Vellum for PC · Windows formatting guide

Looking for Vellum on Windows?

There is no native Vellum for PC—but there are good ways to publish a professional print book, ebook, and static website without buying a Mac. Folius itself is browser-based and cross-platform, working across Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebooks.

Compare the options

Windows · macOS · Linux · Chromebook

Reviewed

2 August 2026

Platform, output, feature, and price claims were checked against the products’ own published information.

The short answer

Choose cross-platform Folius for typographic control and multi-format publishing, Atticus for a one-time cross-platform purchase, Reedsy Studio for free general-purpose formatting, or Kindle Create for a simple KDP-only book.

If you specifically need Vellum, its official Windows workaround is a rented cloud Mac. That is viable for an occasional formatting session, but it is still a remote Mac workflow—not Vellum running on Windows.

Side-by-side

Five practical Windows routes.

“Works on Windows” is only the first filter. Pay attention to the files you receive, the amount of design control, whether offline work matters, and where you intend to publish.

Product	Windows access	Publishable output	Design control	Current cost	Strongest fit
FoliusThis site	Yes — browser on Windows, macOS, Linux	PDF + EPUB + HTML + Markdown/native archive	Detailed themes and print geometry	$12/month or $99/year	Typography, multi-format publishing, and portability
Vellum	No — rented cloud Mac workaround	Print PDF + EPUB	Polished presets with customization	$249.99 for print + ebook	Authors who specifically want Vellum’s Mac workflow
Atticus	Yes — browser/PWA	Print PDF + EPUB	Presets and custom themes	$147 one-time	A one-time purchase and offline-capable writing
Reedsy Studio	Yes — in your browser	Print PDF + EPUB	Three export templates	Free formatting	A straightforward book at no cost
Kindle Create	Yes — Windows application	KPF for Amazon KDP	Themes plus limited print settings	Free	Simple, text-heavy books destined only for KDP

Prices shown in USD before tax and checked on 2 August 2026. Capabilities are summarized for ordinary reflowable ebooks and print interiors; unusual fixed-layout books need a separate evaluation.

Choose by workflow

There is no honest “best” without a use case.

Each option below is a sensible choice for someone. The useful question is whether its tradeoffs match your book and the way you prefer to work.

Folius

Best when the design of the book matters

Folius runs in a web browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebooks. It keeps writing, book structure, typography, and every publishing destination in one workspace. Its live print preview uses the same layout engine as the exported PDF, so line and page breaks are not a rough simulation.

What you get

Open the same book across Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebooks
Control trim, margins, bleed, headers, footers, hyphenation, widows, orphans, and chapter openings
Publish print PDF, reflowable EPUB, and a static HTML website from the same manuscript
Export portable Markdown or a lossless native Folius archive
Run a page-count-aware Amazon KDP print preflight
Invite an editor to work in the same structured book

Tradeoff: It is an online subscription, not an offline desktop application or one-time purchase.

Atticus

Best one-time-purchase alternative for PC

Atticus is probably the closest literal answer to “Vellum for PC.” It is a cross-platform progressive web application, works online and offline, combines writing with formatting, and exports EPUB and print PDF.

Read Atticus’s product details

What you get

Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebook
One-time $147 purchase at the time of this review
Preset and custom themes with print controls
Useful for authors who want drafting and formatting together

Tradeoff: As with any automated formatter, proof the generated PDF and EPUB rather than relying only on the editor preview.

Reedsy Studio

Best free choice for a conventional book

Reedsy Studio is browser-based and its core formatting workflow is free. It can import a manuscript and export both EPUB 3 and print-ready PDF, making it a strong answer when cost and simplicity matter more than extensive art direction.

Read Reedsy Studio’s product details

What you get

Free writing and book-formatting workflow
EPUB and print PDF output
Front matter, chapter openings, and common trim sizes
A small set of professionally designed templates

Tradeoff: The small template selection deliberately offers less control than a more configurable formatter.

Kindle Create

Best free choice for a simple KDP-only workflow

Kindle Create can turn a fairly plain DOCX into a formatted book; it does not require a fully typeset Word file. You can detect chapters, choose a theme, add front and back matter, and style special paragraphs. For paperback, however, Amazon intentionally automates most of the layout.

Read Amazon’s current limitations

What you get

Free Windows application from Amazon
Themes, chapter elements, contents, images, and previewing
Automatic paperback margins, pagination, and recto chapter starts
A direct handoff to Amazon KDP

Tradeoff: Paperback fonts and margins cannot be customized, bleed is unsupported in this workflow, and the publishable KPF is intended for KDP rather than distribution as a general EPUB.

Vellum on a cloud Mac

Best only when the requirement is Vellum itself

There is no native Vellum for Windows. Vellum’s official help recommends renting a Mac in the cloud, connecting to it from the PC, transferring the manuscript, and running Vellum remotely. This works, but it adds another service and an extra file-transfer step.

Read Vellum’s Windows workaround

What you get

The actual Vellum application and its established workflow
EPUB and print PDF output
A one-time Vellum licence after access to a Mac is arranged
A practical route for an occasional final formatting session

Tradeoff: It is a remote Mac workaround, not Vellum running on Windows, and it adds cloud-computer cost and operational friction.

A common point of confusion

Kindle Create formats the book—but on Amazon’s terms.

For ebooks

Start with a fairly plain DOCX. Detect chapters, apply a predefined theme, add front and back matter, and style chapter titles, first paragraphs, quotes, poems, and separators. The themes themselves cannot be edited.

For paperbacks

Kindle Create calculates margins and fixes the body font and size. You can adjust headers, footers, and page-number placement, but not create a fully custom print design. The result is a KPF uploaded to KDP.

Amazon recommends this workflow for text-heavy books with simple layouts. Its documented paperback limitations include tables, footnotes, endnotes, and edge-to-edge bleed images. See Amazon’s current Kindle Create guidance.

The Folius route

Start on Windows. Continue anywhere.

There is nothing to install and no remote Mac to control. Open the same book from Windows, macOS, Linux, or a Chromebook, make the editorial and design decisions in the browser, and generate print, ebook, and web editions from the same source.

01 · Import or write

Keep the manuscript structured

Import a Word document or write in the browser. Chapters, sections, front matter, images, metadata, and notes remain parts of a book—not loose pages in a word processor.

02 · Format

Adjust a typographic system

Choose a theme, then control the rules behind body text, headings, chapter openings, running matter, margins, trim, and bleed while the book repaginates.

03 · Publish and preserve

Create every edition—and keep the source

Preview the actual print layout, run the KDP-aware preflight, and publish PDF, EPUB, or a static HTML website. Export Markdown for portability or the native Folius format for a lossless archive.

Folius running in a browser with an Alice in Wonderland manuscript beside its typeset print page — Cross-platform browser workflowEdit on the left and inspect the typeset print page on the right—on Windows, macOS, Linux, or Chromebook. The preview uses the PDF export engine.

Body text selected in Folius with typography and paragraph settings open — Design controlAdjust a shared text rule rather than manually styling every occurrence.

Folius print export settings showing bleed controls and KDP image-resolution warnings — Print preflightSet bleed and check the finished interior against KDP print requirements before uploading.

Folius is worth trying if…

You want more control than a handful of fixed templates
You work across different desktop operating systems
Print PDF, EPUB, and a static website need to remain in step through revisions
You want portable Markdown and a lossless native archive of the book
Your book has sections, nested headings, footnotes, or substantial nonfiction structure
You want to see accurate pagination while making design decisions
An editor or collaborator needs access to the same book

Choose something else if…

Offline work is essential—Atticus is a better match
You want a one-time software purchase rather than a membership
A free preset is enough—start with Reedsy Studio
The book is KDP-only and deliberately simple—Kindle Create may do the job
Every page needs manual, poster-like art direction—use professional desktop publishing software or hire a book designer

Questions from PC authors

Vellum and Windows, plainly answered.

Is there a version of Vellum for PC?

No. Vellum currently requires macOS and says it has no plans for a native Windows version. Its documented workaround is to rent a cloud Mac and access it remotely from a PC.

What is the closest Vellum alternative for Windows?

Atticus is the closest match if you want a one-time purchase, cross-platform operation, and offline capability. Folius is the stronger fit if you want deeper typography and print geometry, a live export-accurate preview, KDP-aware checks, or collaboration. The right answer depends on the workflow rather than a single feature count.

Can Kindle Create replace Vellum on Windows?

For a simple, text-heavy book published only through Amazon KDP, it may be enough. It can format a plain manuscript, but paperback fonts and margins are automatic, bleed is unsupported in the combined workflow, and it produces KPF for KDP rather than a general EPUB for other stores.

What is the best free Vellum alternative for Windows?

Reedsy Studio is the most flexible free general-purpose option here because it exports both EPUB and print PDF. Kindle Create is also free and may be preferable when the book is simple and Amazon KDP is the only destination.

Can I format the same book for paperback and Kindle on a PC?

Yes. Cross-platform tools including Folius, Atticus, and Reedsy Studio can maintain a manuscript and produce both print PDF and reflowable EPUB on a Windows PC. Folius also lets you open the same workspace from macOS, Linux, and Chromebooks. Kindle Create can use one project for a KDP ebook and paperback, with more restricted print design controls.

Can I take my book out of Folius?

Yes. Export Markdown when you want portable, broadly readable content, or export the native Folius format when you want a lossless archive that preserves the complete book for restoration in Folius. PDF, EPUB, and static HTML exports remain the publishable editions for print, ebook, and web readers.

No account required

See whether Folius fits before choosing it.

Start a book in the real editor. No account or card required. You can export an EPUB whenever you like, and the same workspace is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebooks.

See Folius pricing

Vellum is a registered trademark of 180g. Kindle and KDP are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. Atticus and Reedsy are trademarks of their respective owners. Folius is not affiliated with or endorsed by these companies. Product details can change; verify a tool’s current documentation before purchasing.