Atticus vs Sigil (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Atticus if

• Fits if you self-publish and want to do the ebook and print formatting yourself
• Works for writers on Windows, Linux or a Chromebook who'd rather pay once than subscribe

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you want to try before you buy, as there's no trial and no free version, only a 30-day refund
• Pricey if you work with an editor or beta readers, since each of them has to buy Atticus too
• Skip it if you need version control today, which Atticus's own comparison table lists as coming soon
• Watch out: the installable app goes through Chrome, and the help center says not to use Edge
• Skip it if you want a phone app or links to other tools, as none are listed

Pick Sigil if

• Fits if you format your own EPUB files and want control over the code
• Works for editors cleaning up ebooks that came from other tools

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to write a manuscript in it, as it edits EPUB markup, not prose
• Not for you if HTML and CSS are new to you, because Code View assumes you know them
• Watch out: it's maintained by volunteers, so support means project channels, not a help desk
• Too light for phones and tablets, since only Windows, Mac and Linux are listed

Atticus

• There is no free trial or free version; the vendor offers a 30-day money-back guarantee instead, and says it has no discounts.
• The installable app is a Progressive Web App set up through Chrome, and the help center advises against using the Edge browser.
• Editors, co-writers and beta readers each need their own purchased Atticus account to collaborate inside the app.
• Export covers EPUB, PDF and DOCX, and the vendor's own comparison table lists version control as coming soon.

Sigil

• It edits EPUB markup rather than writing prose, so a manuscript is usually drafted elsewhere and imported.
• Code View assumes some comfort with HTML and CSS.
• It is maintained by volunteers, with support through the project's channels rather than a company help desk.
• No mobile or web version is listed.

Atticus

Writing editor

A manuscript editor organized by chapter, with writing goals, outlining, footnotes and endnotes, so a book can be drafted in the same app that formats it.

Themes and custom theme builder

17 formatting templates that the vendor says combine into more than 1,200 looks, a builder for custom chapter themes, and a library of over 1,500 fonts.

Device previewer

Shows how the book will look on devices such as an iPhone, iPad, Galaxy phone, Fire tablet and Kindle Paperwhite before it is exported.

Import and export

Imports an existing manuscript as a DOCX file and exports EPUB for ebooks, PDF for print and DOCX for sharing with an editor.

Offline writing with cloud backup

Saves automatically and backs books up to the cloud. Writing continues offline and syncs once the device is back online; importing and exporting need a connection.

Collaboration roles

Books can be shared with collaborators assigned as Author, Editor, Co-writer or Beta Reader, with comments in the editor.

Sigil

EPUB 2 and EPUB 3

Supports both versions of the EPUB specification, with direct editing of the EPUB's markup in Code View.

Code View and Preview View

Edit the markup and see how the page looks in a preview, so layout can be checked as you work.

Table of contents and metadata

A table of contents generator that handles multi-level headings, plus a metadata editor.

Regex find and replace

Find and replace with full regular-expression (PCRE) support, and spell checking with user dictionaries.

Import and cleanup

Imports EPUB and HTML files, images and style sheets, and can mend formatting or tidy the code.

Plugins and checkpoints

Plugin support extends the editor, and checkpoints let you compare snapshots of changes.

Atticus

• Atticus$147

  one-time payment

  Access to the full app for ebook and print formatting with ongoing updates at no extra cost, covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Sigil

• Free$0

  The full application, free and open source under the GPLv3.