Vellum Alternative: Formatting Your Book Without a Mac
By Thomas Truong · Last updated September 25, 2026
Vellum is the polished, Mac-only book formatter: $199.99 for ebooks (Vellum Ebooks) or $249.99 with print (Vellum Press), one-time, unlimited books — and there is no Windows or web version, so Windows users rent a Mac in the cloud or pick another tool. The closest like-for-like alternative is Atticus ($147 one-time; runs in the browser on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, with a 30-day money-back guarantee). Reedsy Studio is free and browser-based with a handful of themes; Kindle Create is free from Amazon but exports files only KDP accepts. Bindery, Infinite Library’s book studio, works differently: an AI agent typesets your manuscript in LaTeX from plain-English direction, exports a print PDF, EPUB, Word file and IngramSpark-ready pack, and prints and ships hardcovers and paperbacks itself. It runs in any browser and is free to start; one book’s clean files are a one-time $49, and the one-time “Finish my book” package is $149.
TL;DR
Closest Vellum replacement
Atticus — the same pick-a-theme workflow for a one-time $147, in the browser on Windows, Mac, Linux or Chromebook, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Best free option
Reedsy Studio if the book goes to several stores; Kindle Create only if it will live on Amazon KDP alone.
If you’d rather not operate formatting software
Bindery — describe the look in plain words, an AI agent typesets it in LaTeX, and the same studio prints and ships the copies. Free to start.
Key Takeaways
- Vellum is still the benchmark for polish on a Mac: one-time pricing, unlimited books, well-loved book styles.
- On Windows there is no Vellum; a rented cloud Mac works, but it puts a paid service and a remote desktop between you and every edit.
- Atticus is the like-for-like switch: the same template workflow on every platform, for less.
- Bindery changes the job: you direct, an agent typesets, and printed copies ship from the same place.
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | Vellum | Atticus | Bindery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac only | Browser: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook | Browser: any computer |
| Price | $199.99 ebooks / $249.99 with print, one-time (check vendor) | $147 one-time (check vendor) | Free to start; $49 per book for clean files; $149 “Finish my book” package |
| How you format | Choose a book style, adjust settings | Choose a theme or build your own | Describe it; an AI agent sets the pages in LaTeX |
| Files | EPUB and print PDF (print needs Vellum Press) | EPUB and print PDF | Print PDF, EPUB, Word, IngramSpark-ready pack |
| Writing help | None — formatting only | Built-in writing mode | An AI editor (Claude) for drafting and revision |
| Printed copies | Upload files to KDP or IngramSpark yourself | Upload files to KDP or IngramSpark yourself | Printed and shipped from the studio — hardcover or paperback |
| Try before you pay | Free to download; pay to export (check vendor) | 30-day money-back guarantee | Watermarked proof PDFs free |
Why writers look for a Vellum alternative
Mostly because of the computer on their desk. Vellum is built for macOS only and has no Windows or web version, so a Windows writer can borrow a Mac, rent one from a paid Mac-in-the-cloud service and run Vellum over a remote desktop, or choose a different tool. Recent versions also expect a fairly current macOS, which can rule out an older Mac.
The second reason is price. Vellum is a one-time purchase with unlimited books, which is excellent value across a long catalog — but $249.99 for print formatting is a lot to spend on a first book before you know whether there will be a second.
The third is scope. Vellum formats a finished manuscript beautifully and stops there: no help with the writing, no cover, no printed copies.
The alternatives, honestly placed
Atticus is the natural switch. It runs in the browser on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, costs $147 once, includes a writing mode and a theme builder, and exports the EPUB and print PDF that KDP, IngramSpark and Draft2Digital accept. Its 30-day money-back guarantee makes it a low-risk try.
Reedsy Studio is free and browser-based, exports an EPUB and a print-ready PDF, and handles a straightforward novel well; the trade-off is a small choice of designs. Kindle Create is also free, but it exports a KPF file that only Amazon KDP accepts and fixes most print typography for you — fine for a simple Kindle ebook, limiting for anything else.
Microsoft Word with KDP’s trim-size templates, or a professional layout app such as Adobe InDesign or Affinity (now free from Canva), can match anything Vellum produces — if you are willing to learn styles, master pages and mirror margins.
Where Bindery fits
Bindery skips the template picker. You import a Word, PDF or EPUB manuscript — or write the book in the studio — and tell an AI agent what you want in plain English: “6 × 9, a classic serif, drop caps on chapter openings, every chapter on a right-hand page.” The agent typesets the book in LaTeX, the system professional publishers use for justification and hyphenation, and renders page proofs as it works. It also flags any line that runs into the margin — the “text outside the margins” error Amazon KDP rejects — before you upload anything.
What you take away: a clean print PDF that works as a KDP or IngramSpark interior, an EPUB for Kindle and every other ebook store, a Word file for editors, and an IngramSpark-ready pack with a wraparound cover whose spine is sized from your real page count. Or skip the upload — the studio prints and ships hardcovers and paperbacks in 21 formats, with the full printing-and-shipping quote shown before you pay.
It runs in any browser, so Windows, Mac and Chromebook are all the same. Starting is free: 800 AI credits and watermarked proof PDFs. One book’s clean files are a one-time $49, and the one-time “Finish my book” package ($149) adds AI credits for the typesetting and your revisions plus 90 days of Claude’s best models and clean files. Nothing renews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Vellum for Windows?
No. Vellum runs only on macOS, and there is no Windows or web version. Windows users can rent a remote Mac from a Mac-in-the-cloud service and run Vellum over a remote desktop, or use a tool that runs on Windows: Atticus ($147 one-time) is the closest match, Reedsy Studio is free, and Bindery runs in any browser.
What is the best Vellum alternative?
For the same template workflow on any computer, Atticus. For a free option that exports files every store accepts, Reedsy Studio. If you would rather describe the design than operate formatting software — and want printed copies from the same place — Bindery, where an AI agent typesets the book in LaTeX and the studio prints and ships it.
Atticus vs Vellum: which is better?
Vellum has the longer track record and very polished defaults, but it needs a Mac and costs $199.99–$249.99. Atticus costs $147, runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, adds a writing mode and a custom theme builder, and has a 30-day money-back guarantee. KDP and IngramSpark accept files from both. Our Atticus vs Vellum vs Bindery comparison goes row by row.
How much does Vellum cost?
Vellum Ebooks is $199.99, and Vellum Press, which adds print formatting, is $249.99 — one-time purchases with unlimited books. Check Vellum’s site for current prices and upgrade terms.
Will Bindery’s files work on Amazon KDP?
Yes. Bindery has no direct KDP integration, but its clean print PDF works as a KDP paperback or hardcover interior and its EPUB is the file KDP accepts for Kindle ebooks. It also builds an IngramSpark-ready pack for bookstores and libraries. You upload the files to KDP or IngramSpark yourself.
How much does Bindery cost compared with Vellum?
Starting is free: 800 AI credits and watermarked proof PDFs. A single book’s clean files — print PDF, EPUB, Word and the IngramSpark pack — are a one-time $49. The one-time “Finish my book” package is $149: AI credits for the typesetting and your revisions, plus 90 days of Claude’s best models and clean files, and nothing renews. Bindery Pro is $39/month (or $390/year) for ongoing work. Vellum is $199.99–$249.99 one-time.
Format your book on any computer
Import a Word, PDF or EPUB manuscript and watch an AI agent set the pages. One $149 payment finishes it — nothing renews.