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Vellum Review: Price, Features and Score

Vellum: Mac app that turns a Word manuscript into styled ebooks and print PDFs. $199.99 one-time, on Mac. We did not test it; the facts come from its own pages.

Prices and data checked October 7, 2026 · Author Score computed by a published formula, not paid for

Vellum on the BookBird Author Score

Author Score · book formatting · #4 of 13 ·

Best for: Mac-based authors formatting many books for a one-time price

BookBird Author Score8.6/10 #4 of 13 book formatting. Worked out from Vellum’s own pages, its price and US searches for its name, not typed in. Author jobs50 pts50/50Each of the 8 author jobs on the book formatting list is worth an equal share of 50 points, and counts only when Vellum’s own pages confirm it. 8 of 8 confirmed = 50 points. A job the vendor does not mention earns nothing.Cost25 pts20.5/25Vellum costs $66.66 a year on its cheapest plan. Free earns 25 points; the dearest book formatting product with a US price, Designrr at $297 a year, keeps 5; prices in between fall in a straight line. $66.66 = 20.5 points.Adoption25 pts15.7/25Searches, 20 points: 320 a month for “vellum book formatting”, against Adobe InDesign, the most searched in this category (22,200), on a log scale = 11.5. Trend, 5 points: up 34% (last three months against the first three of the year) = 4.2; a fall of half or more earns 0, no change 2.5, a rise of half or more 5. 86.2 of 100 points= 8.6 out of 10 The full method, with every product’s points →

Author jobs, from Vellum’s own pages

  • Yes: EPUB for ebook stores
  • Yes: Print-ready PDF in KDP trim sizes
  • Yes: Ready-made book designs
  • Yes: Device and print preview
  • Yes: Imports a Word file
  • Yes: Front and back matter
  • Yes: Full-bleed images
  • Yes: Several editions from one file

Vellum pricing

One-time licence. Plans, in US dollars:

  • Vellum Ebooks: $199.99 one-time (unlimited ebooks)
  • Vellum Press: $249.99 one-time (unlimited ebooks and paperbacks)
  • Upgrade Ebooks to Press: $69.99 one-time

Free download to build, style and preview; purchase needed to generate files. Price excludes tax. 30-day refund.

What Vellum offers

  • Imports any .docx, including from Scrivener and Pages
  • Store-specific ebooks for Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books
  • 24 trim sizes plus large print; paperback or hardcover
  • Automatic margins, headers, page numbers, widow handling
  • Book Styles with drop caps, ornaments, embedded fonts
  • Live preview on devices and in print
  • Full-bleed pages and backgrounds
  • Box sets from a finished series

Runs on: Mac. Exports: EPUB 3, EPUB 2, MOBI (ARCs) and PDF (print, PDF/X-1a).

Vellum alternatives

SoftwareScorePrice fromBest for
Draft2Digital Formatter9.0Free planAuthors wanting free EPUB and paperback PDF, publishing wide or not
Atticus8.9$147 one-timeSelf-publishers who write and format in one app, any OS
Kindle Create8.6FreeKDP authors wanting free, simple formatting for text-heavy books
Bookow7.4$80 one-timeAuthors wanting a typeset KDP-ready interior per book, no software
Reedsy Studio6.9Free plan; paid from $52.99 a year (add-on)Authors wanting free typesetting and real-time editor collaboration

Compare: Atticus vs Vellum · All book formatting · All software for authors

How the score is computed: the formula, step by step.