Atticus vs Vellum: Which Formatter Is Worth Paying For?

The Verdict First

If you work on a Mac and want beautiful results with the least fiddling, Vellum is hard to beat. If you use Windows, Linux or a Chromebook, or you want to write and format in the same app for less money, Atticus is the better buy.

Both are one-time purchases, both produce professional ebook and print files, and both are far easier than general layout software. The choice comes down to your computer, your budget and how much you want to customize.

Side by Side

Price and What You Get

Atticus costs $147 once and includes future updates. That single price covers ebook and print formatting on every supported device.

Vellum is sold in two tiers. Vellum Ebooks, at $199.99, creates unlimited ebooks. Vellum Press, at $249.99, adds paperbacks. Most self-publishers want a print edition, so the realistic comparison is $147 against $249.99.

Neither tool charges per book, which is what makes both good value for authors with more than one title. If you publish a series, the cost per book drops with every release. For a single book, compare either price against hiring someone, using our breakdown of what book formatting costs.

Platforms: The Deciding Factor for Many

For many authors, the decision is made before features come into it. Vellum only runs on a Mac. If you use Windows and do not want to buy or rent a Mac, Vellum is effectively off the table.

Atticus runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, and also works as a web app in any modern browser. That makes it easy to switch between a desktop and a laptop, or to work from a borrowed computer, without installing anything heavy.

Writing vs Formatting

The two tools start from different ideas of how authors work.

Atticus is built to be the place where the book is written and formatted. You can draft chapters in its editor, organize them, and switch to the formatting view without moving files around. If you dislike juggling a word processor and a separate formatter, that is a real advantage.

Vellum assumes the writing happens elsewhere. Most authors draft and edit in a word processor, then bring the finished manuscript into Vellum to style it. Its editing tools are there for corrections and tweaks, not for drafting a whole novel. If you already love your writing setup, this is not a drawback.

Design Control

Vellum's reputation rests on its styles. You pick a look, and chapter headings, drop caps, ornaments and fonts all change together. The results look polished with almost no effort, and it is hard to make a Vellum book look amateurish.

The trade-off is control. Vellum offers curated choices rather than unlimited settings, so authors who want a specific heading font or an unusual layout can feel boxed in.

Atticus gives you 17 templates and a custom theme builder, with more than 1,200 combinations across its options. You can adjust headings, scene breaks, fonts and spacing to build your own look, then save it for future books. That freedom suits authors who want a consistent brand across a series, though it also means more decisions to make.

Ebook and Print Output

Both tools produce files that the major stores accept. The details differ.

• Vellum generates ebooks tailored to each store, including Kindle, Kobo and Apple Books, so links and store-specific details are handled for you. With Vellum Press, you choose a trim size and it sets margins, page numbers, headers and footers automatically.
• Atticus exports EPUB for ebook stores, print-ready PDF for paperbacks and DOCX if you need a Word file for an editor or another platform. It includes previews so you can check how pages will look before exporting.

Whichever you choose, order a printed proof before release. Software previews are good, but paper is where margin, gutter and page-break problems show up, and a few dollars spent on a proof copy can save an embarrassing first edition.

What a Typical Workflow Looks Like

Seeing the steps side by side makes the difference in approach clear.

With Vellum

1. Write and edit the book in your usual word processor.
2. Import the finished manuscript into Vellum on your Mac.
3. Choose a style and check how chapter openings and scene breaks look.
4. Add front and back matter, such as the copyright page and an also-by list.
5. Preview, then buy a license when you are ready to export.
6. Generate the ebook files for each store and, with Vellum Press, the paperback PDF.

With Atticus

1. Draft the book in the Atticus editor, or import an existing manuscript.
2. Organize chapters and add front and back matter as you go.
3. Pick a template or build your own theme with the theme builder.
4. Preview on different device sizes and in print layout.
5. Export EPUB for ebook stores and PDF for print, from any of your devices.

Hidden Costs to Consider

The sticker prices are not the whole story. Vellum requires a Mac running macOS 13 or newer, so a Windows author would need to buy or rent one. Vellum Ebooks also leaves out print, so authors who start with it and later want a paperback face an extra cost to move up to Press.

Atticus has no hardware requirement beyond a computer or browser. With either tool, budget for a printed proof copy and, if you want a particular typeface, any font license it needs for commercial use.

Who Should Choose Which

If Neither Feels Right

Some authors do not want another one-time purchase at all. Free tools such as Kindle Create and Reedsy Studio handle simple novels well, and browser-based apps sold by time, such as LiberScript, suit authors who only need a formatter for the weeks around a release.

Getting the Best From Either Tool

• Finish editing first. Formatting is the last step, and late text changes ripple through every page.
• Use clean styles in your manuscript. Consistent headings import cleanly into both tools.
• Pick your trim size before you start. It affects margins, page count and the cover's spine width.
• Check on several devices. Preview the ebook as a phone, a tablet and an e-reader.
• Keep your project files. Both tools make updates easy later, but only if you still have the source project.

Frequently Asked Questions