Book Formatting Software for Windows & PC
The Best Book Formatting Software for Windows in 2026
Vellum is Mac-only. If you are on Windows or PC, here is what actually works. Five book formatting tools compared honestly, including the one we build.
No credit card required. Full features during trial.
By Corey Jackson, developer of Lacuna
Reviewed by Melissa Erin Jackson, author of 15 self-published books
Updated July 22, 2026 · Read about us
Full disclosure
We built Lacuna, one of the tools on this page. Yes, Lacuna runs on Windows. That is part of why we built it. A lot of authors are on Windows machines, and the most-marketed formatting tool happens to skip Windows entirely. If a different Windows-compatible tool fits you better, use it. The point of this page is to help you pick the right one.
Where Each Tool Runs on Windows
Not all “Windows-compatible” tools are the same. Three different models, with different tradeoffs.
Native desktop apps
Lacuna, Scrivener, Kindle Create
Install on Windows, run offline, files on your computer.
Browser-based
Atticus, Reedsy Studio
Work on Windows by opening a tab; files live on the tool’s servers.
KDP-submission flow
Kindle Create
Runs on Windows but only outputs files for Amazon’s submission pipeline.
Side-by-Side: Five Windows-Compatible Tools
Lacuna, Atticus, Scrivener, Reedsy Studio, Kindle Create. The columns that matter most when you’re on Windows.
| Feature | Lacuna | Atticus | Scrivener | Reedsy Studio | Kindle Create |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | |||||
| Price | $149 | $147 | $59.99 | Free | Free |
| License model | One-time purchase | One-time purchase | One-time purchase | Free + add-ons | Free |
| How It Runs on Windows | |||||
| Native desktop app | |||||
| Browser-based | |||||
| Windows version requirement | Windows 10+ | Modern browser | Win 10 64-bit+ | Modern browser | Win 10+ |
| Works offline on Windows | Writing only | ||||
| Files stay on your computer | |||||
| Position | |||||
| Built for | Formatting | Writing + formatting | Writing | Writing + formatting | KDP submission |
| Output | |||||
| EPUB 3 | Reflowable, with feature loss | ||||
| EPUB 2 | Via legacy file | Not stated | |||
| Print PDF | PDF/X-1a | PDF/X-1a | PDF/X-1a:2001 | KPF only | |
| Publish wide (beyond Amazon) | |||||
| Customization | |||||
| Templates / themes | 32 pre-made styles | Custom theme builder | Per-format Compile | 3 fixed | Built-in |
| Per-section style overrides | Limited | Via Compile | |||
| Live preview | Multi-device | Compile preview | |||
A Quick Take on Each Tool
One paragraph each. How each one runs on Windows, and what it gives you.
Lacuna (that’s us)
Lacuna is the best book formatting software for Windows in 2026, and yes, we build it.
- More customization freedom than anything else here: build the book you want, not the book the app allows
- Native Windows desktop app (Vellum is Mac-only), and the same app runs on Mac
- Works offline, with your files staying on your own computer
- EPUB 3 and EPUB 2 for ebook stores and PDF/X-1a print for KDP and IngramSpark
- $149 one-time with lifetime updates, no subscription
Since we started building Lacuna, almost every feature has come straight from authors asking for it. That is how it ended up with more customization freedom than anything else here.
Atticus
Atticus made book formatting work in any browser, Windows included. Visual editor, EPUB 3 and EPUB 2, PDF/X-1a print, hardcover support. $147 one-time. The tradeoff is the model. Files live on Atticus’s servers. Some features need the internet. If a browser-first workflow suits you, Atticus is a real option on Windows.
Read our full Atticus comparisonScrivener
Scrivener is a writing tool that happens to export books. Corkboard, outliner, binder, snapshots. Those are manuscript-stage features. Compile is the export step, which sends out Word, RTF, OpenOffice, PDF, Final Draft, and EPUB 3 / Kindle. Native Windows app. $59.99 one-time. Strong as a writing tool. A formatting tool only at the export end.
See where Scrivener fits in the workflowReedsy Studio (formerly Reedsy Book Editor)
Reedsy bet on free, and that bet pays off if its template list fits your book. Runs in any browser on Windows. EPUB 3 and PDF/X-1a:2001 output. Three fixed export themes. A free Reedsy account is required.
Kindle Create
Kindle Create is Amazon’s formatting tool. Free. Native Windows app on Windows 10 and up. It outputs KPF files for the KDP submission flow. EPUB export exists for reflowable books with feature loss (per Amazon’s docs). Designed for the Amazon ecosystem only. If Amazon is your only destination, this is a free option. If you want to publish wide, you will outgrow it quickly.
See our KDP-focused comparisonWhy We Built Lacuna
Lacuna runs on Windows because we wanted it to. Melissa works on a Mac. Corey works on a Windows machine. Every time they tried to share a manuscript file across platforms with the existing tools, the workflow broke.
So they built Lacuna to be cross-platform from day one. Same app, same features, same files, on either OS. If you are on Windows, you do not have to settle for whatever the Mac-first tools left behind.
No investors. Just a family business building software for authors.
What Authors Are Saying
Real authors. Real books. Formatted with Lacuna.
I’m a cover designer and interior formatter by profession and run my own small publishing press, so trust me when I say I’m picky and my standards are high. InDesign has always been the only program that formats for print with the level of customization I need. For years, I’ve used it for print and another program entirely for ebooks to get the results I wanted. When I saw Lacuna, I immediately went to check it out and within an hour from having downloaded the trial, I was hooked.
This gives me so much more freedom with print options than other formatting programs like Atticus or Vellum while still making ebooks a breeze. The ability to work from one file and have separate print and ebook settings is a complete gamechanger. I’m still learning my way around the program and loving every second.
JJ Carpenter
The Haunting of Kenmore Asylum
I originally checked out Lacuna because somebody in a KDP publishing group I belong to asked if anyone had tried Lacuna out yet. I published nine other books using a different formatter, but I wasn’t happy with it. I ended up taking a look at Lacuna even though I was pretty much sold on Atticus or Vellum. Once I started diving into Lacuna and saw the ease of use and flexibility, I was absolutely floored. It was a no-brainer, and I purchased Lacuna. Since then the program has only improved. Corey is amazing at fixing things and streamlining processes.
If you take a look at the book that I formatted with Lacuna you will see, it would be pretty difficult to do something like that with one of those other formatting programs. Plus they cost more. In my opinion Lacuna is already the best formatter on the market and only getting better. Thanks, Corey and Melissa, for making this available.
NextGen Victory Press
3-Minute Wrestling Devotionals for Rising Athletes
I tried numerous formatting methods and followed endless instructions from publishing websites, but nothing ever turned out right. Since finding Lacuna, everything has changed. I’ve been able to update all my manuscripts effortlessly and give them the professional look they deserve.
Lacuna helped me perfect one of my most cherished stories, The Magic Globe, and finally present it exactly as I envisioned. It’s truly been a game changer for my author journey.
Samuel Graham Astley
The Magic Globe
You’re 60 Seconds Away from Formatting on Windows
Download Lacuna for Windows. Import your DOCX. Make it exactly the book you want. Pay $149 only when you’re ready to export. Native Windows installer.
Want to learn more first? See all features or view pricing.