Book Formatting Software in 2026: The Options, Sorted by What You Need
Nine tools that turn a finished manuscript into an EPUB and a print-ready PDF, compared on facts you can check.
Book formatting software turns a finished manuscript into the two files self-publishing needs: an EPUB for ebook stores and a print-ready PDF for print-on-demand. The main options in 2026 are Vellum, Atticus, Reedsy Studio, Kindle Create, Draft2Digital, Affinity, Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Word and Deckle. The right one depends on your computer, your budget and how much layout control you want.
Deckle is our app, and this is Deckle's site, so weigh what we say about it accordingly. Nothing on this page gets a score. No standards body or publisher ranks formatting software, so a ranking here would be our opinion dressed as a fact. Instead, each tool is described from its maker's own pages, retrieved on 20 October 2026, and sorted by the need it serves.
Book formatting software compared
The table compares attributes you can verify. Prices are US list prices as of October 2026, before tax. "Not stated" means the vendor pages we read did not say.
| Tool | Platform | Price model | Print PDF | EPUB | Offline | Writing environment | AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vellum | Mac only (macOS 13+) | One-time: $199.99 Ebooks, $249.99 Press | Yes, PDF/X-1a (Press only) | Yes, EPUB 3 and EPUB 2 | Yes | No (text editor for edits only) | None of its own; Apple Writing Tools supported, off by default |
| Atticus | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, browser | One-time: $147 | Yes | Yes | Yes for writing; import and export need a connection | Yes | None mentioned |
| Reedsy Studio | Web browser only | Free; optional add-ons from $4.99/month | Yes | Yes, EPUB 3 | No | Yes | None listed |
| Kindle Create | Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+ | Free | No (print books go to KDP as KPF) | Yes, reflowable only | Desktop app; not stated | No | None mentioned |
| Draft2Digital | Web browser | Free to format | Yes, black-and-white paperback | Yes | No | No | None mentioned |
| Affinity (by Canva) | Mac, Windows | Free with a Canva account | Yes, with bleed and crop marks | Yes | Yes, after activation | No | Image and vector tools, Canva premium only |
| Adobe InDesign | Desktop, via Creative Cloud | Subscription: $22.99/month (annual plan) | Yes, with Preflight | Yes, reflowable | Not stated | No | Yes, generative |
| Microsoft Word | Windows, Mac, phones, tablets, web | Subscription from $99.99/year, or $179.99 one-time (Office Home 2024) | Saves PDF; no book typesetting claimed | No | Not stated | Yes (general word processor) | Yes, Copilot |
| Deckle | Windows, macOS, Linux | One-time purchase; free demo | Yes, typeset with Typst | Yes, four targets | Yes, after activation | Yes | None |
What does book formatting software do?
Book formatting software lays out a manuscript as a book and exports the files that stores and printers accept. The ebook file is an EPUB, which the W3C defines as "a distribution and interchange format for digital publications and documents." Amazon KDP lists EPUB among its suggested ebook formats.
The print file is a PDF built to a trim size, with margins, a gutter, running heads and page numbers. KDP states that "PDF/X-1a is preferred" for print interiors. KDP also says to "Embed all fonts in your native file prior to submission." A book with bleed must be uploaded as a PDF. KDP's full list, with page counts and the spine formula, is in our page on what KDP accepts for a print interior. What sits inside an EPUB, and what breaks one, is in how to make an EPUB file.
Book formatting software for Mac only: Vellum
Vellum is a Mac-only book formatting app from 180g. It builds ebook and print editions from a manuscript, and it needs macOS 13 or newer. Vellum has no plans for a native Windows version. Its help pages suggest renting a cloud Mac instead.
What Vellum does well. Vellum generates a separate ebook file for Kindle, Apple Books and Kobo, plus a Generic EPUB for aggregators. Vellum Press makes paperback and hardcover PDFs in PDF/X-1a, with 24 trim sizes plus large print, full bleed, widow handling and spread balancing. Vellum's accessible output is ACE-approved. Box sets and anthologies are built in.
What to know before buying. Vellum Ebooks costs $199.99 and Vellum Press costs $249.99, one-time, with free updates (as of October 2026). Upgrading from Ebooks to Press after the first 30 days costs $69.99. The download is free to try, but in Vellum's words you "won't be able to Generate files for publishing until you make a purchase." Vellum imports .docx files only. It has no binder, outline or goals, so you draft somewhere else.
Authors who don't use a Mac have a separate guide: Vellum alternatives for Windows and PC.
Book formatting software for Windows, Mac and any platform
Every tool on this page except Vellum runs on Windows. Atticus, Reedsy Studio and Draft2Digital also run in a browser, which makes them the options for a Chromebook. Deckle is the one desktop formatter here with a Linux build.
Atticus
Atticus is an all-in-one app for writing and formatting print books and ebooks. It runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, and in any desktop or tablet browser as a progressive web app. Atticus says it works with or without an internet connection, though its help centre (last updated 14 February 2024) says you need to be online to import and export files.
What Atticus does well. Atticus costs $147 one-time, with "No monthly fees. Forever." and ongoing updates (as of October 2026). It exports EPUB, print-ready PDF and DOCX. It ships 17+ chapter themes, a custom theme builder, 1,500+ fonts, full-bleed images, large print, footnotes and device previews. A 30-day money-back guarantee covers the purchase.
What to know before buying. Atticus lists no free plan or trial. Version history is marked "Coming Soon" on its homepage. Atticus imports .docx and detects chapters from Heading 1 or 20pt+ text, page breaks, or three empty lines.
We compare Atticus with our own app, feature by feature, in Deckle vs Atticus.
Free book formatting software
Four tools on this page cost nothing to format a book: Kindle Create, Draft2Digital, Reedsy Studio and Affinity. Affinity is covered under professional layout below, because it is a design app rather than a manuscript formatter.
Kindle Create
Kindle Create is Amazon's free formatting tool for KDP. Amazon describes it this way: "Use Kindle Create (PC or Mac) to transform your completed manuscript into a beautiful Kindle eBook." It runs on Windows 10 or newer and macOS 10.15 or newer.
What Kindle Create does well. One project covers the ebook and the KDP print book. Print features include page numbering, headers and footers, page spreads, automatic widow and orphan handling, and margins resized for any trim size. Ebook features include themes, a table of contents builder, images and hyperlinks.
What to know before using it. Kindle Create outputs Kindle Package Format (KPF) and EPUB, and the EPUB is available for reflowable books only. It does not output a print PDF. Amazon's own help states the limits: "Tables, footnotes, lists, and inline images imported from your DOC(X) file cannot currently be edited in Kindle Create," and its themes "cannot be edited by the user." It imports DOC or DOCX for reflowable and print books.
Draft2Digital
Draft2Digital is a distribution service with a free browser-based formatter. Its FAQ says: "You may use Draft2Digital's conversion and layout tools free of charge, even without ebook distribution."
What Draft2Digital does well. You can "create, convert, and download a pixel-perfect paperback PDF or ebook EPUB file without having to publish through D2D." One template menu styles the ebook and the print layout together. It also generates a wraparound print cover from the ebook cover, and automated end matter such as an author bio and an "Also by" page.
What to know before using it. Print output is black-and-white, perfect-bound paperback only, in six trim sizes (5x8, 5.25x8, 5.5x8.5, 6x9, 7.5x9.25 and 8.5x11 inches) and 32 to 1,050 pages. It needs an internet connection. It imports .doc, .docx, RTF and TXT. Draft2Digital advises leaving front and back matter out of the uploaded file. Formatting is free, while publishing through Draft2Digital carries a one-time $20 activation fee (as of October 2026). Our page on Draft2Digital's formatting requirements covers file preparation.
Reedsy Studio
Reedsy Studio, formerly the Reedsy Book Editor, is a free browser app for writing and formatting a book. It exports a reflowable EPUB 3 and a PDF, in a print-ready version for print-on-demand or a digital version.
What Reedsy Studio does well. The core app is free, with unlimited books and devices. It structures a book in sections, chapters and scenes, with front and back matter. Co-authors, editors and proofreaders can work in the same book in real time, with comments and tracked changes. Reedsy says it will never use your work to train AI.
What to know before using it. Reedsy Studio runs only in a browser. Asked whether it works offline, Reedsy's FAQ answers "Currently, no." The free plan has one manuscript goal, 30 days of writing history and basic stats. The Craft add-on costs $4.99 a month and Outline costs $7.99 a month (as of October 2026).
Professional book layout software
Affinity and Adobe InDesign are desktop publishing apps. They lay out any printed page, not only books, and give the finest typographic control on this page. Neither includes a manuscript or writing environment.
Affinity (by Canva)
Affinity is now one app from Canva that combines "professional design, photo editing, and page layout." Page layout lives in its Layout studio. It is free for individuals with a Canva account, and it runs on macOS 10.15 or newer and Windows 10 or 11.
Affinity Publisher 2 is no longer developed. Serif says the old V1 and V2 apps keep working, but "these apps won't receive future updates," and it recommends the new app.
What Affinity does well. Affinity exports PDF with bleed and crop marks, and EPUB. Its typography covers kerning, leading, OpenType and variable fonts, Smart Master Pages and shared text styles. It imports InDesign IDML files, and the September 2026 update added native INDD import and custom Preflight rules.
What to know before using it. Affinity needs a connection to download and activate, then works offline. Its AI tools (Generative Fill, Expand and vector generation) need a paid Canva plan. Affinity has no manuscript, outline or version history for writing.
Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign is professional desktop publishing and page layout software, sold by subscription through Creative Cloud.
What InDesign does well. InDesign has a Preflight panel that checks fonts, image resolution and overset text before export. It offers kerning and tracking, paragraph and character styles, Adobe Fonts (20,000+), parent pages and automatic chapter numbering. InDesign 21.2 (January 2026) added ARIA accessibility to reflowable EPUB export.
What to know before buying. The single app costs US$22.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly (as of October 2026). The 7-day free trial "will automatically convert to a paid" membership unless cancelled. InDesign includes generative AI, such as Layout-aware Rewrite and Generative Expand, with 25 generative credits a month on the single-app plan.
Software to write and format a book in one app
Three tools on this page take a book from first draft to finished files: Atticus, Reedsy Studio and Deckle. Atticus and Reedsy Studio are described above. Microsoft Word is where many manuscripts start, so it is covered here too.
Deckle
Deckle is a desktop app for writing, organising and formatting a book, built for Windows, macOS and Linux. Again: Deckle is our app, so read this section as the maker's description.
What Deckle does. Deckle typesets its print PDF with Typst, a typesetting engine. Export also produces EPUB, DOCX, Markdown and plain text. The EPUB export has four targets: Generic EPUB, Kindle, Apple Books and Kobo. The Kindle target writes an EPUB, which KDP lists as a supported ebook format, rather than a KPF file. Print options include 8 trim sizes, bleed (⅛" by default), drop caps, small caps, running heads and six scene break styles. Deckle ships 26 built-in style presets and generates special pages, from the title page and copyright page to Also by the Author and Book Club Questions. A Spine Width Calculator covers four paper types.
The writing side. A Deckle project keeps the Draft, Research and Trash in a Binder. The Outliner has a Grid View of index cards and a List view. Continuous View shows chapters as one scroll. The Codex holds characters, locations and items, and the Timeline plots events by plotline. Writing Stats tracks goals and streaks. Deckle imports Word (.docx), EPUB, a zipped Scrivener project and a Markdown folder. Deckle has no generative AI.
Where Deckle is behind. Deckle offers 8 trim sizes and no custom size, where Vellum Press lists 24 plus large print. Deckle has no browser version, so it does not run on a Chromebook, where Atticus and Reedsy Studio do. Four tools on this page are free, and Deckle is a paid one-time purchase. Page background art is print only and is left out of the EPUB.
Each project is a folder on your own computer: one database file holds all the writing, beside folders for images and research. Deckle works offline after activation.
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a general word processor, not a book formatter. It runs on Windows, Mac, phones, tablets and the web.
What Word does well. Word is the file format editors expect, and KDP accepts DOC and DOCX for ebooks and for print interiors without bleed. Copilot in Word drafts, rewrites and summarises text on Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium, and it can be turned off in Word's settings.
What to know before formatting in it. Word saves PDF but makes no claim to book typesetting, and Microsoft's own note says a saved PDF "might not have a perfect page-to-page correspondence with the original." Word does not save EPUB. Microsoft 365 Personal costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, and Office Home 2024 costs $179.99 one-time for one PC or Mac (as of October 2026).
What does book formatting software cost over three years?
A one-time price and a subscription look different on the day you buy. Over three years they compare directly. This table multiplies each vendor's October 2026 list price out to 36 months. It counts formatting only, with no optional add-ons.
| Tool | Price as listed | Three-year cost |
|---|---|---|
| Kindle Create | Free | $0 |
| Draft2Digital | Free to format | $0 (a $20 one-time fee applies only if you publish through D2D) |
| Reedsy Studio | Free core app | $0 (Craft add-on for 36 months: $179.64) |
| Affinity | Free with a Canva account | $0 (AI tools need a paid Canva plan) |
| Atticus | $147 one-time | $147 |
| Microsoft Word | $179.99 one-time, or $99.99/year | $179.99 one-time, or $299.97 by subscription |
| Vellum Ebooks | $199.99 one-time | $199.99 |
| Vellum Press | $249.99 one-time | $249.99 |
| Adobe InDesign | $22.99/month, annual plan | $827.64 |
| Deckle | One-time purchase, every update included | One price, see the shop |
Two of these cover print and ebook in one purchase without any writing tool attached: Vellum Press and InDesign. Two include a writing environment for a single one-time price: Atticus and Deckle.
Which book formatting software should you choose?
Choose Vellum if…
- You work on a Mac running macOS 13 or newer
- You draft elsewhere and want a formatting-only app
- You want the most trim sizes on this page (24 plus large print)
Choose a free tool if…
- You publish mainly on KDP and want Amazon's own tool: Kindle Create
- You want a black-and-white paperback PDF and an EPUB from a browser: Draft2Digital
- You want to write and format in a browser, with editors in the same book: Reedsy Studio
Choose Affinity or InDesign if…
- You want to design every page by hand, including illustrated or complex layouts
- You already know desktop publishing, or want to learn it
- You are fine drafting the text in a separate app
Choose Atticus or Deckle if…
- You want to write and format in one app, for one one-time price
- You are on Windows and want print PDF and EPUB from the same project
- You want a Chromebook or browser option (Atticus), or a Binder, Codex and Timeline with no generative AI (Deckle)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best book formatting software?
No authority ranks book formatting software, so the honest answer depends on your need. Vellum serves Mac users who want a formatting-only app. Kindle Create, Draft2Digital and Reedsy Studio are free. Affinity and InDesign give full page layout. Atticus and Deckle combine writing and formatting.
Is there free book formatting software?
Yes. Kindle Create, Draft2Digital and Reedsy Studio format a book for free, and Affinity is free with a Canva account. Kindle Create does not output a print PDF. Draft2Digital prints black-and-white paperbacks only. Reedsy Studio needs an internet connection.
What is the best book formatting software for Windows?
Vellum is the only tool here that does not run on Windows. Atticus and Deckle are one-time purchases that write and format on Windows. Kindle Create and Affinity are free Windows apps, and Reedsy Studio and Draft2Digital run in any browser.
Does Vellum work on Windows?
No. Vellum is Mac only and needs macOS 13 or newer. Vellum states it has no plans for a native Windows version and suggests renting a cloud Mac.
Can Kindle Create export a PDF?
No. Kindle Create outputs KPF, and EPUB for reflowable books. Print books made in Kindle Create go to KDP as a KPF file, not a PDF.
Which book formatting software works for KDP?
All nine tools here produce a file KDP accepts. KDP lists EPUB, DOCX and KPF among its suggested ebook formats, and it prefers PDF/X-1a for print interiors. A print interior with bleed must be a PDF.
Is Affinity Publisher free now?
Affinity is now one free app from Canva, with page layout in its Layout studio. It needs a free Canva account. Affinity Publisher 2 still works but will not receive future updates.
Can I format a book in Microsoft Word?
Yes for KDP, which accepts DOCX for ebooks and for print interiors without bleed. Word does not save EPUB, and Microsoft notes that a saved PDF's pages "might break at different locations" than the original.
Try Deckle free
Deckle has a free demo. On the screen Deckle opens to, choose "Take Deckle for a Spin." It needs no card, no account and has no time limit. It opens a sample novel with every screen open to explore, and you can export it to EPUB, PDF and Word to see the output for yourself. Deckle itself is a one-time purchase, with every update included.
Sources
- Vellum: home page (platforms, prices, export), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Vellum Help: Purchasing (Windows, trial, upgrades), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Atticus: home page (platforms, price, export, offline), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Atticus: How to Access Atticus (last updated 14 February 2024; online to import and export), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Vellum: privacy (Apple Intelligence Writing Tools, disabled by default), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Reedsy Studio: Pricing, retrieved 2026-10-20
- Reedsy Studio: Book writing software FAQ (offline, export, add-ons), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Amazon KDP: Kindle Create (platforms, output formats), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Amazon KDP: Kindle Create features and limitations, retrieved 2026-10-20
- Draft2Digital: FAQ (free tools, print specs, fees), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Affinity by Canva: Download (platforms, price, offline), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Serif: Affinity V2 apps no longer updated, retrieved 2026-10-20
- Affinity by Canva: Page layout software (export, typography, AI), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Affinity by Canva: September 2026 update, retrieved 2026-10-20
- Adobe InDesign: product and pricing page, retrieved 2026-10-20
- Adobe InDesign: features, retrieved 2026-10-20
- Adobe: InDesign 21.2 release announcement (EPUB accessibility), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Microsoft: Office file format reference (Word save formats, PDF caveat), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Microsoft: Compare Microsoft 365 plans (prices), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Microsoft Support: Welcome to Copilot in Word, retrieved 2026-10-20
- Amazon KDP: Paperback manuscript file guidelines (PDF/X-1a, fonts, bleed), retrieved 2026-10-20
- Amazon KDP: Supported eBook formats, retrieved 2026-10-20
- W3C: EPUB 3.3 Recommendation, retrieved 2026-10-20
Vellum, Atticus, Reedsy Studio, Kindle Create, Draft2Digital, Affinity, Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Word are trademarks of their respective owners, including 180g, Reedsy, Amazon, Draft2Digital, Canva, Adobe and Microsoft. Deckle is not affiliated with or endorsed by any product named here.
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