Vellum alternatives · Writing
Open-source alternatives to Vellum
Vellum is not described as open source on its own site. 26 of the 136 other writing tools in this directory are open source, according to their own sites.
Vellum is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks). 25 of them are free or have a free plan.
26 tools · Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
The 12 closest to Vellum
- Free trial · from $12/mo
Pressbooks
Book publishing platform that exports EPUB, PDF and web books
- Pressbooks starts at $12 per book / month ($120 billed yearly). Vellum starts at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks).
- Only Pressbooks lists a web app.
- Only Vellum lists a macOS app.
- Pressbooks is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free
Sigil
Free open-source EPUB ebook editor for Windows, Mac and Linux
- Sigil is free. Vellum starts at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks).
- Sigil has a free plan. Vellum does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Sigil lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Sigil is open source, according to its own site.
- Free
LibreOffice Writer
Free, open-source word processor for Windows, macOS and Linux
- LibreOffice Writer is free. Vellum starts at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks).
- LibreOffice Writer has a free plan. Vellum does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only LibreOffice Writer lists Windows and Linux apps.
- LibreOffice Writer is open source, according to its own site.
- Free plan · from $7.99/mo
Typst
Markup-based typesetting system with a collaborative web app
- Typst starts at $7.99 per month, billed monthly ($79.99 billed yearly). Vellum starts at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks).
- Typst has a free plan. Vellum does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Typst lists a web app.
- Only Typst lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Free plan · from $3.49/mo
bibisco
Novel planning and writing software built around characters
- bibisco starts at $3.49 per month for Everywhere sync; desktop Supporters Edition is $69 one-time. Vellum starts at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks).
- bibisco has a free plan. Vellum does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only bibisco lists Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- bibisco is open source, according to its own site.
- Free
Zettlr
Free, open-source Markdown editor for academic writing
- Zettlr is free. Vellum starts at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks).
- Zettlr has a free plan. Vellum does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zettlr lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Zettlr is open source, according to its own site.
- Free
Manuskript
Free, open-source novel planner with an outliner and index cards
- Manuskript is free. Vellum starts at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks).
- Manuskript has a free plan. Vellum does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Manuskript lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Manuskript is open source, according to its own site.
- Free
novelWriter
Free, open-source plain-text editor for writing novels
- novelWriter is free. Vellum starts at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks).
- novelWriter has a free plan. Vellum does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only novelWriter lists Linux and Windows apps.
- Only Vellum lists a macOS app.
- Free
Trelby
Free, open-source screenwriting program for desktop
- Trelby is free. Vellum starts at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks).
- Trelby has a free plan. Vellum does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Trelby lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Trelby is open source, according to its own site.
- Free plan · from $11.99 one-time
Beat
Free, open-source Fountain screenwriting app for Mac and iOS
- Beat starts at $11.99 one-time for the iOS app. Vellum starts at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks).
- Beat has a free plan. Vellum does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Beat lists an iOS app.
- Beat is open source, according to its own site.
- Free
Apache OpenOffice
Free open-source office suite with the Writer word processor
- Apache OpenOffice is free. Vellum starts at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks).
- Apache OpenOffice has a free plan. Vellum does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Apache OpenOffice lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Apache OpenOffice is open source, according to its own site.
- Free
Kile
KDE's LaTeX editor with one-click compile and preview
- Kile is free. Vellum starts at $199.99 one-time, before tax (Vellum Ebooks).
- Kile has a free plan. Vellum does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Kile lists Linux and Windows apps.
- Only Vellum lists a macOS app.
Common questions
Is there an open-source alternative to Vellum?
Yes. Pressbooks, Sigil, LibreOffice Writer, Typst, bibisco, Zettlr, Manuskript, novelWriter and 18 more are open source, according to their own sites.
Is Vellum open source?
Vellum is not described as open source on its own site. The listing was checked on Oct 5, 2026 against the pages it cites.
Which of these writing tools are free?
Sigil, LibreOffice Writer, Typst, bibisco, Zettlr, Manuskript, novelWriter, Trelby and 17 more are free or have a free plan.
When was this checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.
This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to Vellum: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.