Vellum Alternative for Windows & Mac · 2026
The Best Vellum Alternative for Windows and Mac
Windows and Mac. Same quality. One-time price.
Vellum is a Mac-only formatter that costs $249.99. Lacuna gives you the same professional output on Windows and Mac with more customization, for $149, one time.
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
Does Vellum run on Windows?
No. Vellum is Mac-only and requires macOS 13 or newer. There is no Windows version, no PC version, and no official Windows port, and none has been announced. If you’re on a PC, you need a different tool. Lacuna is a desktop-native book formatter built for both Windows and Mac, with the same professional EPUB and print-ready PDF output Vellum is known for, at $149 one-time instead of $249.99.
A note about this comparison
We genuinely respect Vellum. It’s well-made software, built by people who really care about the product and the community, and we have nothing but good things to say about them. We built Lacuna because there was no Vellum alternative for Windows. We originally started on our journey trying to fill the gap for Windows, but because we built it in a cross-platform way, we now can offer a Mac version as well. And since we built our own print engine, we were able to keep the costs down.
Lacuna vs Vellum: 2026 Feature Comparison
Where the two tools match, and where they don’t.
| Feature | Lacuna | Vellum |
|---|---|---|
| Windows support | ||
| Customize every section, setting, and element | ||
| Unlimited variations with presets | ||
| Wide font selection | ||
| Callout boxes | ||
| Mac support | ||
| Desktop-native (no browser) | ||
| Professional templates | ||
| Live preview | ||
| Print-ready PDF export | ||
| EPUB export | ||
| No cloud / no AI training | ||
| One-time purchase | ||
| Price | $149 | $249.99 |
Why Lacuna Is the Best Vellum Alternative
Vellum is a polished tool. But there are things we do that it doesn’t.
Windows and Mac
Vellum is Mac-only. Lacuna runs natively on both platforms. No workarounds, no virtual machines, no complex setups.
Customize every section, setting, and element
Total control over your layout. Tweak every part of your book by configuring individual elements. You have total control over the layout of every single page.
Unlimited variations with presets
Create multiple styles for each element. Our preset system allows you to have 50 different callout box styles or 20 different headers. Every page can have a different set of settings.
A wide selection of fonts
Choose from a wide range of fonts. Vellum limits you to their small built-in selection, so when you want a specific look, you have more room to find it.
Two Different Paths
We are not going to pretend Vellum isn’t capable. On a Mac, it builds a clean, good-looking book for you with very little effort. The tradeoff is the one this whole page is about: it makes most of the design decisions for you, and it only runs on Mac.
Vellum builds your book for you.
Lacuna lets you build your own book.
Lacuna gives you both paths. You can start with that same ease and see your book take shape in minutes. But as you grow, you can unlock more. If you need to change a specific margin, tweak a header, or change your fonts, those options are there.
We built Lacuna to be simple on the surface but powerful underneath. The complexity is there only when you need it. You get the same professional output as Vellum on Windows and Mac, but with the freedom to make your book look exactly how you want.
Why We Built Lacuna
Lacuna was built by a brother and sister who got tired of the tradeoffs.
Melissa has been writing for over 20 years and has published 15 books. She knows what authors need because she is one. She knows what is missing because she lived it.
Corey has been building software since he was 10 years old. When Melissa told him about her formatting struggles, he knew they could build something better.
No investors. Just a family business building software for authors who deserve better options.
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
Common Questions About Switching from Vellum
The questions we hear most often from authors looking for a Vellum alternative.
Comparing more than Vellum? See our best book formatting software comparison, the KDP-specific comparison, or the Windows comparison.
You’re 60 Seconds Away from Formatting Your Book
Download Lacuna free. Import your manuscript. See how it looks in minutes. No credit card, no account, no commitment. Pay $149 only when you’re ready to export.
After you download:
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