Is there a Vellum for Windows?

No. Vellum only runs on a Mac, and its help pages say there are no plans for a native Windows version. Vellum suggests renting a Mac in the cloud and connecting to it from your PC. Familiar runs in the browser, so it works on Windows without a remote Mac.

What is the best Vellum alternative for Windows?

It depends on what you want to pay and how you write. Atticus runs on Windows and is a one-time purchase that includes a writing editor. Reedsy Studio is free and runs in the browser, with fewer design choices. Familiar runs in the browser with more control over print output, for a monthly price. We compare Familiar with each of them on separate pages.

Is Familiar cheaper than Vellum?

Not if formatting is all you need. Vellum Press is a one-time $249.99 and Vellum Ebooks $199.99, while Familiar’s Author plan is $15 a month or $150 a year. Familiar’s plan also includes an author page, ARC campaigns and AI credits, which Vellum does not offer.

Can I move a book I formatted in Vellum to Familiar?

Yes. Export the book from Vellum as a Word file (File, Export Content As, Word File) and upload it to Familiar. Your text and structure come across. Vellum’s styling does not, so you pick a template and design in Familiar.

Does Familiar make Kindle files?

Familiar exports an EPUB 3, and Amazon accepts EPUB for Kindle ebooks, so there is no separate Kindle file to make. The same EPUB works for Apple Books, Kobo and other stores.

Does Familiar work offline?

No. Familiar is a web app, so you need an internet connection to format and export. Your books are saved in your account rather than on one computer.

For authors

Vellum alternativeBook formatting that runs on Windows, not just a Mac

Vellum is a well-made formatter, but it only runs on a Mac. Familiar runs in your web browser, so you can turn a Word manuscript into a print-ready PDF and an EPUB on whichever computer you write on.

Get started See book formatting

Nothing to install
Windows, Mac, Linux or Chromebook
From $15 a month

The Moth Orchard · Trade paperback

Fantasy template

Chapter titlesCinzel

BodyCardo, 11 pt

Scene breaksRule with Diamond

Trim6 × 9 in

Export · manuscript v5

Print PDFEPUB 3Proof PDFGalley DOCX

Familiar and Vellum at a glance

Vellum is a Mac app for formatting ebooks and print books, and plenty of indie authors swear by it. If you write on a Windows PC, the route Vellum’s own help pages suggest is to rent a Mac in the cloud and run Vellum over remote desktop.

Familiar is a different kind of tool: a web app where formatting is one part of a publishing platform. We make Familiar, so read this with that in mind. We have tried to be fair about where Vellum is the better pick.

Runs on: Familiar: A web browser on Windows, Mac, Linux or a Chromebook; Vellum: Mac only, macOS 13 or newer
On a Windows PC: Familiar: Open it in your browser; Vellum: Rent a remote Mac (Vellum’s help suggests MacinCloud)
Price: Familiar: Author plan, $15 a month or $150 a year. Publisher plans from $39 a month; Vellum: One-time purchase: $199.99 for Vellum Ebooks, $249.99 for Vellum Press (ebooks and paperbacks)
Updates: Familiar: Included in the plan; Vellum: Free
Trying it first: Familiar: No free tier; Vellum: Free download; you pay when you generate files
Manuscript import: Familiar: Word (.docx), RTF or Markdown; Vellum: Word (.docx)
Ebook files: Familiar: One EPUB 3, which Amazon accepts for Kindle; Vellum: A file for each store (Kindle, Apple, Kobo), plus generic EPUB
Print files: Familiar: PDF/X-1a print PDF with optional bleed, checked by a print preflight; Vellum: Print interior PDF, with Vellum Press
Trim sizes: Familiar: 35 presets, or a custom size; Vellum: A built-in list, including mass market and large print sizes
Designs: Familiar: 21 templates, plus your own saved house templates; Vellum: Dozens of built-in style options
Fonts: Familiar: 31 bundled, or upload your own .otf or .ttf files; Vellum: Chosen from Vellum’s built-in print fonts
For your editor: Familiar: Proof PDF with line numbers, and an editable galley DOCX; Vellum: Export the book’s content as a Word file
Sharing: Familiar: Unlimited logins on every plan; Vellum: A license belongs to one person and can’t be shared

Feature	Familiar	Vellum
Runs on	A web browser on Windows, Mac, Linux or a Chromebook	Mac only, macOS 13 or newer
On a Windows PC	Open it in your browser	Rent a remote Mac (Vellum’s help suggests MacinCloud)
Price	Author plan, $15 a month or $150 a year. Publisher plans from $39 a month	One-time purchase: $199.99 for Vellum Ebooks, $249.99 for Vellum Press (ebooks and paperbacks)
Updates	Included in the plan	Free
Trying it first	No free tier	Free download; you pay when you generate files
Manuscript import	Word (.docx), RTF or Markdown	Word (.docx)
Ebook files	One EPUB 3, which Amazon accepts for Kindle	A file for each store (Kindle, Apple, Kobo), plus generic EPUB
Print files	PDF/X-1a print PDF with optional bleed, checked by a print preflight	Print interior PDF, with Vellum Press
Trim sizes	35 presets, or a custom size	A built-in list, including mass market and large print sizes
Designs	21 templates, plus your own saved house templates	Dozens of built-in style options
Fonts	31 bundled, or upload your own .otf or .ttf files	Chosen from Vellum’s built-in print fonts
For your editor	Proof PDF with line numbers, and an editable galley DOCX	Export the book’s content as a Word file
Sharing	Unlimited logins on every plan	A license belongs to one person and can’t be shared

Last checked October 2026, against Vellum’s own website and help pages (listed under Sources below). Prices are in US dollars and exclude tax. Plans and features change, so confirm anything that matters to you on Vellum’s site.

Where Vellum is the better choice

Some writers are better served by it, and we would rather say so here than have you find out later.

You pay once
Vellum Press is $249.99 once, with free updates. That is about 17 months of Familiar’s Author plan billed monthly, or 20 months billed annually. If formatting is the only thing you need, Vellum costs less over a few years.
You can try everything before you buy
Vellum’s download is free. You can import your manuscript, try the styles and preview the book for as long as you like, and only pay when you generate the files. Familiar has no free tier.
A file for each store
Vellum generates separate ebook files for Kindle, Apple Books and Kobo, plus a generic EPUB for aggregators. Familiar makes one EPUB 3 for every store.
Box sets
Vellum has a guided workflow for combining several full books into one box set, each kept as its own volume. Familiar formats collections and anthologies, but has no box-set feature.

Where Familiar is different

Any computer, nothing to install
Familiar runs in the browser on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebooks. Your books live in your account, so you can start on a desktop and finish on a laptop. It does need an internet connection.
Print checks before you upload
The print PDF is PDF/X-1a, with bleed if you need it. A preflight checks page count, margins, gutter, embedded fonts and PDF/X before you download, and every one of the 35 trim sizes is marked with the printers that offer it. You can also set a custom size.
Your own fonts
Choose from 31 bundled fonts, or upload OpenType or TrueType files you have licensed. Uploaded fonts work in every template you save.
Proofs and revisions
Send your proofreader a PDF with numbered lines, so corrections come back as “page 112, line 9”. Each edition is pinned to a manuscript version, and shows when a newer manuscript is waiting.
Bring your editor or co-author
Every plan includes unlimited logins, so the people you work with get their own accounts instead of sharing yours, and nobody buys a second license.
More than formatting
The Author plan also includes an author page with links to every store, private ARC campaigns and monthly AI credits for manuscript evaluation.

Which one should you use?

Choose Vellum if

You write on a Mac, you would rather pay once than every month, and formatting is the only publishing tool you need. Vellum is good at what it does, and the free download lets you find out before you spend anything.

Choose Familiar if

You write on Windows or a Chromebook, you want to format from more than one computer, or you would use the author page, ARC campaigns and editorial tools that come in the same plan.

Moving a book from Vellum to Familiar

Export from Vellum
In Vellum, choose File, then Export Content As, then Word File. The file keeps your text, front and back matter and chapter structure.
Upload to Familiar
Add the Word file to a book. Familiar finds the chapters, scene breaks and front matter.
Pick a template and trim
Start from one of 21 templates, choose your trim size and adjust the design in the live preview.
Check and export
Run the print preflight, then download the print PDF and the EPUB.

Vellum’s Word export carries your content, not its styling, so you choose the design again in Familiar.

Familiar vs Vellum FAQ

More comparisons

Or see everything Familiar’s formatting does on the book formatting page.

Sources

What this page says about Vellum comes from these pages, last checked October 2026.

Format your next book in the browser

Bring a Word manuscript and export a print PDF and an EPUB from the same design. Plans start at $15 a month, with formatting unlimited on every plan.

Get started See pricing

Vellum alternativeBook formatting that runs on Windows, not just a Mac

Familiar and Vellum at a glance

Where Vellum is the better choice

You pay once

You can try everything before you buy

A file for each store

Box sets

Where Familiar is different

Any computer, nothing to install

Print checks before you upload

Your own fonts

Proofs and revisions

Bring your editor or co-author

More than formatting