Authors look for a Vellum alternative when the Mac requirement is the obstacle, when a licence of $199.99 or $249.99 is more than a first book justifies, or when they want to edit an existing file instead of typesetting a manuscript. Most move to a cross-platform formatter, a free browser studio, or an EPUB editor.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderShort answer: The first three places are kept for challengers when the category has enough of them; the best-known brands come after that, in ranked order. For Vellum users, the top three picks from our ebook creation software ranking are Atticus, Reedsy Studio and Jutoh. Pick Atticus if you need the same job on Windows or Linux for a lower one-off sum. The 10 entries that follow are all ranked in Best Ebook Creation Software in 2026; each one explains what sets it apart from Vellum.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
Vellum's home page says it is only available for Mac and asks for macOS 14 or newer. Vellum's own help centre explains how Windows users can rent a cloud Mac by the hour to run it, which works but adds a second account and a manual file transfer. A Windows or Linux author usually compares native tools first.
Vellum Ebooks costs $199.99 and Vellum Press, which adds paperbacks, costs $249.99, both before tax and both one-off. An author who only needs an EPUB for a first release must still weigh that outlay, and anyone who later wants print has to consider the dearer edition. The download itself is free to try.
The purchasing FAQ says a licence is tied to an individual and cannot be shared with a co-worker or assistant. It can be restored on a second computer you own. Small teams, ghostwriters or editors who format for several authors may prefer tools with another licensing model, or a browser tool that any device can open.
| Alternative | Headquarters | Free option | Pricing model | Switch if | Our rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atticus | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | Published | you need the same job on Windows or Linux for a lower one-off sum | #1 |
| Reedsy Studio | Not stated by the vendor | Yes | Published | you want to typeset without paying anything up front | #4 |
| Jutoh | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | See profile | you write on Linux or Windows and want an installed program without a subscription | #3 |
| Papyrus Author | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | Published | you want the writing tool and the formatter in one purchase across two systems | #8 |
| Draft2Digital | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | See profile | you want one account that formats the book and then sends it to stores | #7 |
| Sigil | Not stated by the vendor | Yes | Published | you already have an EPUB and want to hand-tune its internal files | #6 |
| Calibre E-book | India | Yes | Published | your problem is converting or tidying existing ebook files, not styling a manuscript | #5 |
| Blurb BookWright | Not stated by the vendor | Yes | See profile | a printed photo or illustrated book matters more than an EPUB | #10 |
| Scrivener | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | See profile | the book is still being drafted and structure matters more than finished styling | #11 |
| Designrr | Not stated by the vendor | No free tier | Published | you turn blog posts or documents into ebooks and accept a monthly fee | #9 |
Not stated by the vendor · Published
Atticus asks $147 once for ebook and print and states there are no monthly fees. Running as a Progressive Web App, it opens on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, online or offline, with automatic cloud save. Seventeen templates and a theme builder feed EPUB, PDF and DOCX export. Version control is still marked Coming Soon.
Switch from Vellum if you need the same job on Windows or Linux for a lower one-off sum.
Not stated by the vendor · Published
Reedsy Studio is a browser editor whose core is free, covering manuscript import, EPUB and PDF export, unlimited books and any number of devices. The free tier keeps 30 days of history and one manuscript goal. Craft and Outlining add-ons carry a 30-day trial without a card, while their prices are not shown on the pages we read.
Switch from Vellum if you want to typeset without paying anything up front.
Reedsy Studio comes 4 of 11 when ebook creation software products are ranked here →
Not stated by the vendor · See profile
Anthemion Software's Jutoh installs on Windows, Mac and Linux and says there is no subscription and no cap on books. Word, ODT, ePub or text files can be imported and split into chapters, then exported as Kindle or ePub 2 and 3. A built-in ePub check adds accessibility advice. A demo exists; the price is not shown.
Switch from Vellum if you write on Linux or Windows and want an installed program without a subscription.
Check Jutoh in the ranked list (3 out of 11, ebook creation software) →
Not stated by the vendor · Published
Papyrus Author 12 is a perpetual licence at 349, billed once, with the currency not shown, for up to three personal devices on Windows and macOS. Its Book Designer formats a manuscript in one step, while Story Sheets and Thinkboards help plan the book. No trial and no ebook file format are listed.
Switch from Vellum if you want the writing tool and the formatter in one purchase across two systems.
Full verdict on Papyrus Author, which sits at number 8 of 11 for ebook creation software →
Not stated by the vendor · See profile
Draft2Digital joins formatting to distribution. EPUB download and the formatting tools work before activation, but publishing needs a one-time activation fee whose amount is not stated, with yearly maintenance waived in year one. Books reach major retailers, library partners and hundreds of storefronts. The company is a distributor first and a layout program second.
Switch from Vellum if you want one account that formats the book and then sends it to stores.
Where Draft2Digital stands: place 7 of 11 in the ebook creation software ranking →
Not stated by the vendor · Published
Sigil is a free EPUB editor built on Qt6 and QtWebEngine, handling both ePub 2 and ePub 3. PageEdit, a WYSIWYG XHTML companion, sits beside it. You work on the book's internal files directly. Help comes through the mobileread forums and a plugin index. Sigil edits finished EPUB books; it does not lay out print.
Switch from Vellum if you already have an EPUB and want to hand-tune its internal files.
India · Published
Calibre is developed by Kovid Goyal in Mumbai and offered free, with voluntary contributions suggested from $5. It manages a library, converts dozens of file types, views major formats and edits EPUB and Kindle files. Think of it as a workshop for files that exist already, which is a different job from setting a manuscript's chapters and styles.
Switch from Vellum if your problem is converting or tidying existing ebook files, not styling a manuscript.
Read our review of Calibre E-book (position 5 of 11 on the ebook creation software list) →
Not stated by the vendor · See profile
BookWright costs nothing as a download with a Blurb account, and runs offline on Windows 7, 8, 10 or macOS 10.13 and newer. Text Flow imports RTF and Smart Image Handling places pictures. Money changes hands when a book goes to print, with no exact price shown. The page read names no ebook file format.
Switch from Vellum if a printed photo or illustrated book matters more than an EPUB.
See the full Blurb BookWright entry, ranked 10 of 11 among ebook creation software products →
Not stated by the vendor · See profile
Scrivener, from Literature & Latte Ltd, is a drafting workspace sold as separate licences for macOS, Windows and iOS, with prices behind the buy links. A split editor holds up to four documents, and Write Anywhere syncs between devices. The overview says nothing about ebook output, so test its export options first.
Switch from Vellum if the book is still being drafted and structure matters more than finished styling.
Check Scrivener in the ranked list (11 out of 11, ebook creation software) →
Not stated by the vendor · Published
Designrr bills monthly in dollars: Standard $29, Pro $39, Premium $49, Business $99 and Agency Premium $249. It imports web pages, Word, Google Docs and PDF, and names Wordgenie AI and a 3D cover tool. Kindle, iBooks and ePub export begins at Pro. PageOneTraffic Ltd is the company behind it.
Switch from Vellum if you turn blog posts or documents into ebooks and accept a monthly fee.
Designrr comes 9 of 11 when ebook creation software products are ranked here →
Atticus: It runs in a browser as an installable app on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook for $147 once.
Reedsy Studio: The core studio is free, with manuscript import and EPUB and PDF export.
Jutoh: It installs on Windows, Mac and Linux, with Word import and a built-in ePub check.
Draft2Digital: EPUB download works before activation, while publishing needs a one-time fee whose amount is not stated.
Sigil: It is a free editor for ePub 2 and 3 with a WYSIWYG companion.
Vellum remains the right choice for a Mac author who wants a polished result with little fuss. It builds the title page and contents, applies one style to every chapter, previews on devices and in print, and generates ebooks and paperbacks together. The licence is one-off with free updates, no time limit on the free trial, and a 30-day refund. If you own a Mac, compare cost against how many books you will publish before leaving.
Vellum imports a manuscript and builds the book around it, so keep your original Word or text file as the master. Re-import it into the new tool, and expect to re-apply chapter headings, ornaments and front and back matter, since Vellum styles will not travel with the file.
Vellum produces PDF/X-1a with 24 trim sizes and handles margins, headers and widow control automatically. A new tool may set these differently, so order a proof copy before approving, and confirm that the trim size matches your printer or retailer account.
Books already live on stores keep working. Upload the new EPUB as an update only after you have previewed it on the devices your readers use and run it through the tool's own validation.
The site lists Vellum Ebooks at $199.99 and Vellum Press, with paperbacks, at $249.99, tax not included. Both are one-time purchases, and the help centre says updates are free.
The software downloads free and has no time limit. You can import, style and preview a book, but you cannot generate publishing files until you buy a licence, and a refund is possible within 30 days of purchase.
Not natively. The help centre describes renting a Mac in the cloud and mentions plans from $1 an hour. Windows authors who want an installed program usually look at Atticus, Jutoh or Papyrus Author.
Reedsy Studio has a free core with EPUB and PDF export. Sigil and Calibre are free and open source, though they edit and convert existing files and do not typeset a manuscript the way Vellum does.
No. The purchasing FAQ says a licence is tied to one person. You may format books for other authors with it, and restore it onto a second computer you own.
Vellum's page cites ACE-approved accessible output. Jutoh says its ePub check includes accessibility advice. For others, confirm what the vendor states before relying on it.
Founder of The Knowledge Engineers and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Editorially responsible for every page on this site; research and drafting are AI-assisted.
Written, edited and fact-checked by Sebastiaan Smits. Last reviewed 8 November 2026. How we review.
