Choose Vellum if you work on a Mac and want the most polished ebook and print layouts with the least fiddling. Choose Atticus if you use Windows, Linux or a Chromebook, or you want to write and format in the same app. Choose Kindle Create if your budget is zero and you only plan to sell on Amazon, because its main output format works on KDP and nowhere else.

This guide includes a few product links near the end. As an Amazon Associate, Freyja Publishing earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

This guide compares the three tools on the things that actually decide the choice: your computer, where you sell, what kind of book you are making, how often you will publish, and how much control you want over the finished page. It does not repeat the technical basics of EPUB and KDP file requirements, which are covered in the ebook formatting guide on this site.

At a glance

• Vellum is Mac-only (macOS 13 or newer at the time of writing), formatting-only and widely regarded as producing the most refined typography straight out of the box.
• Atticus runs in a browser or as an installable app on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, and includes a writing environment as well as formatting.
• Kindle Create is Amazon’s free tool. It is simple and reliable for plain novels, but its native output (KPF) only works on KDP.
• Both paid tools are one-time purchases rather than subscriptions. At the time of writing (October 2026), Atticus lists at US$147 and Vellum at US$199.99 (Vellum Ebooks) or US$249.99 (Vellum Press, ebooks and print), before any tax. Prices change, so check each vendor’s site before buying.
• None of the three is ideal for heavily illustrated, footnote-rich or complex-table books.

The three tools in plain terms

Vellum

Vellum is a desktop app for macOS that takes a finished manuscript (usually imported from a Word file) and turns it into a styled ebook and print-ready PDF. You pick a book style, adjust headings, scene breaks, drop caps and ornaments, and preview how the book will look on different e-readers and in print. Vellum does not try to be a writing tool. Its reputation rests on clean, consistent typography and very quick turnaround once the manuscript is final. Vellum is free to download, and you can build, style and preview your book before paying; you buy a licence when you are ready to publish. There are two options: Vellum Ebooks (ebooks only) and Vellum Press (ebooks plus paperback and hardcover print files), priced at US$199.99 and US$249.99 respectively, before tax, at the time of writing (October 2026). Prices change, so check the vendor’s site and decide whether you need print editions before you buy. It requires macOS 13 or newer.

Atticus

Atticus is a browser-based writing and formatting tool that can also be installed as an app and used offline for most tasks. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, which makes it the most common Vellum alternative for authors who are not on a Mac. You can draft directly in it, import a Word document, apply chapter themes, design custom themes, and export EPUB, print PDF and Word (DOCX) files. It also supports footnotes, callout boxes and full-bleed images. At the time of writing (October 2026) it is sold as a one-time purchase of US$147 that includes future updates, with a 30-day money-back guarantee rather than a free trial. Prices and terms change, so check the vendor’s site before buying.

Kindle Create

Kindle Create is Amazon’s free formatting app for Windows and macOS. You import a Word document, apply one of a small set of themes, mark chapter titles, and export. Ebooks and paperbacks are saved as KPF files, which upload to KDP but cannot be used by Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play or other stores. Kindle Create can also export EPUB for reflowable books, but Amazon notes that EPUB does not carry every Kindle feature (for example drop caps, image bleeds and chapter-start images), and the tool is still built around Amazon. Kindle Create also handles print-replica books (built from a PDF), comics and kids’ ebooks, though with limited design control. Amazon’s help pages list Windows 10 or later and macOS 10.15 or later (macOS 11 or later on Apple silicon) as requirements.

Side-by-side comparison

Factor	Vellum	Atticus	Kindle Create
Computers supported	Mac only	Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook (browser or installed app)	Windows and Mac
Cost model	One-time purchase; Vellum Ebooks US$199.99 or Vellum Press US$249.99 at the time of writing (prices change)	One-time purchase; US$147 at the time of writing (prices change)	Free
Write inside the app	No	Yes	No
Main ebook output	EPUB plus store-ready versions	EPUB	KPF (KDP only); EPUB export for reflowable books, with some features dropped
Print output	Print-ready PDF (paperback and hardcover, Vellum Press only)	Print-ready PDF	Print book prepared for KDP only (KPF)
Design control	Curated styles, strong defaults, moderate customisation	Built-in themes plus a custom theme builder	Small set of themes, little customisation
Typography polish out of the box	Highest of the three	Good; slightly less fine-grained than Vellum	Basic
Selling wide (beyond Amazon)	Yes	Yes	Limited; KPF only works on KDP
Box sets from existing books	Yes	Yes	Manual
Internet needed	No	Not for most tasks; used for cloud saving and backups	No (upload to KDP needs it)
Weak spots	No Windows version; limited footnote options, tables and complex image layouts	Complex tables and some advanced layouts; less fine typographic control	Amazon-centred output, few design options, weak for poetry and complex layouts

Feature sets change with updates, so treat this table as a starting point and check each vendor’s current feature list before you commit.

Five questions that make the decision for you

1. What computer do you use every day? If it is not a Mac, Vellum is out unless you rent or borrow one, or use a cloud Mac service. Atticus and Kindle Create both run on Windows.
2. Will you sell anywhere other than Amazon? If yes, you need clean EPUB and print PDF files you can upload to Draft2Digital, IngramSpark, Kobo, Apple and others. That points to Vellum or Atticus. If you will only ever sell on Amazon, Kindle Create is viable.
3. How many books will you format? One book may not justify a paid tool. A series, a pen name with a release schedule, or regular box sets usually does, because you will format, update and re-export many times.
4. What is inside the book? A plain novel suits all three. Non-fiction with many footnotes, tables or sidebars, poetry with exact line breaks, cookbooks and picture books often need a layout program or a professional formatter instead.
5. Do you want to draft in the same place? If you would rather write and format in one app, Atticus is the only one of the three that does both. If you already write in Word, Google Docs or Scrivener, that matters less.

Who each tool suits, and who it does not

Tool	Suits	Does not suit
Vellum	Mac users publishing fiction or straightforward non-fiction, authors who want the most polished result with the least design work, series authors who reformat often	Windows or Chromebook users, books with complex tables, footnote-heavy academic work, authors who want to write in the same app
Atticus	Windows and mixed-device authors, writers who want drafting and formatting together, authors who like designing their own chapter look, anyone selling wide on a non-Mac computer	Authors who want Vellum-level typographic finesse with no tweaking, books needing advanced layout, authors who never want to work in a browser
Kindle Create	First-time authors testing the waters, Amazon-only and KDP Select authors, simple novels and memoirs on a zero budget	Anyone publishing wide, authors wanting a distinctive interior, poetry and complex non-fiction, authors who will need the same files for other printers

Output quality: what readers actually notice

Most readers never think about formatting unless something goes wrong. The things they do notice are chapter openings that look amateur, inconsistent scene breaks, odd spacing, missing or broken tables of contents, and paperbacks with cramped margins or text running into the gutter. All three tools handle the basics (a working table of contents, consistent chapter headings, proper paragraph indents) if you import a clean manuscript.

The difference shows in the details. Vellum’s print layouts are known for handling widows, orphans, headers and margins sensibly without manual work. Atticus has narrowed the gap and gives you more freedom to design your own look, but you may spend more time adjusting settings to get a result you are happy with. Kindle Create produces a clean, plain book that looks fine on a Kindle but rarely stands out in print, where font and margin choices are limited.

Whichever tool you use, check the result on more than one device. Amazon’s free Kindle Previewer lets you inspect ebook files, and ordering a printed proof copy before release is the only reliable way to judge a paperback interior.

The real cost over time

Comparing sticker prices misses the bigger picture. The real cost of a formatting tool is the purchase price plus the hours you spend using it, spread across every book you publish. A free tool that takes a long time per book and locks your files to one store can cost more in lost time and flexibility than a paid tool that turns a final manuscript into every format in an afternoon.

Points to weigh:

• Number of books. One-time purchases get cheaper per book the more you publish.
• Updates. Back matter changes every time you release a new book (new also-by pages, new links). Easy re-export saves real time across a backlist.
• Hiring instead. A professional formatter can make sense for one complex book. For many simple books, owning a tool is usually the better long-term option.
• Refund terms. Check whether a trial or money-back period exists, and test your actual manuscript before that window closes.

Can you use more than one?

Yes, and some authors do. A common pattern is to write in one place, format in Vellum or Atticus, and still upload to KDP from those files without ever touching Kindle Create. Another is to use Kindle Create for a quick Amazon-only test book and switch to a paid tool once the series grows. You can also export a Word file from Atticus and import it elsewhere if you change your mind later. Moving between tools usually means re-applying styles and checking every chapter, so it is easier to choose well at the start.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Importing a messy manuscript. Manual line breaks, tabs for indents and extra blank lines confuse every formatter. Use proper paragraph styles and clean the file first.
• Formatting before editing is finished. Late edits mean reformatting. Lock the text after proofreading, which is covered in the self-editor’s guide.
• Choosing Kindle Create and then going wide. KPF files cannot be used by other stores, so you may end up formatting the same book twice.
• Skipping the print proof. Screen previews do not show how margins, gutter and font size feel in the hand.
• Ignoring trim size. Set the paperback trim size before formatting. Changing it later reflows every page.
• Buying for features you will not use. If you never plan to print, an ebook-only option or tool may be enough.

A quick pre-export checklist

1. Manuscript fully edited and proofread.
2. Chapter headings consistently styled in the source file.
3. Scene breaks marked the same way throughout.
4. Front matter (title page, copyright page) and back matter (also-by, about the author, newsletter invitation) complete.
5. ISBNs assigned where needed; see ISBN explained for when you need one.
6. Paperback trim size chosen and matching your cover template.
7. Ebook checked in Kindle Previewer and at least one other reader app.
8. Print proof ordered and reviewed before going live.

Where formatting fits in the bigger process

Formatting is one of the last steps before release, after editing and alongside cover design. If you are planning your first book, the publishing timeline guide shows where it falls and how long to allow. If you are deciding where to print, KDP vs IngramSpark explains how the platform you choose affects the files you need.

Sources this guide draws on: the Vellum and Atticus product and pricing pages, Amazon KDP Help pages on Kindle Create (Getting Started with Kindle Create, Prepare Reflowable and Print Books with Kindle Create, Prepare Comic and Kids’ eBooks with Kindle Create), and the Draft2Digital FAQ, all checked in October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is Vellum available for Windows?

No. Vellum runs only on macOS (version 13 or newer at the time of writing). Windows users sometimes use a rented cloud Mac, but most choose Atticus or another cross-platform formatter instead.

Is Atticus as good as Vellum?

For most novels, both produce professional ebooks and paperbacks. Vellum is generally considered more polished by default, while Atticus offers more design freedom, a built-in writing space and support for non-Mac computers. Vellum is free to download and try before you pay; Atticus has no free trial but offered a 30-day money-back guarantee at the time of writing, so test it with your own manuscript within that window.

Is Kindle Create good enough for a paperback?

For a simple novel sold only on Amazon, it can be. Amazon’s help pages confirm it still prepares paperbacks from the same project as the ebook, but its print output is a KPF file for KDP only, with limited control over fonts and margins, so it is not suitable if you also want to print through IngramSpark or other printers.

Can I upload a Vellum or Atticus file to KDP?

Yes. KDP accepts EPUB files (among other formats) for ebooks and PDF files for paperback interiors, which are exactly what Vellum and Atticus produce. You do not need Kindle Create to publish on Amazon.

Do I need formatting software at all?

Not always. A carefully styled Word document can be converted by KDP or an aggregator such as Draft2Digital, whose conversion and layout tools are free to use and, according to its FAQ, let you download the EPUB or print PDF even if you do not distribute through it. Dedicated software becomes worthwhile when you publish regularly, want a distinctive look, or need print files for several printers.

Which is best for a book with lots of images or tables?

None of the three is ideal. Picture books, cookbooks and complex non-fiction usually suit layout software or a professional formatter, with Kindle Create’s fixed-layout option an Amazon-only fallback.

If you are on a Mac and want the best-looking result for the least effort, Vellum is the usual answer. If you are on any other computer, or want one app for writing and formatting, Atticus is the natural choice. If you are testing one book on Amazon with no budget, Kindle Create will do the job, as long as you accept that its files stay on Amazon. Run your own manuscript through whichever you shortlist, check the output on a real device, and pick the tool you will be happy to use for every book that follows.