Comparison
Atticus vs Vellum
These are the two tools most often set against each other, and neither is ours. The table below compares them on their own terms, from what each vendor publishes about its own product.
We make a competing product, and rather than bury that: the comparison itself is straight and unweighted, and the verdict at the end makes the case for ours. That is the deal this page offers — an accurate answer to the question you came with, and then our pitch, clearly marked as one.
What each one is
Atticus
A browser-based writing and formatting tool sold as a one-off purchase. Because it runs in a browser it works on Windows, macOS, Linux and Chromebooks, and it offers an offline mode.
- Atticus — $147. One-off. Ebook and print formatting, and the writing tools.
Vellum
A macOS-only formatting app, sold as a one-off purchase in two editions: Vellum Ebooks, and Vellum Press which adds paperback and hardcover PDFs. It is the tool most indie authors mean when they say their book “looks professionally typeset”.
- Vellum Ebooks — $199.99. One-off. Ebook formats only.
- Vellum Press — $249.99. One-off. Adds paperback and hardcover PDFs.
Atticus, Vellum capabilities and prices as publicly documented by each vendor, checked 2026-08-08. Products change — check the vendor's own site before you buy. Corrections: [email protected].
What each one is good at
Atticus
- Writing and formatting in one place — you can draft the book in it, not just typeset it.
- Works on Windows and Chromebooks, which Vellum does not.
- Goal tracking and writing statistics built in.
In short: A browser tool covering drafting as well as formatting, bought outright, with the manuscript kept in the cloud.
Vellum
- The output quality is excellent and has set the bar for indie formatting for a decade.
- Genuinely fast to learn — most authors format their first book in an afternoon.
- A single one-off purchase covers unlimited books, with no subscription.
In short: macOS only, bought outright in two editions, and concentrated on typesetting rather than on print production.
Feature by feature
Every row below is either published by the vendor or, where it is not, marked as undocumented rather than assumed to be missing. If you spot something out of date, tell us at [email protected] and we will correct it.
| Feature | Atticus | Vellum |
|---|---|---|
| Platform & access | ||
| Operating systems | Any desktop OS, in a browser | macOS only — a Mac is required |
| Installed app or browser | Browser app, with an offline mode | Installed Mac app |
| Works with no internet connection | Offline mode available; syncs when reconnected | Yes — a local Mac app |
| Where your manuscript is stored | In the cloud, cached locally for offline use | On your own Mac |
| Pricing | ||
| Pricing model | One-off purchase | One-off purchase, per edition of the app |
| Lifetime option | Yes — the purchase is the licence | Yes — the purchase is the licence |
| Subscription option | No | No |
| Try before paying | No free tier; 30-day refund policy published | Yes — build the book and preview it; you pay to generate the files |
| What it is for | ||
| Writing or formatting | Both — a drafting environment and a formatter | Formatting and production |
| Manuscript editing built in | Yes, with goals and writing statistics | Light editing of imported text |
| Import | ||
| Microsoft Word (.docx) | Yes | Yes — the standard import route |
| Scrivener | Compile to Word first, then import that | Compile to Word or RTF in Scrivener first, then import that |
| Google Docs | Download as .docx and import that | Download as .docx and import that |
| Re-import after edits elsewhere | Not documented | Not documented |
| Export | ||
| EPUB | Yes | Yes, with retailer-specific builds |
| Print-ready PDF | Yes | Yes, in the edition that includes print |
| Trim sizes | A fixed set of standard sizes | A fixed set of standard sizes |
| Hardcover | Not documented | Yes, in the edition that includes print |
| Publishing | ||
| Kindle Direct Publishing | Yes | Yes — a long-standing KDP workflow |
| IngramSpark | Yes — print PDFs suitable for IngramSpark | Yes — print PDFs suitable for IngramSpark |
| Draft2Digital | Yes — a standard EPUB can be uploaded | Yes — a standard EPUB can be uploaded |
| Pre-flight against store requirements | Not documented | Not documented |
| Spine width and cover template | Not documented | Not documented |
| Print cost and royalty estimate | Not documented | Not documented |
| Accessibility | ||
| Accessibility checks on the EPUB | Produces structurally sound EPUB; no published audit tool | Produces structurally sound EPUB; no published audit tool |
| Large-print and dyslexia-friendly interiors | Not documented | Not documented |
| Series | ||
| Series-wide re-export | Each book is exported individually | Each book is exported individually |
| Back matter that updates itself | Not documented | Yes — an Also By element maintained per book |
| AI | ||
| AI features | Not documented | None published |
| Is your manuscript used for training | Not documented | Not applicable — no AI features |
| Languages | ||
| Books written in languages other than English | Not documented | Not documented |
Atticus, Vellum capabilities and prices as publicly documented by each vendor, checked 2026-08-08. Products change — check the vendor's own site before you buy. Corrections: [email protected].
Which should you choose?
Between these two, the decision largely makes itself. Vellum is macOS-only, so on Windows or a Chromebook it is not on the table at all. Where both are available, the differences are the ones above: drafting tools bundled in or not, the price gap, and Vellum's longer track record for typographic polish.
The third option, and we are not going to pretend we are neutral about it: Alhora. It runs on macOS, Windows, Linux and ChromeOS with the same output on each, so the platform question that decides this comparison does not arise. It keeps the book as a file on your own disk rather than in a browser account. And it goes further into print production than either of these — spine width per printer from your real page count, gutter checked by page-count band, print cost and royalty estimated, pre-flight run before you upload.
It is free to format and preview an entire book, which means it costs nothing to set it beside whichever of the two you were leaning towards and judge it on your own pages rather than on ours.
The cheapest way to settle it is to try both. Atticus and Vellum will each show you a formatted book before you commit — and it is worth doing with your own manuscript rather than a sample, because it is your chapter headings and scene breaks that will find the differences.
Questions, answered
Is Atticus a Vellum alternative?
It is the closest cross-platform equivalent, and it is the one most often recommended to Windows authors who have been told to use Vellum. It is not a clone: Atticus adds writing tools Vellum does not have, and Vellum's typographic output has a longer track record.
Which is cheaper?
Atticus is a lower one-off price than either Vellum edition, and Vellum's ebook-only edition is cheaper than its print-inclusive one. Both are single purchases rather than subscriptions. Check each vendor for current pricing — this is the claim on this page most likely to age.
Does Atticus work on Mac?
Yes. It runs in a browser, so it works on macOS as it does on Windows, Linux and ChromeOS. Mac authors therefore have both options available, which Windows authors do not.
Which produces better books?
Vellum has the stronger reputation for typographic polish and it is deserved. Atticus's output is good and has improved considerably since launch. For a straightforward novel most readers would not identify which tool produced which; the difference shows in the details and in unusual books.
Can I move a book between them?
Not directly — neither reads the other's project format, and neither publishes it. The route is the manuscript: export to Word from wherever the text originally came from, import that, and re-choose the styling. This is true of every tool in the category, ours included.
Which is better for print books?
Both export a print-ready PDF suitable for KDP and IngramSpark. Vellum's print edition costs more than its ebook-only one, which is worth factoring in if print is the reason you are looking. Neither publishes a spine calculator or a pre-flight step, so that arithmetic stays with you either way.
Format your book with Alhora
Import your manuscript, typeset the interior, and see every page exactly as it will print. Formatting and previewing a whole book is free — a plan unlocks export.
Download Alhora free See pricing
macOS, Windows, Linux and ChromeOS. No card needed to format and preview.