Last reviewed by Robert Prime — June 2026
Quick Answer: Pick Kindle Create if you want free, official, and simple, and you only care about Amazon Kindle. Pick Atticus ($147 one-off, June 2026) if you're on Windows, want to write and format in the same app, and need EPUB for wide distribution. Pick Vellum ($199.99 ebooks / $249.99 print, June 2026) if you own a Mac and want the most polished, premium-looking output. All three handle a standard novel; none of them replaces a formatting service for a cookbook or a heavily illustrated book.
Full breakdown below.
Atticus vs Vellum vs Kindle Create at a glance
| Kindle Create | Atticus | Vellum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $147 one-off | $199.99 ebook / $249.99 print |
| Platform | Windows + macOS | Windows / Mac / Linux / Chromebook (browser) | Mac only |
| Type | Formatter (Amazon) | Writer + formatter | Formatter only |
| Output | .KPF (Kindle) + paperback PDF | EPUB + print PDF | EPUB + print PDF |
| Best for | Simple, Amazon-only books | Cross-platform authors who want one app | Mac owners who want premium polish |
| Learning curve | Very low | Low–moderate | Very low |
Searching this as vellum vs atticus vs kindle create instead? Same three tools, same answer — it just depends which name you typed first.
These are the three names UK authors keep weighing up, and they're genuinely different products solving slightly different problems. Below I'll go through each one honestly, then give you a decision matrix and a plain verdict. I've formatted a lot of books over 25 years in e-commerce, including my own, Google. Panic. Repeat., so this is the comparison I'd give a friend over coffee.
Kindle Create: free, official, and deliberately simple
Kindle Create is Amazon's own free formatting app, available on Windows and macOS. You import a manuscript (typically a Word file), apply Amazon's built-in chapter and styling templates, preview it, and export.
Its output is the key thing to understand. For ebooks it produces a .KPF file (Kindle Package Format) that you upload straight to KDP — no conversion, no guesswork about whether Amazon will accept it. It also generates a paperback PDF for print. Because it's made by Amazon, the chance of an upload error from the file format itself is about as low as it gets.
The trade-off is control. Typography and design options are deliberately limited — you get tidy, readable defaults but very little say over fine details. There's a bigger catch for anyone thinking past Amazon: .KPF locks you into the Kindle ecosystem. It is not a format Apple Books, Kobo, or other retailers accept, so if you plan to go wide, Kindle Create alone won't get you there. It's also weak for poetry, illustrated books, and complex layouts, where line breaks and image placement matter.
Use Kindle Create when: your book is straightforward fiction or non-fiction, you're publishing on Amazon only (at least for now), and "free and reliable" beats "beautiful and flexible".
Atticus: write and format in one place, on any machine
Atticus is the all-rounder. At the time of writing (June 2026) it's a $147 one-off payment — verify the current figure on the vendor's site — with all future updates included, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and no per-book limit. Crucially, it's the only one of the three that runs everywhere: Windows, Mac, Linux, and even a Chromebook through the browser. If you're a Windows author who's been watching Mac users get Vellum, this is your equivalent.
Atticus is a writer and a formatter in one app. You can draft your manuscript in it and format the same file, which keeps everything in one place rather than bouncing between Word and a separate tool. It exports both EPUB (the standard format for wide distribution to Apple, Kobo, and others) and a print-ready PDF for paperbacks. The templates are good and you get genuine design control.
Where does it fall short? The typography polish sits a notch below Vellum — Vellum's defaults are that bit more refined out of the box — and because part of it runs as a web app, it can feel slightly less native than a dedicated desktop program. For most authors those are minor next to the cross-platform freedom and the one-app workflow.
Use Atticus when: you're on Windows (or want platform flexibility), you'd like to write and format in the same place, you need EPUB for wide release, and a mid-range one-off fee is fine.
Vellum: the premium look, if you have a Mac
Vellum is the tool authors reach for when they want their book to look obviously professional with almost no effort. It's Mac only — there's no Windows version and no browser workaround, so this is a non-starter unless you own a Mac.
Pricing is a one-off and tiered: $199.99 for the Ebooks edition and $249.99 for the Vellum Press edition, which adds print formatting on top of ebooks (June 2026 — confirm current pricing on the vendor's site). A nice quirk: Vellum is free to use and preview. You build and refine your whole book for nothing, and only pay when you export. After you've bought, exports are unlimited.
It produces both EPUB and print PDF, and its standout is best-in-class typography with a near-zero learning curve. Drop your chapters in, pick a style, and it looks the part immediately. The honest weaknesses: it's the most expensive of the three, it's Mac-only, and it's a formatter only — there's no writing environment, so you draft elsewhere and import.
Use Vellum when: you own a Mac, you want the most polished output with the least effort, and you're happy to pay the most for it.
Which should you choose?
| If this is you… | The tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tightest budget, Amazon-only, simple book | Kindle Create | Free, official, lowest risk of an upload error |
| On Windows (or Linux/Chromebook) | Atticus | The only cross-platform option here |
| Want to write and format in one app | Atticus | Built as a writer + formatter |
| Need EPUB for wide distribution | Atticus or Vellum | Both export standard EPUB; Kindle's .KPF doesn't go wide |
| Own a Mac and want the premium look | Vellum | Best-in-class typography, minimal effort |
| Cookbook, heavy illustration, complex layout | A service | None of these is built for that — see below |
The thread running through all of this: match the tool to your platform and your ambitions first, polish second. A Windows author can't run Vellum no matter how good it looks, and a wide-distribution author can't rely on Kindle Create's .KPF.
UK considerations before you publish
A few things specific to publishing from the UK, whichever tool you pick:
- VAT: ebooks you sell carry 20% VAT. Factor that into your pricing rather than being surprised by it later.
- ISBNs: an ISBN is optional on Amazon. You can take a free KDP ISBN (with Amazon listed as the publisher of record), or buy your own from Nielsen — roughly £93 for a single or £174 for a block of ten at the time of writing. Owning your ISBN matters if you want to be the publisher of record and go wide; verify current Nielsen pricing before buying.
- Trim size: the most common UK paperback trim is B-format, 129×198mm. All three tools handle standard trims, but set this before you finalise your interior so your margins are right.
Common mistakes I see
- Buying Vellum on a Windows machine. It won't run. Check the platform line first.
- Using Kindle Create then trying to go wide. The .KPF file is Amazon-only; you'd have to reformat in EPUB anyway.
- Forcing a complex book through a simple tool. A cookbook or a picture-heavy book fought through any of these will look fought-through. That's a service job.
- Skipping the pre-upload check. Even a clean export can trip a KDP error — odd page count, margins, trim mismatch. Check before you upload, not after a rejection.
Quick verdict
Choose Kindle Create if:
- Your budget is zero and the book is simple
- You're publishing on Amazon Kindle only
- You value Amazon's own format and the lowest upload-error risk
Choose Atticus if:
- You're on Windows, Linux, or a Chromebook
- You want to write and format in one app
- You need EPUB for wide distribution and a one-off mid-range fee suits you
Choose Vellum if:
- You own a Mac
- You want the most polished, premium-looking output
- You're happy to pay the most and don't need a writing environment
Best alternative: if your book has a genuinely complex layout — a cookbook, a workbook, heavy illustration — no DIY tool will get you there cleanly. That's where a done-for-you service like publishing.co.uk's KDP formatting (from £69) or A+ Content design earns its keep.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best KDP formatting tool?
There isn't a single best one — it depends on your platform, budget, and where you're selling. Kindle Create is best if you want free and Amazon-only. Atticus is the best all-rounder, especially on Windows, because it writes and formats in one app and exports EPUB. Vellum gives the most polished result but only runs on a Mac.
Atticus vs Vellum vs Kindle Create — which is best for KDP formatting?
For Amazon-only simple books, Kindle Create (free) is hard to beat. For cross-platform authors and wide distribution, Atticus ($147 one-off) is the practical pick. For Mac owners wanting the premium look, Vellum ($199.99–$249.99). All three produce KDP-acceptable files; the difference is platform, polish, and price.
Can I use Vellum on Windows?
No. Vellum is Mac-only with no Windows version or browser version. If you're on Windows and want a comparable one-off paid tool, Atticus is the closest equivalent and runs on Windows, Linux, and Chromebook as well as Mac.
Do I need any of these tools at all?
Not necessarily. If your book is simple, free Kindle Create may be all you need. If your layout is complex, none of them will do the job well and you're better off with a formatting service. The paid tools earn their fee when you want polish and control without paying per book.
Where can I check my book before I upload it?
Run a free KDP Readiness Score — it catches 35+ common issues in about 60 seconds, no signup. If anything fails, the report tells you exactly what to fix.
About this guide
Written by Robert Prime for publishing.co.uk. Last reviewed June 2026. Specs and pricing change — verify current figures with the linked sources before relying on them.
