Vellum for Windows: Why There Isn't One, and What Windows Authors Use Instead (2026)
Vellum is only available for Mac, and its makers say they have no plans for a native Windows version. Here is what that means, what a cloud Mac really costs, and the Windows tools that format a book.
There is no Vellum for Windows. Vellum's own site says "Vellum is only available for Mac" and requires macOS 13 or newer. Its help centre says the company is "focused on the Mac version" and has no plans for a native Windows version. Windows authors either rent a cloud Mac to run Vellum, or format with a Windows tool such as Atticus, Deckle, Kindle Create, Draft2Digital, Reedsy Studio or Affinity.
Deckle is our app, so weigh what this page says about it accordingly. Every competitor fact below comes from that vendor's own pages, checked on 20 October 2026, and every Deckle claim was checked against Deckle's code.
Does Vellum work on Windows?
Vellum does not work on Windows. The Vellum homepage states "Only Available for Mac" and lists one system requirement: "macOS 13 or newer".
Vellum's purchasing help answers the question "Are you creating a Windows version?" directly. The company says it is "focused on the Mac version of our software" and does not plan a native version for Windows. The same answer says it is possible to "use Vellum on Windows" by renting a Mac "in the cloud" and reaching it from your PC.
Vellum does not run on an iPad either. Its help says: "No. iPads use a different operating system. Vellum can only run a Mac." Vellum has no Windows app, no web app and no iPad app.
Is Vellum available for PC through the Microsoft Store?
Vellum is not sold for PC anywhere. Any "Vellum for Windows download" is not from Vellum's makers, because the only Vellum download is the Mac app on vellum.pub.
Why is Vellum only for Mac?
Vellum has not published a technical reason. Its only public statement is the one above: the company is focused on the Mac version and has no plans for a native Windows one. Claims that a Windows port is impossible, or that Vellum has promised one, do not come from Vellum.
The practical point is the same either way. Vellum's own answer for Windows users is a rented cloud Mac, not a Windows app on a roadmap.
Can you run Vellum on Windows with Mac in Cloud?
You can run Vellum on Windows through a rented cloud Mac, and Vellum's help suggests exactly that. MacInCloud is one such service. Its home page advertises cloud Macs "from $25/month" (as of October 2026). You install Vellum on the cloud Mac and work in it through a remote desktop window on your PC.
Three things follow from that setup:
- You pay twice. The Vellum licence ($199.99 for Ebooks or $249.99 for Press, plus tax) and the cloud Mac rental.
- You need an internet connection to format. The Mac is a remote machine, so every edit and preview travels over your connection.
- You can test before you buy. Vellum's download is free. You can import, try styles and preview, but you "won't be able to Generate files for publishing until you make a purchase".
Can I run macOS in a virtual machine on my Windows PC instead?
Apple's licence does not allow it. The macOS Sequoia licence permits up to two extra copies "within virtual operating system environments on each Apple-branded computer you own or control that is already running the Apple Software". A Windows PC is not an Apple-branded computer, so a macOS virtual machine on it is outside the licence. Vellum's suggestion is a rented cloud Mac, not a virtual machine.
What does Vellum on a cloud Mac cost over three years?
This table uses only list prices from each vendor, as of October 2026, before tax. The cloud Mac figure assumes MacInCloud's lowest advertised monthly price, kept for 36 months. Renting only in the months you format costs less.
| Setup on a Windows PC | Up front | Ongoing | Three-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vellum Press + cloud Mac | $249.99 | from $25/month | $1,149.99 |
| Vellum Ebooks + cloud Mac (no print) | $199.99 | from $25/month | $1,099.99 |
| Atticus | $147 | none | $147 |
| Deckle | One-time purchase | none | One-time purchase |
| Reedsy Studio (with the Craft add-on) | $0 | $4.99/month | $179.64 |
| Kindle Create, Draft2Digital formatter, Affinity | $0 | none | $0 |
What do Windows authors use instead of Vellum?
Six tools format a book on Windows. They differ in what they run on, whether they work offline, whether they include writing tools, and what files they produce. The table compares those attributes only. It does not score them.
| Tool | Runs on | Price (October 2026) | Offline | Writing tools | Print PDF | EPUB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vellum (for reference) | Mac only, macOS 13+ | $199.99 Ebooks, $249.99 Press | Yes, desktop app | No drafting; a text editor for edits | Yes, PDF/X-1a (Press only) | EPUB 3 and EPUB 2, files per store |
| Atticus | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, browser (PWA) | $147 one-time | Yes for writing; its help says import and export need a connection | Yes: chapters, parts, goals | Yes | Yes |
| Deckle | Windows, macOS, Linux desktop | One-time purchase | Yes, desktop app | Yes: Binder, Outliner, Codex, Timeline | Yes, set with Typst | Yes: Generic, Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo targets |
| Kindle Create | Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+ | Free | Desktop app | No | No PDF; KPF for KDP print | Yes, reflowable only |
| Draft2Digital formatter | Any browser | Free | No, needs a connection | No | Yes, 6 trim sizes, black and white | Yes |
| Reedsy Studio | Web only | Free; add-ons from $4.99/month | No ("Currently, no") | Yes: chapters, scenes, Boards | Yes, print-ready PDF | EPUB 3 |
| Affinity by Canva | Windows 10/11, macOS 10.15+ | Free with a Canva account | Yes, after activation | No; page layout | Yes, bleed and crop marks | Yes |
Atticus
Atticus is an all-in-one writing and formatting app that runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, and in any desktop or tablet browser as a progressive web app (PWA). Atticus says it works with or without an internet connection, with cloud storage and backups, though its help centre (last updated 14 February 2024) says "You do need to be online to import and export files". It costs $147 once, with "No monthly fees. Forever." and a 30-day money-back guarantee. No free trial is listed.
Atticus does several things well. It ships 17+ chapter themes and a custom theme builder, 1,500+ fonts, full-bleed images, large print, footnotes and device previews. It added collaboration "for authors, editors, and readers" in December 2024, which Deckle does not have. It exports EPUB, PDF and DOCX.
Atticus's own homepage lists version history as "Coming Soon". It imports .docx, so a Scrivener or Word draft comes in through Word format. The Atticus vs Deckle comparison covers the two apps side by side.
Deckle
Deckle is a desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux that combines a writing environment with ebook and print formatting. It is our app. A Deckle project is a folder on your own computer holding a single SQLite database file, and it works offline. It is a one-time purchase.
What Deckle adds over Vellum is the writing side: a Binder with Draft, Research and Trash; an Outliner with a Grid View of index cards and a List view; a Continuous View that reads a run of chapters as one document; a Codex story bible; a Timeline; inline comments; and snapshots of earlier versions.
On formatting, Deckle sets its print PDF with the Typst typesetting engine. It has 26 built-in style presets, 8 trim sizes, bleed, drop caps, small caps, running heads, scene break ornaments and an optional widow and orphan control setting. It bundles open-licence fonts including EB Garamond, Source Serif 4, Lora, Spectral, Crimson Pro and OpenDyslexic. Its special pages are Title Page, Copyright, Dedication, Epigraph, Foreword, Preface, Table of Contents, About the Author, Acknowledgments, Also by the Author, Coming Next, Book Club Questions, Glossary, References and Full Page Image. Verse, conversation, written note, inset and attribution blocks export to EPUB, PDF and DOCX. A Spine Width Calculator covers four paper types.
Deckle's ebook export has four targets, and they produce different files. This is what the code does for each, measured from Deckle's EPUB builder:
- Kindle: body images capped at 1,236 pixels on the long side. Kindle ignores positioned images and opacity, so Part page art is sent as a background image with any fade baked into the file. The Kindle target writes an EPUB for KDP to convert, not a KPF file.
- Apple Books: images capped at 2,048 pixels, plus the display-options file and the
ibooks:specified-fontsflag that tells Apple Books to use the book's embedded fonts. - Kobo: images capped at 1,264 pixels, plus Kobo-specific CSS overrides.
- Generic: images capped at 1,600 pixels, for aggregators.
Vellum also makes a file for each store plus a Generic EPUB, so per-store output is something the two share, not a Deckle exclusive.
Kindle Create
Kindle Create is Amazon's free formatting app for Windows 10+ and macOS 10.15+. Amazon describes it as a way to "transform your completed manuscript into a beautiful Kindle eBook", and it also builds KDP print books from the same project. It imports DOC or DOCX and outputs KPF, Amazon's "preferred format for Kindle eBook and print books", or EPUB for reflowable books.
Kindle Create's limits are in Amazon's own words: "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 produces no print PDF, so its print output is for KDP only. It is a good free choice for an author publishing only on KDP.
Draft2Digital formatter
Draft2Digital's formatter is free and runs in a browser on any operating system. Draft2Digital says you can "create, convert, and download a pixel-perfect paperback PDF or ebook EPUB file without having to publish through D2D". The print PDF comes in six trim sizes (5x8, 5.25x8, 5.5x8.5, 6x9, 7.5x9.25 and 8.5x11 inches), perfect-bound and black and white only. It needs an internet connection, and it has no writing tools. The Draft2Digital formatting requirements page covers how to prepare a manuscript for it.
Reedsy Studio
Reedsy Studio, formerly the Reedsy Book Editor, is a free browser app for writing and formatting. It exports EPUB 3 and a typeset print-ready PDF. It has chapters, scenes, front and back matter, Boards for outlining, version history and real-time collaboration with editors. Optional add-ons cost $4.99/month (Craft) and $7.99/month (Outline).
Reedsy Studio is web only. Asked whether it works offline, Reedsy's own FAQ answers "Currently, no". Reedsy also says it will never use your work to train AI.
Affinity by Canva
Affinity is now a single free app from Canva that combines design, photo editing and page layout, and it runs on Windows 10/11 and macOS. It needs a free Canva account and an internet connection to download and activate, then works offline. It exports PDF with bleed and crop marks, and EPUB.
Affinity is a page layout program, not a book formatter. You build master pages and text styles and lay out the book yourself, which gives a designer full control and means more manual work than an automatic formatter. The older Affinity Publisher 2 still works but "won't receive future updates".
What would you lose by not using Vellum?
Vellum does several things the Windows options do not all match. These are the honest gaps, from Vellum's own feature list:
- Trim sizes. Vellum offers 24 trim sizes plus large print. Deckle has 8 and no custom size. Draft2Digital has 6.
- PDF/X-1a. Vellum's print PDF is "Professional-Grade PDF/X-1a". Reedsy Studio, in a browser, names "PDF/X-1a:2001 for print-on-demand". Atticus says its PDFs are "not classified as PDF X-1a", and the other Windows tools above do not claim PDF/X-1a on their own pages.
- Accessibility. Vellum describes its accessible output as ACE-approved.
- Review copies. Vellum makes MOBI files for advance review copies.
- One workflow for every edition. Vellum's Build, Style, Preview, Generate cycle applies one change across every edition.
Vellum has no drafting tools, so Mac authors usually pair it with a writing app. Vellum's import help names Scrivener and Pages as apps that can produce the .docx file it imports. Scrivener costs $59.99 for Mac or Windows, and it does run on Windows. On a PC, though, the formatting half of that pairing is the part that is missing.
If your books go to KDP as paperbacks, the KDP print file requirements apply whichever tool makes the PDF.
Which Vellum alternative should a Windows author choose?
Choose Atticus if…
- You want one app for writing and formatting that also runs on a Chromebook or in a browser
- You need to share a manuscript with an editor inside the app
- You want a large font library and a theme builder
Choose Deckle if…
- You want a Scrivener-style writing environment (Binder, Outliner, Codex, Timeline) and print and ebook formatting in one desktop app
- You want the manuscript stored as a file on your own computer, working offline
- You publish wide and want separate Kindle, Apple Books and Kobo ebook files
- You can live with 8 trim sizes
Choose Kindle Create, Draft2Digital or Reedsy Studio if…
- Your budget is zero
- You publish only on Amazon (Kindle Create), or want a free paperback PDF and EPUB from a browser (Draft2Digital)
- You want to write and format in a browser and are always online (Reedsy Studio)
Choose Affinity if…
- You are comfortable with page layout software and want full design control for free
- Your book is heavily designed: illustrated, a cookbook, or a picture book
Rent a cloud Mac for Vellum if…
- You specifically want Vellum's styles, 24 trim sizes or PDF/X-1a output
- You will format with a reliable internet connection
- You have tried Vellum's free download on the cloud Mac before buying
For the Mac and price angle, rather than Windows, see our Vellum alternatives guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Vellum work on Windows?
No. Vellum's site says "Vellum is only available for Mac" and requires macOS 13 or newer. The only way to use it from a Windows PC is to rent a cloud Mac and run Vellum there, which Vellum's own help suggests.
Is Vellum available for PC?
No. Vellum's help says the company is focused on the Mac version and does not plan a native Windows version. There is no Vellum in the Microsoft Store and no web version.
Why is Vellum only for Mac?
Vellum has not published a technical reason. Its public statement is that it is "focused on the Mac version of our software" and has no plans for a native Windows version.
Is Vellum on Mac in Cloud worth it?
It depends on how long you rent. MacInCloud advertises cloud Macs from $25/month (October 2026). Kept for three years with Vellum Press, that is $1,149.99 before tax, and you need an internet connection to work. Renting only in the months you format costs far less.
Can I run Vellum in a macOS virtual machine on Windows?
Apple's macOS licence allows virtual machines only "on each Apple-branded computer you own or control", so a macOS virtual machine on a Windows PC is outside the licence.
What is the Vellum equivalent for Windows?
No Windows app is a copy of Vellum. The closest paid options are Atticus ($147, writing and formatting, also in a browser) and Deckle (a one-time purchase, a desktop writing environment plus Typst print PDF and per-store EPUB). Free options are Kindle Create, the Draft2Digital formatter, Reedsy Studio and Affinity.
Does Vellum work on iPad?
No. Vellum's help says: "No. iPads use a different operating system. Vellum can only run a Mac."
Is there a free Vellum alternative for Windows?
Yes. Kindle Create (desktop, Amazon only), the Draft2Digital formatter (browser, PDF and EPUB), Reedsy Studio (browser, no offline) and Affinity (desktop page layout, needs a Canva account) are all free.
Try Deckle free
Deckle's free demo is a button on the screen the app opens to: "Take Deckle for a Spin". There is no card, no account and no time limit. It opens a sample novel with every screen open to explore and a guided tour, and you can restyle it and export it to EPUB, PDF or DOCX to compare the output with your current tool.
Sources
- Vellum homepage: "Only Available for Mac", macOS 13 or newer, prices, 24 trim sizes, PDF/X-1a (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Vellum help, Purchasing: "Are you creating a Windows version?", cloud Mac suggestion, iPad answer, free trial limits (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Vellum help, Importing: .docx only, Scrivener and Pages named (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Vellum help, Generating: per-store ebook files and Generic EPUB (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- MacInCloud homepage: cloud Macs "from $25/month" (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Apple: Software License Agreement for macOS Sequoia, section 2B(iii) (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Atticus homepage: platforms, PWA, offline, price, themes, fonts, version history "Coming Soon" (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Atticus: How to Access Atticus (last updated 14 February 2024; online to import and export) (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Atticus Help: Does Atticus create PDF X-1a files? (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Atticus updates log: collaboration added 3 December 2024 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Amazon KDP: Kindle Create system requirements and output formats (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Amazon KDP: Kindle Create features and limitations (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Draft2Digital FAQ: free formatting tools, trim sizes, black and white print (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Reedsy Studio FAQ: offline "Currently, no", exports, add-on prices (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Affinity by Canva download: platforms, free with a Canva account, offline after activation (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Affinity page layout: PDF with bleed and crop marks, EPUB export (retrieved 20 October 2026)
Prices and features last checked 20 October 2026. Vellum is a trademark of 180g. Kindle is a trademark of Amazon.com, Inc. Affinity is a trademark of Canva. Scrivener is a trademark of Literature & Latte. Atticus, Draft2Digital and Reedsy are trademarks of their respective owners. Deckle is not affiliated with or endorsed by any product named here.
Try it against your own manuscript
Open the full app with a guided tour, import your Scrivener project, and export a chapter before deciding anything.
$197 once, every update included
Windows, Mac and Linux. 30-day money-back guarantee.