Vellum vs Atticus for KDP publishers
Reviewed 2026-11-09 from both vendors' own pages. Neither vendor paid to be compared.
Vellum or Atticus: which book formatting software should a KDP author buy?
Both are one-time purchases that turn a manuscript into KDP-ready ebook and print files for unlimited books. Vellum runs only on Mac and costs $199.99 for ebooks or $249.99 with print (24 trim sizes, PDF/X-1a output). Atticus costs $147, runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, and adds writing in the same app. On a Mac, choose by style and budget; on anything else, Atticus is the option of the two.
| Vellum | Atticus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.99 one-time | $147 one-time |
| Pricing details | Vellum Ebooks $199.99 (unlimited ebooks); Vellum Press $249.99 (unlimited ebooks and paperbacks). Price excludes tax. | $147 one-time for unlimited ebooks and print books, with ongoing updates. 30-day money-back guarantee. |
| Refund window | Not stated | 30 days |
| Runs on | Mac | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Makes KDP-ready files | Yes | Yes |
| What it does | Formats an imported manuscript into ebook and print files | Writing and formatting in one app |
| Print books | Vellum Press only; paperbacks and hardcovers, 24 trim sizes, PDF/X-1a output | Included; exports print PDF |
| Export formats | Ebook files and print PDF | EPUB, PDF and DOCX |
| Design control | Built-in styles; less layout control than InDesign | 17 templates and a custom theme builder |
| App type | Mac desktop app | Progressive web app that works online or offline |
| Worth knowing | Mac only; the two editions differ only in print output | Made by the founder of Kindlepreneur and Publisher Rocket, so reviews on that site are not independent |
| Listing last checked | 2026-11-09 | 2026-11-09 |
Choose Vellum if…
You write on a Mac, care most about polished fiction styles, and either only publish ebooks ($199.99) or want print and hardcover output from the same file ($249.99).
Choose Atticus if…
You use Windows, Linux or a Chromebook, want to write and format in one place, or want the lower $147 price with a 30-day refund window.
Sources
Prices change. Each side's figures come from its listing, which links the vendor page we checked. Report a change.