Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover self-publishing. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| Atticus | Blurb | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $147 | From $3.99 |
| Pricing model | One-time purchase | One-time purchase |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Billing | One-time purchase | One-time purchase |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Yes |
| Data export | Everything, in an open format | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux | Web, macOS, Windows |
| Covers | Self-Publishing, Writing & Scripts | Self-Publishing, Merch & Print on Demand |
| Works with | Nothing in particular | Nothing in particular |
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
Write and typeset a book for one payment
Atticus is a writing app and a book formatter in one, which is the pairing self-published authors otherwise buy twice. It runs in a browser and offline, so a manuscript is not stranded by a bad connection, and it exports files the retailers accept. One payment covers unlimited books and there is no subscription behind it.
Our note
The comparison people actually make is against Vellum, which costs more and is Mac only. If you are on Windows this is the answer by default; on a Mac the question is whether Vellum's output is worth roughly twice the money to you.
Only on this side
Print books and magazines one copy at a time
Blurb prints a single copy as readily as a hundred, which is what makes a photo book, a zine or a portfolio possible without an inventory. Layout happens in its own tools or in InDesign through a plugin. Paper stock and trim size move the unit price a long way, so the calculator is worth opening before the design is finished.
Our note
Paper stock moves the price further than page count does, with the same photo book running from $32 to $70. Work out the real cost at the binding you want before setting it against Lulu. The $12 headline is the cheapest possible configuration.
Only on this side
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.