Vellum vs Atticus: Which Book Formatter Should You Use?

The Formatting Decision Every Indie Author Faces

At some point in every self-publishing journey, the manuscript is finished, the cover is ready, and one question remains: how do you turn a Word document into a beautifully formatted ebook and print book without hiring a professional formatter?

For years, Vellum was the undisputed answer. It produced gorgeous output, worked seamlessly, and became the default recommendation in every indie author community. Then Atticus arrived — promising the same quality at a lower price, on every operating system, with a built-in word processor to boot.

So which one should you choose in 2025? We have used both at Taciturn Studios, and this comparison covers everything that matters.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Vellum	Atticus
Price	$249.99 (ebook + print)	$147 (all-in-one)
Platform	Mac only	Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook
Fonts	26	1,500+
Chapter themes	26	17+ (custom builder included)
Cloud backup	No (local only)	Yes (automatic)
Collaboration	No	Yes
Word processor	Basic	Full-featured
Nonfiction headings (H2–H6)	No	Yes
Callout boxes	No	Yes
Footnotes	Endnotes only	Both footnotes and endnotes
Free trial	Free to use, pay to export	30-day money-back guarantee

Pricing: Atticus Wins Clearly

Vellum charges $199.99 for ebook-only formatting and $249.99 for the combined ebook and print package. Given that print formatting is essential for most authors publishing on KDP Print or IngramSpark, the $249.99 figure is the realistic price of entry.

Atticus charges a single flat fee of $147 — and that includes both ebook and print formatting, plus the built-in word processor, cloud backup, and collaboration tools. That is a saving of over $100 for a more capable product.

Vellum does offer a free download that lets you explore the software before committing, which is a genuine advantage for authors who want to test before buying. Atticus counters with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which achieves a similar outcome.

For budget-conscious authors, or anyone publishing their first book, the price difference is significant. Atticus is the clear winner on cost.

Platform Availability: A Deal-Breaker for Windows Users

This is the most important practical difference between the two tools. Vellum is Mac-only. It is built on a coding framework that does not support Windows, and the company has publicly stated they have no plans to change this. Windows users who want to use Vellum must either purchase a Mac or pay for a cloud Mac service such as Mac in Cloud — an awkward and expensive workaround.

Atticus works on every major platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebook. Because it is built as a progressive web app (PWA), it can also run in any browser, meaning you can access your work from any computer without reinstalling the software.

If you are a Windows user, this comparison effectively ends here. Atticus is your only practical choice between the two.

Design Quality: Vellum's Strongest Argument

This is where Vellum earns its reputation. The output from Vellum is exceptionally polished. The chapter themes are elegant, the typography is refined, and the ebooks look professional on every device and retailer. Authors who have used Vellum for years often describe the output as simply beautiful in a way that is difficult to quantify but immediately recognisable.

Atticus has improved significantly in this area and now offers 17 built-in themes with a custom chapter theme builder that Vellum only recently introduced in a limited form. With over 1,500 fonts available, Atticus actually offers far more design flexibility than Vellum's 26 fonts. The ability to choose a genre-appropriate font for chapter headings — a gothic serif for horror, an elegant script for romance — is a genuine creative advantage.

The honest assessment is that Vellum has a slight edge in the default visual quality of its output, but Atticus has a wider ceiling for customisation. For most authors, the difference in final output quality is minimal.

Nonfiction Formatting: Atticus Wins Decisively

If you are writing non-fiction — whether that is a self-help book, a history, a how-to guide, or an academic work — Atticus is the better tool by a considerable margin.

Vellum was designed primarily with fiction in mind. It supports only a single level of subheading, which means non-fiction authors must use workarounds like bold text to simulate H3 and H4 headings. It lacks callout boxes, and while it supports endnotes, it does not support footnotes — a significant limitation for academic or reference works.

Atticus supports the full H2 through H6 heading hierarchy, with individual style control for each level. It includes callout boxes for highlighted quotes and key points. It supports both footnotes and endnotes. For any author writing structured non-fiction, these are not minor conveniences — they are essential features.

The Word Processor

Atticus includes a full word processor, which means you can write, edit, and format your book entirely within one application. It includes writing goal tracking, daily word count targets, ProWritingAid integration for editing, and collaboration tools that allow you to work with a co-author or editor in real time.

Vellum is a formatting tool only. You write in Scrivener or Word, then import your manuscript into Vellum for formatting. This is a perfectly reasonable workflow, but it means Vellum serves a narrower purpose.

For authors who want a single tool that covers the entire process from first draft to formatted output, Atticus is the more complete solution.

Cloud Storage and Collaboration

Atticus automatically backs up your work to the cloud with every save. If your computer fails, your manuscript is safe. You can also access your work from any device by logging in through a browser.

Vellum stores files locally only. There is no native cloud backup. You can manually save Vellum project files to a cloud service like Dropbox or iCloud, but this requires deliberate action and is not automatic.

Atticus also supports real-time collaboration, allowing you to share a project with a co-author or editor. Vellum has no collaboration feature.

Our Verdict

Both tools produce professional results, and either will serve you well for basic ebook and print formatting. The choice comes down to your situation.

Choose Vellum if you are already on a Mac with an existing licence, you prioritise the most polished default output with minimal configuration, or you have a simple fiction workflow with no need for advanced nonfiction features.

Choose Atticus if you are on Windows, Linux, or Chromebook; you want a single tool for writing and formatting; you are writing non-fiction and need proper heading hierarchy, callout boxes, or footnotes; you want cloud backup and collaboration built in; or you simply want to save over $100.

At Taciturn Studios, we use Vellum for our existing Mac-based workflow, and we recommend Atticus to any author starting fresh — particularly those on Windows or writing non-fiction. The value proposition is simply stronger.

Try Them Yourself

Vellum — Download free, pay to export (affiliate link)
Atticus — 30-day money-back guarantee at atticus.io
Scrivener — The best tool for writing your manuscript first (affiliate link)

Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we have used ourselves.