Quick answer Checked 1 October 2026. Vellum costs £199.99 for paperbacks and ebooks (Vellum Press) or £159.99 for ebooks only, plus VAT, paid once, and it runs only on a Mac. It is the polished choice for Mac users who will publish many books and want fine control over the design. Book Studio costs £29.99 a book including VAT and runs in any web browser: you upload your Word file, it makes the paperback, Kindle ebook and covers, shows them beside your Word file, and checks every page against your file and Amazon’s print rules before you pay. On Windows, or publishing one book, the studio is the simpler route.
I run publishing.co.uk, and the Book Studio is ours, so weigh everything here knowing that. I earn nothing from Vellum and there is no affiliate link on this page. Where I describe Vellum I quote its own website and help pages, and where they are silent I say so.
The verdict, by the kind of author you are
| You are… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| On Windows, Linux or a Chromebook | Book Studio | “Vellum is only available for Mac”, and its help says Vellum doesn’t “have plans to develop a native version for Windows”. The studio runs in any web browser. |
| On a Mac, publishing a series | Vellum | One payment covers every book, and it has 24 trim sizes, large print and hardcover. |
| Publishing one finished book | Book Studio | £29.99 for that book, against £199.99 plus VAT for Vellum Press. |
| Wanting to see your Word file beside the finished book | Book Studio | The studio shows them side by side. Vellum’s preview shows the finished styling, but “does not allow you to make edits to your text”. |
| Needing covers too | Book Studio | It makes paperback, hardcover and Kindle covers. Vellum’s pages do not say it makes covers. |
| Wanting accessible ebooks with a stamp to prove it | Vellum | Its site lists “ACE-Approved Accessible Output”. |
What each one costs in the UK
| Vellum Ebooks | Vellum Press | Book Studio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £159.99 + VAT | £199.99 + VAT | £29.99 a book, including VAT |
| What you can make | Ebooks | Ebooks and paperbacks | Paperback, Kindle ebook and covers |
| Paid how | Once | Once | Once per book, when you take your files |
| Before you pay | Free to download, build and preview; “A purchase is only necessary when you’re ready to publish.” | Same | Free to upload, check and change; no card needed |
| Refund | “cancel your purchase within 30 days for a refund” | Same | 30-day money-back guarantee, and “Amazon-ready or your money back” |
| Source | store.vellum.pub, UK browser, 30 Sep 2026 | Same | studio.publishing.co.uk, 1 Oct 2026 |
Vellum’s store says “Price does not include VAT”. At the UK’s standard 20% rate, that makes Vellum Press £239.99 and Vellum Ebooks £191.99 if VAT is added at checkout. Eight studio books cost £239.92, so Vellum Press costs less from the ninth book on, if you have a Mac. From a US browser Vellum shows $249.99 and $199.99.
What each one does, from their own pages
Book Studio’s side-by-side screen, with the Word file on the left and the finished paperback on the right. Our own sample book, captured 24 September 2026.
| Vellum | Book Studio | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | A Mac only, macOS 13 or newer | Any web browser |
| Starts from | Importing a Word .docx file | The Word file you wrote your book in |
| Makes | Ebooks for each store, “Validated Files in EPUB 3 / EPUB 2”, and print PDFs: “Paperback or Hardcover”, “Professional-Grade PDF/X-1a” | Paperback PDF, Kindle ebook, and paperback, hardcover and Kindle covers |
| Covers | Not stated | Yes, fitted to your page count |
| Page sizes | “24 Trim Sizes + Large Print” | 16 Amazon sizes |
| Fonts | “a number of fonts designed for print”; your own fonts not stated | 19, plus your own font |
| Looks | “dozens of built-in style options” | 6 one-click looks, or set the typeface, text size, chapter openings and colours yourself |
| Preview | Shows the finished styling; “does not allow you to make edits to your text” | The finished pages, side by side with your Word file |
| Change the words | In Vellum’s editor, not in the preview | “Edit any word”, then the pages are set again |
| Versions | Not stated | Every version kept; every change can be undone |
| Checks the finished book | Its help recommends “proofing using Amazon’s Kindle Previewer utility” and other readers | Every word, every bold and italic, and Amazon’s print rules, measured on the pages |
| Readers’ comments | Not stated | A private link where readers comment on the pages, no account needed |
| Ask for a change in plain words | Not stated | Yes: type what you want, such as “make the chapter titles bigger” |
| Licence | “A license is tied to an individual, and cannot be shared with others.” | Per book |
Where Vellum wins
- Many books on a Mac. One payment, free updates, every book you make. From the ninth book, Vellum Press costs less than the studio.
- Design polish and range. “Dozens of built-in style options” and 24 trim sizes plus large print, against the studio’s 6 looks and 16 Amazon sizes.
- Hardcover interiors and store-by-store ebooks. Vellum makes hardcover print files and separate files for each ebook store. The studio makes a hardcover cover, and you use the same inside file for the hardcover.
- Accessibility. Vellum lists “ACE-Approved Accessible Output” for its ebooks.
Where Book Studio wins
The check page for the same sample book: your words, your bold and italic, the layout against your Word file, and Amazon’s print rules with each measurement. Captured 1 October 2026.
- It works on Windows. Most UK authors write on Windows. Vellum needs a Mac, and its help says there are no plans for a Windows version.
- One book costs £29.99. Vellum Press costs £199.99 plus VAT before you have published anything.
- Your Word file beside your book. The studio shows your own file and the finished pages side by side. Vellum’s preview cannot be edited and does not show your Word file.
- Proof before you pay. Every paragraph and every bold and italic is checked against your Word file, and every page is measured against Amazon’s print rules with a safety margin. Vellum’s help sends you to Amazon’s Kindle Previewer and other readers to check the result yourself.
- Covers and your own font. The studio makes the covers and lets you use your own font. Vellum’s pages do not say either.
- Every version kept. Every change in the studio can be undone. Vellum’s pages do not describe version history.
What I could not verify
- Whether Vellum makes covers or lets you add your own fonts. Its pages I read do not say.
- How many fonts Vellum includes. Its help says “a number of fonts designed for print”.
- Whether VAT is added at Vellum’s checkout for every UK buyer. The store says the price “does not include VAT”.
Before you choose
- Check your computer. No Mac, no Vellum. If you have a Mac, Vellum lets you build and preview the whole book before you pay.
- Count your books. Under eight: the studio costs less. More than that, on a Mac: Vellum Press does.
- Decide how you will check the book. Vellum leaves the proofing to you and Amazon’s previewer. The studio checks the book against your Word file and Amazon’s rules, and shows you the result before you pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Vellum on Windows?
No. Vellum’s site says it “is only available for Mac”, and its help says Vellum doesn’t “have plans to develop a native version for Windows”. It suggests renting a cloud Mac instead. Book Studio works in any web browser, including on Windows.
How much is Vellum in the UK?
Vellum’s UK store shows Vellum Press at £199.99 and Vellum Ebooks at £159.99, and says “Price does not include VAT” (checked 30 September 2026). With 20% VAT that is £239.99 and £191.99. It is a one-time purchase.
Is Vellum worth it for one book?
For one book on a Mac, Vellum Press costs £199.99 plus VAT. Book Studio costs £29.99 for that book, with the covers, and checks it against your Word file before you pay. Vellum becomes the cheaper option after about eight books.
Can I edit my book in Vellum’s preview?
No. Vellum’s help says the Preview “displays the full styling that appears in your finished book, and does not allow you to make edits to your text.” You edit in Vellum’s editor and look at the result in the preview. In Book Studio you can change any word and the pages are set again.
Does Vellum check my book for Amazon?
Vellum’s site says its ebook files are validated EPUB. For checking the book, its help recommends “proofing using Amazon’s Kindle Previewer utility”. Book Studio checks every word, bold and italic against your Word file, and measures every page against Amazon’s print rules.
