Lore & LilacComparison · reviewed October 2026
Lore & Lilac vs Atticus and Vellum
Atticus and Vellum are book formatters that many independent authors rely on to produce finished print and ebook files. Lore & Lilac does some book design, but it's mainly a place to draft, keep track of your story and revise. In practice, most writers will want one of them at the end, and that's fine by us.
About Atticus and Vellum
What Atticus and Vellum is good at
Atticus is a writing and formatting app for independent authors. It runs as an installable web app on Windows, macOS, Linux and Chromebooks, works online and offline according to its makers, offers 17 templates plus a theme builder, previews on Kindle, Kobo, Nook, phone and tablet, and exports PDF, EPUB and DOCX. It also has collaboration roles for co-writers, editors with tracked changes and beta readers. Vellum is a Mac-only book formatting app known for polished print and ebook output from a one-time purchase.
The short version
Which one fits you?
Choose Atticus and Vellum if…
- You're ready to publish and want professional print and ebook files.
- You want many templates, a theme builder and device previews (Atticus).
- You work on a Mac and want polished formatting from a one-time purchase (Vellum).
- Your editor will work with tracked changes inside the same tool (Atticus).
- You'd rather pay once than monthly.
Choose Lore & Lilac if…
- You're still drafting or revising and want a story bible and continuity scan that cite your passages.
- You want to rehearse a plot change with retcon rehearsal before you lock the text.
- You want beta readers to read through a private link with no account needed.
- You want planning views, a revision desk and writing stats beside the manuscript.
- You'd like a clean DOCX to hand to your formatter when the words are done.
Feature by feature
Side by side
| Capability | Atticus and Vellum | Lore & Lilac |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Book formatting (Atticus also drafting) | Drafting, story records and revision |
| Platforms | Atticus: web app incl. Linux and Chromebook; Vellum: Mac only | Browser; Windows, macOS and Linux apps; installable web app |
| Book templates | Atticus: 17 templates plus theme builder | 10 themes |
| Print-ready PDF | Built in (both) | Through the browser's print dialog |
| Ebook export | Yes (both) | EPUB |
| Device previews | Atticus: Kindle, Kobo, Nook, phone, tablet | Generic phone, tablet and e-reader frames |
| DOCX | Atticus: import and export | Import with fidelity report; export |
| Tracked changes | Atticus: editor role | No; margin comments |
| Beta readers | Atticus: role; readers need their own account (help centre, as of review date) | Private links, no reader account |
| Story bible and continuity | Not advertised | Cited story bible; optional AI scan |
| Price | Atticus $147 one time; Vellum one-time purchase | Free plan (1 book); $12 or $24 a month, or $120 or $240 a year; one-time reading packs from $5 |
“Not advertised” means we couldn't find it on their public pages; it may still exist. Reviewed October 2026.
Fair is fair
Where Atticus and Vellum is ahead
- Formatting. Both are far stronger book formatters than our 10 themes and browser-printed PDF. For a book going to print, use one of them.
- Device previews. Atticus previews your book on Kindle, Kobo, Nook, phone and tablet layouts. Our preview uses generic phone, tablet and e-reader frames, which is a guide rather than a match for any one device.
- One-time pricing. Atticus is $147 once with unlimited books, and Vellum is a one-time purchase. Our Free plan covers one book; Core and Studio are monthly or yearly.
- Tracked changes. Atticus has editor and co-writer roles. We have margin comments rather than tracked changes; co-authors can write in the book with you, scene by scene.
- Offline. Atticus says it works online and offline, and Vellum is a desktop app. Our studio opens offline only for books you've already opened on that device, and exporting needs a connection.
- Polish. Vellum is known for polished print and ebook output on the Mac.
You don't have to choose
Using both
We're the drafting and revision desk; they're the print shop.
Draft and revise in Lore & Lilac until the text is final.
Export a DOCX, for example from a dedicated edition.
Import it into Atticus or Vellum and design the book there.
If you change the text after formatting, change it in one place only, so your versions don't drift apart.
Read more in our book design guide.
Cost
What each one costs
Atticus and Vellum
Atticus: $147 one time, with updates included and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Vellum: a Mac-only one-time purchase; see vellum.pub for current options.
Lore & Lilac
Free $0 with no end date (1 active book, 100 MB, the full writing workspace, story bible, planning, export and checks without AI; no monthly AI allowance). Every new account starts with a guided trial, free for 14 days with no card (1 book, about 6 million words of AI reading once the email is verified). Core $12/month or $120/year (5 active books, 500 MB, about 900,000 words of AI reading a month). Studio $24/month or $240/year (20 active books, 2 GB, about 2.4 million words a month). One-time reading packs on any plan, Free included: about 420,000 words for $5, about 1.2 million for $12 or about 4.2 million for $29, each lasting 12 months and used after the monthly allowance. Billed via Gumroad; yearly plans still get their AI allowance month by month; cancel any time; no lifetime plan.
Atticus price as listed on their site in October 2026; check before buying. We haven't listed Vellum's prices; check their site. When AI reading runs out, nothing is spent and everything else keeps working; a one-time reading pack or a plan adds more. On Free, your books stay readable, editable and exportable. Details on our pricing page.
Before you start
Questions about Atticus and Vellum
Do I still need Atticus or Vellum if I use Lore & Lilac?
For a professionally formatted print book, probably yes. Our book design covers 10 themes, editions, EPUB and a print-ready PDF through your browser, which suits proofs and many ebooks, but Atticus and Vellum go much further.
What's the best file to send to Atticus or Vellum?
A DOCX exported from Lore & Lilac. Make your final text changes before formatting, and check the result in their preview.
Do beta readers need an account?
Not with us: they read through a private link. According to Atticus's help centre as of the review date, Atticus collaborators need their own Atticus accounts; check their help pages for the current position.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Atticus homepage (opens in a new tab) accessed October 2026
- Atticus help: collaboration roles (opens in a new tab) accessed October 2026
- Atticus help: why editors and beta readers need Atticus (opens in a new tab) accessed October 2026
- Vellum (official site) (opens in a new tab) accessed October 2026
Product names belong to their owners. This page isn't affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Other comparisons
See for yourself, on your own draft
Import your draft from Word, Scrivener, RTF, EPUB or Markdown, or start on a blank page. The 14-day trial needs no card, and your book is exportable from the first word.