kdpbook.io vs Vellum: an honest comparison
Vellum is a Mac-only formatter, $199.99 for ebooks or $249.99 with print, paid once. It turns your Word manuscript into reflowable EPUB and PDF/X-1a files in 24 trim sizes, but doesn't write, illustrate or make the paperback cover. kdpbook.io writes and illustrates books, or imports yours word for word, and exports the interior, the full-wrap cover and the Kindle file.
By kdpbook.io editorialPublished
We make kdpbook.io, so we’re not neutral. Everything about Vellum below comes from its public pages as of (linked at the end); prices and features may have changed since.
At a glance
| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Vellum |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Writes and illustrates the book, or lays out your own manuscript, then builds the KDP files | Formats a manuscript you wrote |
| Platforms | Web app in the browser | Mac only (macOS 13 or newer); its FAQ says no native Windows version is planned |
| Your own manuscript | Import a .docx, .doc, .pdf, .txt or .md file (or paste the text) for 19 of the 36 book types; your words are laid out as written, never rewritten | Word (.docx) import |
| Print interior | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | PDF/X-1a, 24 trims + large print, paperback and hardcover (Vellum Press) |
| Print cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Not made by Vellum: you upload a cover made elsewhere; its help points to KDP's cover template |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | Reflowable EPUB 3 or EPUB 2; fixed layout not documented |
| Illustrations | 40 illustration styles or your own; character reference sheets reused on every illustration | You supply the images (inline, or full-page with bleed in print) |
| KDP checks | Continuous KDP preflight in the editor: margins, bleed, image resolution, spine text, page count and listing | Margins, headers and page numbers set automatically; warns about low-resolution images |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | $199.99 (ebooks) or $249.99 (ebooks + print), once |
Main job
- kdpbook.io
- Writes and illustrates the book, or lays out your own manuscript, then builds the KDP files
- Vellum
- Formats a manuscript you wrote
Platforms
- kdpbook.io
- Web app in the browser
- Vellum
- Mac only (macOS 13 or newer); its FAQ says no native Windows version is planned
Your own manuscript
- kdpbook.io
- Import a .docx, .doc, .pdf, .txt or .md file (or paste the text) for 19 of the 36 book types; your words are laid out as written, never rewritten
- Vellum
- Word (.docx) import
Print interior
- kdpbook.io
- Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check
- Vellum
- PDF/X-1a, 24 trims + large print, paperback and hardcover (Vellum Press)
Print cover
- kdpbook.io
- Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count
- Vellum
- Not made by Vellum: you upload a cover made elsewhere; its help points to KDP's cover template
Kindle eBook
- kdpbook.io
- Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover
- Vellum
- Reflowable EPUB 3 or EPUB 2; fixed layout not documented
Illustrations
- kdpbook.io
- 40 illustration styles or your own; character reference sheets reused on every illustration
- Vellum
- You supply the images (inline, or full-page with bleed in print)
KDP checks
- kdpbook.io
- Continuous KDP preflight in the editor: margins, bleed, image resolution, spine text, page count and listing
- Vellum
- Margins, headers and page numbers set automatically; warns about low-resolution images
Pricing
- kdpbook.io
- Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month
- Vellum
- $199.99 (ebooks) or $249.99 (ebooks + print), once
What Vellum is
A macOS app (macOS 13 or newer) that turns a Word manuscript into styled ebooks and print editions. You import a .docx, choose a book style (Decorum, Metro, Stardust and others), and generate reflowable EPUB files for Kindle, Kobo and Apple Books, plus a PDF/X-1a interior for a paperback or hardcover with Vellum Press.
Where it shines
- Polished book styles with drop caps, ornaments and embedded fonts, with little setup.
- 24 trim sizes plus large print, for paperback and hardcover.
- Full-bleed pages and full-page images that can span a two-page spread in print.
- One-time purchase with free updates and no limit on books or pen names.
- Free to download and try; you pay when you're ready to publish.
Vellum pricing
- Vellum Ebooks $199.99; Vellum Press (ebooks and print) $249.99. One-time purchase, prices exclude tax.
- Upgrading from Ebooks to Press costs the price difference within 30 days, $69.99 after that.
- Refunds within 30 days of purchase.
As published on September 28, 2026. See the current prices on its website.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Vellum if…
- You write on a Mac and want polished, conventional typesetting for novels and non-fiction.
- You'd rather pay once and format as many books as you like.
- You publish ebooks on Kindle, Kobo and Apple Books and want the files for each from one project.
Choose kdpbook.io if…
- You work on Windows, Linux or a Chromebook, or simply in the browser.
- You want the book written and illustrated, or art on every page (picture books, comics, coloring books).
- You want the full-wrap cover built from the final page count along with the interior.
- You need a fixed-layout Kindle edition for a picture book or a comic.
Questions
Is there a Vellum alternative for Windows?
Vellum is Mac only, and its FAQ says there are no plans for a native Windows version. kdpbook.io runs in the browser: import your manuscript (.docx, .doc, .pdf, .txt or .md) and it is laid out word for word, then exported as an interior PDF, a full-wrap cover PDF and a Kindle EPUB. Atticus is another browser-based option if you only need formatting.
Does Vellum make KDP paperback covers?
No. Vellum's help says the print cover is a separate file you upload to the print service, and points to KDP's cover template, which needs your final page count. kdpbook.io computes the spine from the page count and paper, and exports the full-wrap cover PDF with the interior.
Can Vellum make picture books?
Partly. It can place full-page, full-bleed images in the print edition, but its specs list reflowable ebooks only, so a page's text and art aren't locked together in the ebook. kdpbook.io lays out picture books with the text on the art and exports a fixed-layout Kindle EPUB, one of the formats KDP accepts for fixed-layout books.
Sources · read on September 28, 2026
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