can hold is the file size. Let’s take a look at which type of books take up more space on the Kindle Paperwhite:

• Graphic novels and comic books: All image-heavy titles will take up much more space than their text-heavy counterparts. On average, a graphic novel will take up between 650MB and 1.5GB.
• PDF files: Using PDF files on a Kindle Paperwhite will not allow users the full customization settings available for .mobi files, but it can be practical. However, a PDF file will usually take up more space than a standard book file.
• Audiobooks: Unsurprisingly, audiobooks are much larger files. They usually take between 280MB and 350MB per title. This amounts to around 28MB per hour of audiobook, so lengthier titles can double or triple that.

Conclusion

The Kindle Paperwhite comes in 8GB or 32GB versions. This allows users to build their Kindle libraries as they wish. While the 8GB version is enough for most readers, the 32GB is the choice for the bookworms.