Kernsetzer and Vellum compared
Vellum is the book-formatting app many self-publishers measure everything against, and it earns that. It runs on Macs only. Kernsetzer is being built for Windows, macOS and Linux. Here are the facts side by side, and an honest note on who should choose what.
Kernsetzer is still in development; a closed beta is being prepared and there is nothing to download yet. What is said about it here is what it is being built to do, not what you can use today.
| Vellum | Kernsetzer (planned) | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | macOS 13 or newer; Mac only | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Price | Free to download, style and preview; you pay when you publish: $199.99 for ebooks, $249.99 for ebooks and print, before tax | Not announced. Pay once, no subscription |
| Makes | EPUB for ebook stores, print-ready PDF (PDF/X-1a) for paperbacks and hardcovers | Print-ready PDF and EPUB 3 |
| Manuscript in | Not listed on its site | Word and Markdown |
| Available | Yes | Closed beta in preparation |
Where Vellum is better
Vellum exists, it is finished, and a great many books have been made with it. You can download it today and see your book styled before you pay. It writes the PDF/X-1a files print shops like. Kernsetzer cannot offer any of that yet: there is no download, no trial and no track record. If you work on a Mac and need a book out this month, Vellum is a safe choice.
Where Kernsetzer is aimed
Mainly at the people Vellum cannot serve: authors on Windows and Linux. Beyond that, we are building it to work offline, so the manuscript stays on your computer, to be paid for once, and to set German as carefully as English: the right quotation marks, dashes and hyphenation, not only the English defaults.
Which should you choose?
On a Mac and in a hurry: Vellum. On Windows or Linux: look at Atticus today (see Kernsetzer and Atticus compared) or sign up for the Kernsetzer beta. If you only use Windows and wonder what runs there, this page lists the options.
Want to try Kernsetzer when the beta opens? Join the closed beta.
Facts about other products come from their own websites, read on 24 October 2026, and can change. Kernsetzer has no connection to the companies named; product names belong to their owners. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will correct it.
Auf Deutsch: Kernsetzer und Vellum im Vergleich