Vellum for Windows? The Alternatives That Actually Run on Windows

There is no native Vellum for Windows: Vellum's page lists macOS 14 or newer only, as of 2026-11-08. The documented Windows options are Atticus, Scrivener, Kindle Create, Reedsy Studio (in a browser), Draft2Digital's free formatting and Word with KDP's templates, plus a workaround Vellum itself describes: renting a cloud Mac. This page filters by stated system support and output; it does not rank output quality.

What each tool documents for Windows

Scrivener, Kindle Create and InDesign state a minimum Windows version. Atticus is built as a Progressive Web App, and Reedsy Studio and Draft2Digital run through the web, a difference that matters if your connection is unreliable.

Affinity Publisher is not in the table. A book-production firm's guide describes it as a free Windows layout tool without EPUB export, but Affinity's own site returned an unsupported-browser notice to our automated read, so treat that as an unconfirmed report and check it yourself.

Filter by what you need to produce

Running on Windows only gets a tool onto the list. The output decides whether it can replace Vellum for your book.

For print limits at KDP, including how bleed changes page size, see our print formatting checklist.

Five questions that narrow the list

Answer these in order and cross out tools as you go.

1. Will you sell outside Amazon? If yes, drop Kindle Create, since Amazon's page lists publishing outside Kindle as unsupported.
2. Does anything reach the page edge? KDP requires a PDF for bleed. Kindle Create's EPUB lacks image bleeds, and Reedsy Studio and Scrivener do not state bleed on the pages read, so check before relying on them.
3. Is the print interior in color? If yes, drop Draft2Digital, whose FAQ limits print to black and white.
4. Do you need to work without internet? If yes, drop Reedsy Studio. Atticus's page says it works online and offline, but Reedsy's own comparison, from September 9, 2025, says importing and exporting still need a connection. Reedsy is a rival there and we have not checked it, so use Atticus's 30-day guarantee to confirm.
5. Do you want to pay nothing? Reedsy Studio's core and Draft2Digital's conversion and layout tools are listed as free (see below for D2D's account fees). KDP's Kindle Create page states no price, so check it before assuming it costs nothing.

Which Windows option for which author

• One purchase, writes and formats: Atticus. Read the Atticus review. Atticus's home page, as read on 2026-11-08, has a "Founder of Kindlepreneur & Publisher Rocket" line without naming a person; the co-founder claim comes from Kindlepreneur's own Atticus review alone. Kindlepreneur's Vellum alternatives page puts Atticus first and calls it "the tool I co-founded", so read that ranking accordingly. See Atticus.
• Free and browser-based: Reedsy Studio. See Atticus vs Reedsy Studio.
• Already drafting in Scrivener: use its Compile; see the Scrivener review.
• Selling mainly on Amazon: Kindle Create is Amazon's own tool, but KPF is built for Amazon, its EPUB option is reflowable only, and Amazon's page lists publishing outside Kindle as unsupported.
• Planning to use Draft2Digital anyway: its FAQ says conversion and layout tools are free even without ebook distribution.
• Comfortable in Word: KDP's templates set page size and margins for you, and the page-count limits still apply.

The Vellum-on-Windows workaround, priced

Renting a Mac keeps Vellum available, but it costs more than Atticus before any rental time. Vellum's help page names MacinCloud and quotes its pay-as-you-go tier "as low as $1 USD per hour". It notes that Vellum is pre-installed on most of those Macs, that the Vellum licence is bought separately, that MacinCloud staff handle Vellum updates (so your version may lag), and that you lose access to the remote Mac if the account lapses, so keep backups on your PC. Vellum says that a licence can move to a Mac you buy later through a Restore request.

Labelled estimate from listed numbers: ten hours at the quoted floor rate is $10, so Press would be about $259.99 against Atticus at $147, a gap of about $113. The real rental rate may be higher than the "as low as" figure. With no rental at all, Press is still $102.99 more than Atticus ($249.99 − $147) and Ebooks $52.99 more, so renting makes sense only if you want Vellum's features, not to save money. Vellum's page lets you download free and build, style and preview a book before buying, and it lists 24 trim sizes plus large print, full-bleed pages, PDF/X-1a output and ACE-approved accessible files. Check any of those you depend on against the alternative's own documentation, because we make no claim that another tool matches them.

Switching costs and lock-in

Text moves between tools through DOCX, so the cost of switching is re-applying styles, not retyping. Atticus imports DOCX, Kindle Create imports DOC, DOCX and PDF, and Draft2Digital accepts Word files and also RTF, ODT and TXT per its FAQ. Scrivener lists Word among its Compile outputs. None of the pages says its project file opens elsewhere, so keep an up-to-date Word copy of your manuscript whichever tool you pick. Scrivener licences are per platform: per Scrivener's FAQ as captured in an earlier reading (the FAQ could not be re-read on 2026-11-08), a macOS licence will not unlock the Windows version, and a household licence covers machines you own where you are the primary user.

Scrivener trial and Compile

Scrivener's store page offers a free trial, and, per Scrivener's FAQ as captured in an earlier reading (the FAQ could not be re-read on 2026-11-08), the trial is the full version for 30 days of use, counted by days you open it, not calendar days. The Windows Standard edition shows only a "Buy now" button, so check the price there.

Kindle Create limits to know

Amazon's page says reflowable books cannot edit tables, lists or footnotes in the tool, and lists cover formatting as unsupported. EPUB output lacks some features such as image bleeds and drop caps taller than three lines. Amazon says print preview with headers and page numbers is available after uploading to KDP. The page does not state a price.

Draft2Digital print limits to know

Per its FAQ, Draft2Digital's print output is black-and-white perfect-bound paperback in listed trim sizes (5 x 8 up to 8.5 x 11), with 32 to 1,050 pages. Fees: a $20 one-time activation fee and $12 per year for accounts earning under $100 in book sales a year, and its tools can be used without distributing.

Downsides

Each option trades something. Atticus is another all-in-one app, and its Progressive Web App setup is not a conventional Windows program. Reedsy Studio requires a browser and an account. Kindle Create targets Amazon. Scrivener is a writing app first. Draft2Digital's print is black-and-white only. Word leaves the layout work to you. InDesign requires learning a general layout program. None replaces Vellum feature for feature, and we make no claim about visual output.

If you plan an audiobook

Your export needs a proper table of contents. For Google Play's auto-narration, the policy page asks for an .epub, uploaded or taken from your Partner Center account, and you must own the audiobook rights; see also the Learning Center page. KDP's Virtual Voice beta, invite-only, requires a reflowable title with an NCX or Kindle Interactive table of contents. See prepare a manuscript for AI narration.

For a wider view see best book formatting software and the formatting software hub.

Last verified 2026-11-08. Rules and prices change: check the linked primary page before you rely on this.