The best software for writing a children's book depends on what carries each page: a picture book, where the art does, needs a page layout tool such as Canva, Affinity or InDesign, while a chapter book or middle-grade novel, where the words do, needs a manuscript tool such as Scrivener, Atticus or Deckle. Many authors use one of each. They write and revise the text in a manuscript tool, then place it on the art in a layout tool once the pictures exist.
No standards body tests or ranks children's book software, so this page ranks nothing. It compares what each tool does, what it costs and what it exports, from each vendor's own pages, read on 26 October 2026 unless a different date is given. Prices are US dollars before tax. This is Deckle's own site, and Deckle is one of the tools compared, so weigh that section accordingly.
What kind of children's book are you writing?
The software question splits on one thing: does the picture or the sentence decide where the page turns?
- Picture books. Every spread is designed. The words sit on or beside the art, and the page turn is part of the story. This is layout work, and it is usually done after the art is finished.
- Early readers and illustrated chapter books. The text runs from page to page, with pictures placed in it or given a page of their own. A manuscript tool with good image handling can lay these out.
- Middle grade and young adult. Text-led novels with a few chapter-opening pictures, maps or none at all. Any novel-writing app suits. How long they run is on middle grade word count.
If you are writing a picture book text to send to agents or publishers, you do not need layout software at all. The text goes out as a manuscript, and the publisher pairs it with an illustrator. A word processor or manuscript tool is enough for that stage. Word or Google Docs works well here, because agents and editors open those files without any extra software.
What should you look for in children's book software?
Seven checks sort the field faster than a feature list.
- Trim shape. Picture books are often square or wider than tall. KDP's trim size page allows a custom paperback size from 4 to 8.5 inches wide and 6 to 11.69 inches tall. An 8.5 by 8.5 inch square fits. A book wider than 8.5 inches does not. Check that the software can make the size your printer accepts.
- Full bleed. Art that runs to the edge of the page needs bleed: extra picture past the trim that the printer cuts off.
- Two-page spreads. One picture across facing pages is standard in picture books. Some tools handle it as one image. Others make you cut it in two.
- Colour in print. KDP says to "Choose a color ink option if any images in your book are supposed to print in color." Premium colour paperbacks start at 24 pages and standard colour at 72, from the same page.
- Fixed-layout ebook. A picture book ebook usually needs each page fixed in place. In a reflowable ebook the reader can change the font size, which suits text-led books. The difference is explained in reflowable vs fixed layout EPUB.
- Text on the art. Some tools set live text over a picture. Others expect the words lettered into the image before it goes in.
- Where the files live. A book with fifty large images needs storage, and a desktop app keeps them on your own computer.
Children's book software compared
| Tool | Platforms | Price (26 October 2026) | Offline | Spreads and bleed | Ebook | Print PDF | AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canva | Web | Free plan; Pro $144 a year or $18 monthly | Not stated | Bleed fixed by Canva | Not covered here | PDF Print with crop marks and bleed | Not covered here |
| Affinity by Canva | macOS 10.15+, Windows 10/11 | Free with a Canva account | Yes, after activation | Smart Master Pages, bleed | EPUB (fixed layout not stated) | PDF with bleed and crop marks | Image tools on premium Canva plans |
| Adobe InDesign | Desktop, Creative Cloud | $22.99 a month on an annual plan; 7-day trial | Not stated | Full page layout | Fixed-layout and reflowable EPUB | Yes, with Preflight | Yes, generative |
| Blurb BookWright | Windows 7 to 10, macOS 10.13+ | Free; you pay to print or for a PDF | Yes; publishing needs a connection | Blurb templates | Not stated | Through Blurb | None mentioned |
| Kindle Create | Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+ | Free | Desktop app | Page images imported as they are | Kids' eBook as KPF, with Guided View | Print books from reflowable text only | None mentioned |
| Atticus | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, browser | $147 once | Yes; import and export need a connection | Full-bleed pages; two-page spreads added 20 October 2026 | Reflowable EPUB only | Yes | None |
| Vellum | macOS 13+ | $199.99 Ebooks; $249.99 Press | Yes | Full Page Image, single page or spread, full bleed | Reflowable EPUB | Press tier, 24 trims plus large print | None of its own |
| Scrivener | macOS 11+, Windows 10+, iOS | $59.99 once per platform | Yes | Images in the text | EPUB | Compile to PDF | None mentioned |
| Deckle | Windows, macOS, Linux | One-time; free demo | Yes, after activation | Full Page Image, single page or spread, edge to edge | Reflowable EPUB | Yes, eight trims, bleed | None in the app |
Which children's book software suits which book?
Canva, for a picture book you design from templates
Canva is a browser design tool with book templates and a Childrens category of book covers. Its help centre explains how to add bleed and download as PDF Print with crop marks and bleed. It also says the bleed size is fixed by Canva and that it may not check a design for print quality, so a proof copy matters. Canva Pro is $144 a year, $12 a month billed yearly, or $18 month to month, with a 30-day trial. KDP's own picture book help names Canva as one of the apps for adding text to images.
It suits an author-illustrator who wants to place art and words fast, on a page shape Canva offers, and print a PDF.
Affinity by Canva, for full page layout at no cost
The Affinity download page says "Yes, Affinity really is free", with a free Canva account. It runs on macOS 10.15 or later and 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, and once activated there is "no requirement to be online". Its page layout tools include Smart Master Pages and shared text styles, and it exports PDF with bleed and crop marks, EPUB, JPEG, PNG, TIFF and SVG. The AI image tools need a premium Canva plan. Its own page does not say whether the EPUB is fixed layout.
It suits an author or illustrator who wants professional layout control without a subscription. More on it is in is Affinity Publisher worth it.
Adobe InDesign, for professional layout and fixed-layout ebooks
InDesign is the layout tool most publishers and many illustrators already use. It is $22.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly, with a 7-day trial, from Adobe's plans page. Adobe's help lists EPUB (Fixed Layout) as an export type and names children's books among the uses it suits, alongside comics and cookbooks. It has generative AI features, including Layout-aware Rewrite and Generative Expand (retrieved 20 October 2026).
It suits a designer, or an author working with one, who needs a fixed-layout ebook and print files from the same document. The cost of the subscription over time is weighed in InDesign one-time purchase.
Blurb BookWright, for a book printed through Blurb
Blurb calls BookWright its "free desktop software" for photo books, paperback and hardcover books, magazines and more. It runs on Windows 7, 8 or 10 and macOS 10.13 or later, works "without internet", and needs a connection to publish. You pay when you print, order in bulk or buy a PDF.
It suits a family picture book or a short print run, where Blurb does the printing.
Kindle Create, for a Kindle kids' ebook from finished pages
Amazon's kids' and comics help says Kindle Create imports PDF, PNG or JPEG pages and converts them into "an illustrated, comic, or kids' eBook", where Guided View can call "attention to story elements in the desired order". The export is a KPF file for KDP. The same page says "Kindle Create doesn't offer text formatting features", so the words must be in the pages before import. It runs on Windows 10 or later and macOS 10.15 or later.
It suits the last step of a Kindle picture book, once the pages are designed elsewhere. It does not make the print edition of a picture book. Its other limits are on Kindle Create images.
Atticus, for a text-led children's book with full-page art
Atticus is $147 once and runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook and in a browser. Its help article on children's books, dated 9 March 2026, says it is "not currently the perfect solution for picture books". It suggests building a picture book from full-page images with the text already in the art. On 20 October 2026 its updates page added "Creating easy Two-Page Image spreads". Its help says it cannot make a fixed-format ePub, because that "requires more complex programming".
It suits an illustrated chapter book or middle-grade novel that wants a print and ebook edition from one app. More is on Atticus vs Vellum.
Vellum, for a Mac author with illustrated chapters
Vellum runs only on macOS 13 or newer, at $199.99 for ebooks or $249.99 with print. Its Full Page Image element takes "a single page or spans an entire two-page spread", with a Print Extent of Text Margins, Safe Zone or Full Bleed. Its help on that element does not mention picture books or fixed-layout ebooks.
It suits a Mac author whose book is text-led with whole-page illustrations.
Scrivener, for drafting the text
Scrivener is $59.99 once for macOS or Windows, with an iOS version sold separately. Literature & Latte's overview says you can insert images into the text and compile to Word, PDF and EPUB. It is a drafting and organising tool first.
It suits a writer drafting a chapter book or a picture book text before it goes to an illustrator or agent.
What is the best software for writing a book with pictures?
It depends on which comes first. If the pictures set the page, as in a picture book or a photo-led book, use a layout tool: Canva, Affinity, InDesign or BookWright. If the text sets the page and the pictures sit in it, as in an illustrated chapter book, use a writing and formatting app that handles full-page images and spreads: Atticus, Vellum or Deckle.
Searches for the best app for writing a children's book often mean a phone or tablet. Canva runs in a browser, and Book Creator has a web version and an iPad app. Atticus runs in a tablet browser. Scrivener has an iOS app. Deckle, Vellum, Affinity and BookWright are desktop apps, which suit a book with large image files and a long working life.
Is there free software for writing a children's book?
Yes. Each states its own limits.
- Affinity by Canva is free for page layout, with a Canva account. AI tools need a premium plan.
- Canva's free plan has templates and PDF downloads. Some templates and features are on Pro.
- Kindle Create is free, for KDP ebooks. It does not format text in a kids' book.
- BookWright is free to use. Printing and PDFs are paid through Blurb.
- Book Creator's free Starter plan, for individual teachers, holds "1 library with up to 40 books". Its pricing page lists ePub download and printing as a PDF among its sharing features, so check which plan includes them.
- Deckle's free demo has no time limit. It opens a sample novel you can restyle, give chapter images and export.
Free tools for the text are compared on free novel writing software.
What happened to Kindle Kids' Book Creator?
Amazon withdrew it. A KDP notice dated 21 January 2025, reproduced on the MobileRead forum, said Kindle Comic Creator and Kindle Kids' Book Creator "will be unavailable for download from February 6, 2025". KDP's eBook format page says "Effective March 2025, we will no longer accept MOBI files for fixed-layout eBooks". KDP's help now covers kids' ebooks under Kindle Create. Books already published stay live.
What do roundups get wrong about children's book software?
Two claims in pages that rank for this search disagree with the vendors' own pages.
- "Kindle Kids' Book Creator is Amazon's free tool." Gitnux's children's book software list, updated 24 October 2026, ranks it fourth and calls it "Amazon's free tool for formatting illustrated children's books for Kindle publication". Amazon withdrew it from download in February 2025, and KDP now sends kids' ebooks to Kindle Create.
- "Atticus exports fixed-layout EPUB." Worldmetrics' children's book writing software list, updated 5 October 2026, says Atticus "Exports support both print-ready PDF and EPUB fixed-layout publishing". Atticus's help says it makes "eBooks that adjust to different screen sizes", not a fixed-format ePub.
Both lists also say vendors they assess helped fund them. Check each claim on the vendor's own page before you buy.
How do you write an illustrated children's book in Deckle?
Deckle is our app, so weigh this section accordingly. Deckle is a desktop writing and formatting app for Windows, macOS and Linux. Each project is a folder on your own computer, it works offline after activation, and it has no generative AI. It suits text-led children's books: chapter books, illustrated early readers and middle-grade novels with chapter art, maps or full-page pictures. For a picture book designed spread by spread, with live text set over the art, Affinity or InDesign suit better, and Deckle can hold the text while you write it.
The image box beside a chapter title takes the chapter's opening picture
- Set the page. Open Styles. Under Typography, pick a Trim size: eight portrait sizes from 5" × 8" to 8.5" × 11" and A4. Raise the Body size (pt) for young readers, or start from the Legible or Dyslexic preset. Under Print & layout, turn on Enable bleed (⅛" by default).
- Write the chapters. Click Add to Draft (the + beside Draft) and choose Chapter. Write the text as you would any book.
- Give a chapter its picture. Click the image box beside the chapter title. In Styles ▸ Chapter design, set Image position to Above title, Below title, Side-by-side or Background cover. Turn on Image only when the title is lettered into the art.
- Place pictures in the text. Click Insert Image in the toolbar, then give it a name and Alt text (accessibility). Select it and choose S, M, L, XL or FPB, which fills a page on its own. Add a caption under it if you want one.
- Add a full-page picture or spread. Choose Add to Draft ▸ Full Page Image and pick the art. Set Page span to One page or Two-page spread, and for one page choose where it Starts on and set Fill to Edge to edge or Inside the margins. Deckle shows the best pixel size for your trim and warns when a picture is too small for a sharp print. A spread starts on a left-hand page in print, so keep faces and words away from the middle.
- Decide on colour. By default the print sets text black on a white page, and pictures keep their own colours. If the book has coloured text or tints, turn on Styles ▸ Colors ▸ Print in colour. For colour pictures, choose a colour ink at the printer as well.
- Preview and export. Use the Inspector's Preview tab to see Kindle, iPhone, iPad and Print pages. Then choose File ▸ Export… (Ctrl+E, or Cmd+E on a Mac) for a print PDF, a reflowable EPUB for Kindle, Apple Books or Kobo, or a Word file. In an ebook, a spread shows as one wide picture. How the files are checked before upload is in preparing images for export.
Deckle is a one-time purchase. To try it, 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, where you can give a chapter its picture, try the Styles and export a real PDF or EPUB. The demo keeps to the sample's own pages, so a new Full Page Image page comes with a licence.
Common mistakes when choosing children's book software
- Buying layout software to write the text. A picture book text is a few hundred words that will be revised many times. Draft it in a writing tool, and lay it out once the art is final.
- Laying out before you have a printer's trim size. KDP paperbacks max out at 8.5 inches wide. Design a wide book first and you may have to redo every spread.
- Forgetting bleed. Art that stops at the trim line leaves white slivers after cutting. Add bleed before the illustrator finishes, not after.
- Paying for colour you do not need. A chapter book with black-and-white line art prints in black ink. Colour ink costs more per page, from the same KDP page.
- Expecting a reflowable ebook to keep a picture book's pages. If the page layout tells the story, you need a fixed-layout ebook from Kindle Create, InDesign or a formatter.
- Trusting a 2025 tool name. Kindle Kids' Book Creator still appears in roundups. Check the vendor's own page before you plan around it.
FAQ
What is the best software for writing a children's book?
For a picture book, a layout tool such as Canva, Affinity or InDesign. For a chapter book or middle-grade novel, a manuscript tool such as Scrivener, Atticus or Deckle. Nothing authoritative ranks them.
What software do children's book illustrators use?
Layout is usually done in InDesign or Affinity, and Canva suits template-based design. The art itself is drawn in separate illustration apps before it goes into the layout.
Is Canva good for children's books?
For template-based picture books, yes. It exports PDF Print with crop marks and bleed, and KDP's own help names it for adding text to images. Its bleed size is fixed, so check it against your printer.
Can I make a picture book in Kindle Create?
You can turn finished pages into a Kindle kids' ebook. It imports PDF, PNG or JPEG pages and cannot format text, so the words must be in the pages first.
Is Kindle Kids' Book Creator still available?
No. Amazon made it unavailable for download from 6 February 2025, and KDP stopped accepting MOBI files for fixed-layout ebooks in March 2025.
Can Atticus or Vellum make a picture book?
Both place full-page images and two-page spreads. Neither makes a fixed-layout ebook, so they suit illustrated chapter books better than spread-by-spread picture books.
Can Deckle make a children's book?
It suits text-led children's books: chapter books, early readers and middle grade, with chapter art, inline pictures and full-page images or spreads. Its ebooks are reflowable, and its trims are portrait, up to 8.5" × 11".
Sources
Retrieved 26 October 2026 unless stated. Prices change, so check the vendor page before buying.
- Amazon KDP, Paperback and hardcover trim size, bleed and ink: custom paperback limits 4 to 8.5 inches by 6 to 11.69 inches, ink page minimums, colour ink advice, glossy covers "typical for" children's books; Prepare Comic and Kids' eBooks with Kindle Create: PDF, PNG and JPEG import, Guided View, KPF, no text formatting, Canva named for adding text; Getting Started with Kindle Create: system requirements, book types, free downloads (price retrieved 20 October 2026); eBook formats: MOBI no longer accepted for fixed-layout eBooks from March 2025
- KDP notice of 21 January 2025, as reproduced on MobileRead: Kindle Comic Creator and Kindle Kids' Book Creator unavailable for download from 6 February 2025
- Canva, Use margins, bleed, rulers, and crop marks: PDF Print, fixed bleed, no quality check; Billing frequency and Pricing: Pro $144 a year, $12 a month billed yearly, $18 monthly; Book cover templates. Read through search-engine copies because canva.com blocks direct fetches
- Affinity by Canva, Download: free with a Canva account, system requirements, offline after activation; Page layout software: Smart Master Pages, export formats, AI on premium Canva plans
- Adobe, InDesign plans: $22.99 a month, 7-day trial; Export to EPUB in InDesign and Create dynamic e-books: fixed-layout EPUB, children's books named among its uses, read through search-engine copies because helpx blocks direct fetches; InDesign: AI features (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Blurb, BookWright: free, Windows and Mac requirements, offline work, connection to publish, print or buy a PDF
- Atticus, Home: $147 one-time, platforms, offline, EPUB, PDF and DOCX; Updates: two-page image spreads, 20 October 2026; Does Atticus support children's books? (9 March 2026); Fixed-format ePub (28 October 2025); online for import and export (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Vellum, Home: prices, macOS 13, 24 trim sizes plus large print, full bleed; Full Page Image: Page Span, Print Extent, Begin On; Privacy: Apple Writing Tools off by default (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Literature & Latte, Scrivener overview: platforms, image import, export formats; Cross-grading: $59.99 per platform
- Book Creator, Pricing: Starter plan limits, ePub download, print as PDF, online and iPad
- Ranking pages checked for the claims above: Gitnux, "Top 10 Best Children's Book Software of 2026" (updated 24 October 2026); Worldmetrics, "Best Children's Book Writing Software" (updated 5 October 2026)
Canva and Affinity are trademarks of Canva. Adobe and InDesign are trademarks of Adobe. Blurb and BookWright are trademarks of Blurb. Kindle, Kindle Create and KDP are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Vellum is a trademark of 180g. Scrivener is a trademark of Literature & Latte. Atticus and Book Creator are trademarks of their respective owners. Deckle is not affiliated with or endorsed by any product named here.