PenStranding, Vellum, Atticus, Reedsy Studio and Kindle Create compared
PenStranding beside Vellum, Atticus, Reedsy Studio and Kindle Create, from each tool's own pages. Where a tool's pages don't say, the table says so rather than guessing.
| PenStranding | Vellum | Atticus | Reedsy Studio | Kindle Create | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for one book; the Author plan is $59 a year or $8 a month, or a Book Pass at $39 for one book. AI jobs are paid from Studio credit. In a closed beta. | One payment: $199.99 for ebooks, $249.99 for ebooks and paperbacks, before tax. | One payment of $147 for ebook and print, unlimited books and lifetime updates. | Free to write and format; paid add-ons for writing tools ($4.99 a month) and outlining ($7.99 a month). | Amazon's own tool for KDP. |
| Runs on | In the browser, on any computer. | Mac only (macOS 13 or newer); on Windows, Vellum suggests renting a Mac in the cloud. | A web app that installs and works offline: Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook. | Only in the browser, phones' browsers included; not offline yet. | Windows 10 or newer; Mac with macOS 10.15 or newer on Intel, or 11 or newer on Apple M1. |
| Ebooks | EPUB 3, accessible by default and checked with EPUBCheck, from Word, Markdown, EPUB or plain text. | EPUB 3 and EPUB 2, checked for accessibility, separate files for each store, and box sets. Imports Word files. | EPUB (and EPUB 2) and separate versions for each store. | One-click EPUB, from Word or OpenDocument files. | KPF, the file KDP prefers, and EPUB for reflowable books, from Word files (PDF for comics and print replica). |
| Paperback and hardcover PDFs at every standard KDP trim size, a print preview with the trim and gutter, and vertical Japanese paperbacks. | Paperback and hardcover at 24 trim sizes, large print and full bleed, kept in step with the ebook. | Print PDFs, with 17 or more chapter themes and a theme builder. | Print-ready PDFs at four trim sizes (6 × 9, 5.5 × 8.5, 5 × 8 and 4.25 × 6.87 in), from templates. | Paperbacks at any trim size, without bleed; fonts, sizes and margins can't be changed, and tables and notes aren't supported. | |
| Covers | A cover editor working from your own artwork: the ebook cover, the paperback and hardcover wraps, and the barcode. | Interiors only: the cover is made elsewhere. | No cover designer: you add a cover image. | A cover added at export; designers can be hired on Reedsy's marketplace. | None in Kindle Create; KDP's Cover Creator makes a basic cover. |
| Languages | Every edition of a book in its own language, and AI translation with a style bible, an editor's pass and a report on what to check. | Not on their pages | Not on their pages | Not on their pages | The app in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Japanese. |
| Stores | Paste-ready kits for KDP, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, Draft2Digital, PublishDrive, IngramSpark and Polish stores, ISBN planning and an upload tracker. You upload yourself. | Files for Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo and Barnes & Noble, and a general EPUB, uploaded by you. | Not on their pages | Points you to KDP, Draft2Digital and IngramSpark; no kits. | Built for KDP only. |
| Working with others, and AI | Reviewers by a private link; AI translation, proofreading and launch texts on request, priced before they run. | Not on their pages | Its help has a section on collaboration, and says editors and beta readers need Atticus too. AI tools: not on their pages. | Live editing with co-authors and editors, tracked changes and comments. AI tools: not on their pages. | Not on their pages |
Where the others are better
- Vellum: A mature, polished app with a long record of real books, and output checked for accessibility.
- Atticus: One payment for everything, on any computer, with many themes and fonts.
- Reedsy Studio: Free, with strong live collaboration and editors and designers to hire beside it.
- Kindle Create: Made by Amazon for KDP, with modes for comics and children's books.
Where PenStranding is different
It keeps every edition of a book together, each language with its own ebook, print interiors, covers and store kits, and translates with AI when you ask. None of the four offers translation on its pages. It is newer than all of them, and in a closed beta.
Try PenStranding on your own manuscript.
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Checked on 25 October 2026 against Vellum: Vellum, Vellum: Using Vellum on Windows, Vellum: Importing, Vellum: Print covers, Vellum: Uploading, Atticus: Atticus, Atticus: Exporting, Atticus: Collaboration, Atticus: Why editors and beta readers need Atticus, Reedsy Studio: Reedsy Studio, Reedsy Studio: Pricing, Reedsy Studio: FAQ, Kindle Create: Kindle Create, Kindle Create: Paperbacks, Kindle Create: Cover Creator. Stores, agencies and laws change their rules: their own pages have the final word.