Part of the AI writing assistant guide
A Vellum alternative for authors who are not on a Mac
Vellum makes some of the cleanest book interiors you can buy, but it is a Mac app and the price is paid up front. AIWriteBook runs in any browser and takes a book from the first chapter to a print PDF and EPUB. Here is what each costs over five years, which devices each runs on, and how to move a manuscript across.
What formatting costs over five years
Vellum is a one-time purchase. AIWriteBook is a plan you can hold for a year or switch on for one month around a launch. Totals below are cumulative, in US dollars, for software only.
| Option | Year 1 | Year 3 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vellum EbooksEbooks only, Mac only | $199.99 | $199.99 | $199.99 |
| Vellum PressEbooks and print, Mac only | $249.99 | $249.99 | $249.99 |
| Vellum Ebooks, then the Press upgrade$199.99 plus a $69.99 upgrade when you go to print | $269.98 | $269.98 | $269.98 |
| AIWriteBook Pro, one month per launchOne book a year, formatted in that month | $50 | $150 | $250 |
| AIWriteBook Pro, yearlyWrite, edit, format, covers and audiobooks all year | $360 | $1,080 | $1,800 |
AIWriteBook is priced for the whole book, not only the layout: the same plan writes and edits the chapters, makes the cover and records the audiobook. The Format step is on Pro, and unlocking it for a book costs 200 credits out of the plan's 5,000 monthly credits.
There is one more line Vellum's price does not show: it needs a Mac running macOS 13 or newer. If you write on Windows or a Chromebook, that is a second purchase before you format anything. Every AIWriteBook plan and pack is on the pricing page, and monthly plans can be cancelled at any time. For the full picture of what a launch costs, see self-publishing costs.
Vellum prices from vellum.pub, checked October 2026.
Which computers each one runs on
Vellum is a free download for building and previewing, but it only installs on a Mac. Atticus and AIWriteBook both run in the browser.
| Your computer | Vellum | Atticus | AIWriteBook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac on macOS 13 or newer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mac on an older macOS | No | In the browser | In the browser |
| Windows PC | No | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | No | Yes | Yes |
| Chromebook | No | Yes | Yes |
Comparing the two formatters head to head? Read Vellum vs Atticus for templates, print options and licenses.
Which one fits your next book
Both tools take a finished manuscript to a store-ready file. The difference is everything before that, and the computer you do it on.
Stay with Vellum if
- You already work on a Mac with macOS 13 or newer
- Your manuscript is finished and only needs typesetting
- You want hardcover editions or a trim outside the common sizes, which Press covers with 24 trims
- You prefer to pay once and keep the app
Choose AIWriteBook if
- You write on Windows, Linux, a Chromebook or an older Mac
- The book is not finished yet and you want help editing it or writing the rest
- You also need a cover, an audiobook in 25 voices or a translation into 37 languages
- You publish a book or two a year and would rather pay for the launch month than a license
Vellum and AIWriteBook, feature by feature
| What matters | Vellum | AIWriteBook |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Mac only, macOS 13 or newer | Any browser on Windows, Mac, Linux or a Chromebook |
| How you pay | Once: $199.99 Ebooks or $249.99 Press | Monthly or yearly plan, Format step on Pro |
| Writing the book | Bring a finished Word file | Write, rewrite and edit in the app, or import a .docx |
| Print trim sizes | 24 trims plus large print on Press, paperback or hardcover | 9 trims, with large print on 6 x 9 and 7 x 10 |
| Interior styling | Built-in book styles with live preview | 5 interior themes and 12 embedded body fonts |
| Ebook output | Ebook files tailored to each store | EPUB checked with EPUBCheck |
| Print output | Print-ready PDF on Press | PDF/X-1a interior plus a wrap cover for KDP and IngramSpark |
| Cover | Add your own cover image | AI cover in 21 art styles, or upload your own |
| Audiobook | Not included | 25 narrator voices |
Vellum details from vellum.pub, October 2026.
What changes in your workflow
With Vellum, formatting is the last stop. You write in Word or Scrivener, edit there or with an editor, then import the finished file and style it. Any late fix means going back to the source file or editing inside Vellum, and the cover, blurb and audiobook all live somewhere else.
In AIWriteBook the manuscript and the formatter are the same book. You fix a sentence in the chapter, and the next export carries it. The Format step builds front and back matter for you, and the free copyright page generator and back matter generator help you write those pages.
Not sure which trim to pick? Our guide to trim sizes explains the common ones, and how to format a book for KDP walks through the upload. Going wide to bookstores too? See how to publish on IngramSpark.
Bring your Vellum book over
Vellum builds books from Word files, so your manuscript already exists as a .docx. That is all AIWriteBook needs.
Find the Word file
Take the .docx you imported into Vellum, with any late fixes copied back in.
Import it
Upload the .docx of up to 200,000 words. Chapters are detected and your text is kept exactly as written.
Pick a theme and trim
Open the Format step, choose one of the five interior themes, a body font and your trim size, and check the proof page by page.
Export the files
Generate the print PDF, EPUB, wrap cover and DOCX, then upload them to KDP or IngramSpark.
On a new account your first fiction import is free, so you can see your book in AIWriteBook before choosing a plan. More on how it works on the manuscript import page.
Vellum vs AIWriteBook: common questions
Is there a Vellum for Windows?
No. Vellum only runs on a Mac with macOS 13 or newer. AIWriteBook runs in the browser on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebooks, and exports a print PDF and EPUB from the Format step.
How much does Vellum cost?
Vellum Ebooks is $199.99 and Vellum Press, which adds print, is $249.99. Both are one-time purchases. Upgrading from Ebooks to Press later costs $69.99.
Is AIWriteBook cheaper than Vellum?
For one or two books a year, often yes: one Pro month around each launch covers formatting, and the same month also writes, edits, covers and narrates the book.
Can I bring a book I already formatted in Vellum?
Yes. Import the Word file you built the Vellum book from. AIWriteBook keeps your text as written, and you choose a new theme, font and trim in the Format step.
Does AIWriteBook make files KDP and IngramSpark accept?
Yes. It exports a PDF/X-1a print interior, a wrap cover sized for KDP and IngramSpark, and an EPUB checked with EPUBCheck.
Before you choose a formatter
- Vellum vs AtticusThe two best-known formatters compared on price, templates and print.
- AIWriteBook vs AtticusThe cross-platform formatter, compared with writing and formatting in one place.
- How to format a book for KDPTrim, margins, fonts and the upload, step by step.
- Book formatting in AIWriteBookThemes, fonts, trims and the files you get.
Format your book on the computer you already own
Import your manuscript free and see it typeset in the browser.
- Outline and first chapter free
- Print PDF, EPUB, wrap cover and DOCX from one Generate
- 25 audiobook voices
- Write in 37 languages