Atticus vs Vellum

Vellum is a Mac-only book formatting app that costs $199.99 for ebooks or $249.99 for ebooks and print, as of October 2026. Atticus is a writing and formatting app for Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook and the browser, at $147 one-time. Both export EPUB and print-ready PDF. Vellum states more print controls. Atticus adds a full writing environment.

Every fact below comes from Vellum's and Atticus's own sites, read on 20 October 2026. Neither vendor publishes a ranking of the other, and this page does not invent one.

Atticus vs Vellum at a glance

Which platforms do Vellum and Atticus run on?

Vellum runs only on a Mac with macOS 13 or newer. Vellum's purchasing help says the company is "focused on the Mac version of our software" and points Windows users to a rented cloud Mac. Vellum is a desktop app, so it works without a connection.

Atticus runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook. It also installs from any desktop or tablet browser as a progressive web app. Atticus says it "Works online and offline", though its help centre (last updated 14 February 2024) says "You do need to be online to import and export files". It keeps books in cloud storage with backups.

A Windows or Linux author can run Atticus natively and cannot run Vellum natively. That single fact decides the comparison for many people, and the Vellum alternatives page covers the other options for them.

How much do Vellum and Atticus cost?

Both are one-time purchases, as of October 2026. Prices exclude tax.

• Vellum Ebooks, $199.99: unlimited ebooks.
• Vellum Press, $249.99: unlimited ebooks and paperbacks.
• Vellum upgrade: after the first 30 days, moving from Ebooks to Press costs $69.99.
• Atticus, $147: the whole app, with "Ongoing Updates for Life".

Neither vendor lists an education discount. Vellum lets you install your licence on a second computer you own with Restore, and a licence cannot be shared.

Three-year cost from official prices

Both vendors include updates in the purchase price, so the three-year cost equals the purchase price while those terms hold.

The Vellum figures leave out the Mac it needs. An author who buys Ebooks first and adds print later pays $19.99 more than one who buys Press at the start.

Can you write a book in Vellum or Atticus?

Atticus is built for writing as well as formatting. Its homepage invites you to "Write your book in the only editor built by authors for authors." The editor has drag-and-drop chapters, volumes and parts, book goals, a writing-habit tracker and a word counter. Atticus added collaboration "for authors, editors, and readers" on 3 December 2024. Version history is listed as "Coming Soon".

Vellum is a formatting app with a text editor. Vellum's help says the editor "allows you to edit the content of your book" and that you can "write your entire novel from scratch" in it. The same page says the editor "does not display the styling that will appear in your finished book." Vellum's site lists no goals, word-count targets, outline or binder.

Neither tool has a story bible, a timeline or index cards. Authors who plan in detail usually draft elsewhere and import a Word file into either app.

Print PDF and EPUB: what each one exports

Vellum generates ebooks for Kindle, Apple Books and Kobo, plus a Generic EPUB for aggregators such as Draft2Digital. It writes EPUB 3 and EPUB 2, and MOBI for advance review copies. Vellum states "ACE-Approved Accessible Output". Ace by DAISY is a free, open-source checker for EPUB accessibility.

Vellum's print output is a "Professional-Grade PDF/X-1a" for paperback or hardcover. Print needs the Press tier. Vellum lists 24 trim sizes plus large print, full bleed, widow handling and spread balancing.

Atticus exports EPUB, print-ready PDF and DOCX. Its formatting features include full-bleed images, large print, footnotes and device previews. Atticus does not publish a trim-size count on its homepage.

Amazon KDP accepts EPUB for Kindle ebooks and recommends "validating the file with Kindle Previewer before you upload your book." Either app's EPUB goes to KDP that way. The KDP print file requirements page covers what the print PDF has to meet.

How many themes and templates do Vellum and Atticus have?

Atticus states "17 templates" and "1200+ Unique combinations", with a custom theme builder for your own designs. Its feature list names 1,500+ fonts.

Vellum does not state a count. Its styles help says you choose from "dozens of built-in style options", and you can save a configured style for reuse in other books.

Is there a free trial of Vellum or Atticus?

Vellum is a free download. You can import a manuscript, try styles and preview, but you "won't be able to Generate files for publishing until you make a purchase." Vellum refunds a purchase cancelled within 30 days.

Atticus has no free plan or trial. It sells with a "30-Day Money Back Guarantee", described as "no questions asked!"

So Vellum lets you see your own book before paying. Atticus lets you use the real product and get your money back.

Pick Vellum if

• You work on a Mac running macOS 13 or newer, and will keep doing so.
• Your book is finished, or you draft in another app and only need the formatting step.
• You want a PDF/X-1a print file and a stated list of 24 trim sizes.
• You publish to several stores and want a separate EPUB for Kindle, Apple Books and Kobo, plus a generic one.
• You want to style and preview your own manuscript before you pay.

Pick Atticus if

• You use Windows, Linux or a Chromebook, or switch between computers.
• You want to draft and format in the same app.
• You want goals, a habit tracker and collaboration with an editor or readers.
• You want a custom theme builder.
• You prefer the lower one-time price and are fine with a refund window instead of a trial.

What if you want writing, organising and formatting in one desktop app?

Deckle is our app, so weigh this section accordingly. Deckle is a desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux that covers drafting, organising and formatting. Projects are local files, and it works offline after activation. It is a one-time purchase.

For organising, Deckle has a Binder, the Outliner (Grid View index cards and a List view), a Codex story bible, a Timeline and Writing Stats with goals and streaks. Atticus and Vellum offer none of the story bible, timeline or index-card tools.

The Codex, Deckle's story bible

For output, Deckle exports EPUB, print PDF and DOCX, with 26 built-in style presets. Its EPUB targets are Generic, Kindle, Apple Books and Kobo. The Kindle target writes an EPUB for KDP to convert, not a KPF file.

Where Deckle is behind:

• Trim sizes: 8, with no custom size. Vellum lists 24 plus large print.
• Platforms: no browser, Chromebook, iPad or phone version. Atticus runs in a browser.
• Collaboration: none. Atticus has collaboration for editors and readers.

Deckle has a free demo. Click Take Deckle for a Spin on the screen Deckle opens to. There is no card, no account and no time limit. It opens a sample novel with every screen open to explore, and you can restyle it and export real EPUB, PDF and DOCX files. New writing is capped at about 500 words, and new documents and imports are blocked.

How to move a book from Vellum to Atticus, or back

Both apps import a Word .docx file, and both can produce one, so .docx is the bridge in each direction.

Vellum to Atticus. In Vellum, choose File ▸ Export Content As ▸ Word File. Vellum says this file is for sharing with an editor, not for publishing, and that it keeps the front matter, back matter and basic structure. Its blog adds that version 4.1.2 (23 April 2026) "improves Word export to handle lists, footnotes and endnotes", and 4.1.4 (15 July 2026) "restores indentation of text in exported Word files". Then import the .docx into Atticus. Atticus reads H1 text, or text at 20 point or larger, as a chapter title, and treats a page break or three empty lines as a new chapter. Delete any table of contents first, because Atticus builds its own.

Atticus to Vellum. Export DOCX from Atticus. Atticus says the Word export "will only retain basic formatting, such as chapter titles and, of course, all your content." Then import the file into Vellum. Vellum detects chapters, most reliably when chapter titles use Word's Heading 1 style. Vellum can merge elements it split wrongly and split at the cursor where it missed a chapter start.

What you'd lose by switching

• Styling. Neither app's Word export carries its book design. You restyle from scratch in the other app.
• Generated pages. Atticus builds its own table of contents. Vellum builds its own title page and table of contents.
• Atticus-only features. Goals, the habit tracker and collaboration have no Vellum equivalent.
• Vellum-only features. Box sets, anthologies and reusable elements are Vellum features that Atticus does not list.

Neither vendor imports the other's project file, and neither documents importing an EPUB. Test the round trip on two chapters before moving a whole book. The method is in how to move a manuscript between writing apps.

For a wider comparison of Atticus against Deckle, see Deckle vs Atticus.

Sources

All retrieved 20 October 2026. Prices change, so check the vendor page before buying.

• Vellum, 180g: platforms, prices, tiers, EPUB and PDF/X-1a output, 24 trim sizes
• Purchasing FAQ, Vellum Help: free download, Generate after purchase, $69.99 upgrade, Windows, refunds, second computer
• Importing Your Manuscript, Vellum Help: .docx import and chapter detection
• Vellum blog, 180g (retrieved 21 October 2026): 4.1.2 Word export handles lists, footnotes and endnotes; 4.1.4 restores indentation
• The Text Editor, Vellum Help: writing and editing in Vellum
• Applying Styles, Vellum Help: "dozens of built-in style options", saved styles
• Generating Books, Vellum Help: per-store files and Generic EPUB
• Can I create a Word file to share with my editor?, Vellum FAQ: Word export
• Atticus: platforms, offline, price, templates, export formats, writing features, guarantee
• Importing Existing Work, Atticus: .docx import and chapter detection
• How to Access Atticus, Atticus (last updated 14 February 2024): online to import and export
• Support, Atticus: what the Word export keeps
• Updates, Atticus: collaboration added 3 December 2024
• What file formats are supported for eBook manuscripts?, Amazon KDP Help: EPUB support and Kindle Previewer
• Draft2Digital FAQ: Draft2Digital as a distributor that takes EPUB files
• Ace by DAISY, DAISY Consortium: free EPUB accessibility checker

Vellum is a trademark of 180g. Atticus is a trademark of its owner. Deckle is not affiliated with or endorsed by any product named here.