Compare
BookArc vs Vellum
A formatting tool assumes you already have the book. If you do, it is the better tool. If you do not, it cannot help yet.
Feature comparison
| Feature | BookArc | Vellum |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | A one-sentence idea. | A finished manuscript. |
| Writing | Plans and writes every chapter. | None. It is a formatting tool. |
| Typographic control | One considered book design — 6 × 9 trim, asymmetric margins, drop caps. | Extensive: styles, ornaments, chapter headings, fine control throughout. |
| Ebook and print output | PDF, print-ready interior, EPUB, Word. | Ebook and print output, with a strong reputation for both. |
| Cover design | Generated for the book. | Not a cover tool. |
| Platform | Browser, any device. | Mac software. |
Vellum details checked against their own site on . Products change — check theirs before deciding, and tell us if anything here is out of date.
Choose BookArc if…
- You do not have a manuscript yet.
- You want one considered design rather than a hundred decisions.
- You are not on a Mac.
Choose Vellum if…
- The manuscript is written and you want it to look properly published.
- Typography matters to you and you want to control it.
- You are publishing a series and want a consistent house style you designed.
Where the overlap actually is
Only at the end. BookArc formats what it writes because a book that cannot be exported is not finished — the interior comes out at a true 6 × 9 trim, fonts embedded, wider margin on the bound edge, and no cover bound into the interior, which is what print-on-demand services require.
That is a good default, not a design studio. A dedicated formatting tool will always beat it on control, and it should — that is the entire product.
Using both
Write in BookArc, export to Word, format in a dedicated tool. That is a completely reasonable pipeline and neither product is worse for it.
Questions people ask
Are BookArc’s exports good enough to publish as they are?
For a lead magnet, a guide or a report — yes. For a novel where the interior typography is part of the reading experience, a dedicated formatting tool is worth the extra step.
Write the book you keep meaning to write.
Describe it in one sentence. BookArc plans the chapters, writes every one of them and designs the cover. 30 credits free, no card.