Comparison / Vellum
Great typesetting. Nowhere to write.
Vellum makes a finished manuscript look like a real book — but it has no opinion about how you got a finished manuscript, and it only runs on a Mac. InkSpine writes, plots, and exports a validated EPUB and DOCX from the same cross-platform project.
| Where writers get stuck | Vellum | InkSpine |
|---|---|---|
| What it actually is | A formatting and export tool — you draft the book somewhere else first, then bring it in to typeset | Draft, plan, and export from the same project — nothing to import |
| Platform | Mac only | Windows, macOS, and Linux |
| Writing the manuscript | Not part of it — Vellum starts after the draft is already finished | A distraction-free markdown editor is the starting point, not a later step |
| Characters & locations | No worldbuilding features — it is a typesetting step, not a writing tool | Structured, linked worldbuilding beside the manuscript |
| Draft history | Relies on macOS's own file versions, not a project-specific history | Automatic git-based snapshots of every chapter as you write |
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Writing on a PC? Vellum for Windows covers the version of this question where running Vellum isn’t an option at all.
If you're formatting in one app and writing in another, come do both in one.
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