Finding the Right Cover Tool
With dozens of book cover tools available, from completely free options to premium subscription services, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Each tool makes bold claims about features and ease of use, but which actually delivers value for indie authors?
We have tested the most popular options extensively so you do not have to. This guide provides an honest comparison of features, pricing, pros, cons, and recommendations for different author needs. By the end, you will know exactly which tool matches your budget, skill level, and publishing goals.
Quick Comparison Overview
Before diving into detailed reviews, here is a quick reference of the major tools. PublishReady offers a free tier and a nine dollar per month subscription, with automatic KDP cover generation, book formatting, and 3D mockups all included. Canva provides a free tier and a thirteen dollar per month Pro plan, offering general design capabilities but requiring manual KDP setup. BookBrush has a free tier and a ten dollar per month subscription, excelling at 3D mockups and marketing graphics but lacking formatting features. Atticus costs one hundred forty-seven dollars as a one-time purchase, focusing purely on formatting with fifty plus templates but no cover creation. Vellum costs two hundred forty-nine dollars one-time for Mac only, providing the industry standard for formatting quality but again no cover tools.
Canva: The General Purpose Design Tool
Canva has become the go-to design platform for millions of users across all industries, not just book publishing. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes design accessible to complete beginners, and its massive template library provides starting points for virtually any project.
The platform excels at creating social media graphics, promotional materials, and marketing content. Its Magic Media AI feature can generate custom images, and the Pro subscription unlocks millions of stock photos, graphics, and fonts. For authors who need to create newsletters, blog graphics, and social media posts alongside their book covers, Canva provides tremendous value.
However, Canva has significant limitations for book covers specifically. It does not automatically calculate KDP dimensions, bleed areas, or spine widths. Authors must manually set up their canvas dimensions for each book, and mistakes in these calculations lead to rejected uploads or poorly printed covers. The platform's templates are designed for general use, not specifically optimized for book genre conventions.
Our verdict: Canva works well as a supplementary tool for marketing materials, but requires substantial KDP knowledge to create print-ready book covers without rejection.
BookBrush: The Marketing Specialist
BookBrush was built specifically for authors, which immediately sets it apart from general-purpose design tools. Its 3D book mockup generator remains one of the best in the industry, creating realistic images of your book in various settings that look fantastic in advertisements and on author websites.
The platform includes templates designed specifically for Facebook ads, Amazon ads, Instagram posts, and other marketing channels. Authors running paid advertising campaigns will find these templates save significant time and produce professional results. The Instant Mockup feature lets you upload a flat cover and generate dozens of 3D angles in seconds.
The cover designer itself, while functional, is less intuitive than Canva and offers fewer creative options. The free tier restricts access to fonts and premium elements, pushing users toward the subscription. Most notably, BookBrush provides no book formatting capabilities whatsoever, meaning authors need a separate tool for interior layout.
Our verdict: BookBrush is excellent for authors who run advertising and need professional mockups and ad graphics, but it serves as only one piece of a larger publishing toolkit.
Atticus: The Premium Formatting Solution
Atticus represents a significant investment at one hundred forty-seven dollars, but it delivers a comprehensive writing and formatting environment that many serious authors swear by. The software works on Mac, Windows, and in web browsers, eliminating the platform restrictions that limit competitors.
With over fifty formatting templates covering every major genre, Atticus produces beautiful print and ebook files that rival traditionally published books. The software combines writing features like goal tracking and chapter organization with formatting capabilities, creating an all-in-one workspace for book creation.
The one-time payment model means no recurring costs, which appeals to authors publishing multiple books over time. The learning curve is steeper than simpler tools, but the depth of customization rewards those willing to invest time in mastering the software.
The major limitation is the complete absence of cover creation features. Authors using Atticus must look elsewhere for their cover needs, whether that means hiring a designer, using another tool, or learning design software independently.
Our verdict: Atticus is the best pure formatting tool for authors willing to make an upfront investment and use a separate solution for covers.
Vellum: The Mac-Only Gold Standard
Vellum has earned its reputation as the industry standard for book formatting, and many traditionally published authors use it for their self-published projects. The preview feature shows exactly how your book will look across all ebook platforms and in print, eliminating guesswork entirely.
The formatting quality is exceptional, with attention to typographic details that casual observers might not consciously notice but that contribute to a premium reading experience. Export options cover every major distribution platform, and the software handles conversion automatically.
At two hundred forty-nine dollars, Vellum represents the most expensive option in this comparison. More significantly, the software runs only on Mac computers, completely excluding Windows users. Authors without Mac hardware cannot use Vellum regardless of budget.
Like Atticus, Vellum provides no cover creation capabilities. It solves formatting brilliantly but leaves covers as a separate problem requiring a separate solution.
Our verdict: Vellum is the gold standard for formatting quality, but only for Mac users with substantial budgets and separate cover solutions.
Amazon KDP Cover Creator: The Basic Free Option
Amazon provides its own Cover Creator tool directly within the KDP dashboard, and it costs nothing to use. The tool guarantees that any cover created will meet KDP specifications, eliminating worries about rejections due to technical issues.
For authors with absolutely no design budget and minimal design ambitions, Cover Creator provides a functional solution. The templates are simple, the customization options are limited, but the covers it produces will technically work.
The severe limitation is quality. Covers created with this tool look generic and obviously template-based. In a marketplace where eye-catching covers drive sales, a Cover Creator design puts your book at a competitive disadvantage. Readers have become sophisticated at recognizing template covers, and many will scroll past them without a second glance.
Our verdict: Cover Creator is functional but will never produce a bestseller-quality cover. Use it only as an absolute last resort.
PublishReady: The All-in-One Solution
PublishReady was built to solve the fragmentation problem that indie authors face. Instead of juggling multiple tools for covers, formatting, and mockups, authors can handle everything in one platform. The free tier allows three covers and three formatted books per month, making it accessible to authors just starting out.
The KDP cover generator automatically calculates dimensions, bleed, and spine width based on your specifications. Simply upload front and back cover images, enter your page count and trim size, and receive a print-ready PDF that meets Amazon's requirements exactly. No manual calculations or guesswork required.
Seven genre-specific formatting templates apply appropriate fonts, ornaments, spacing, and styling for different book categories. The formatter handles margins, indentation, chapter headings, scene breaks, and all the details covered in our formatting mistakes article. Upload a manuscript and download a professionally formatted DOCX file in under sixty seconds.
The nine dollar per month Indie tier expands limits to ten covers and ten formatted books monthly, while the twenty-nine dollar Pro tier provides unlimited usage plus premium features like custom fonts and API access.
Our verdict: PublishReady offers the best value for authors who need both covers and formatting without learning multiple tools or maintaining multiple subscriptions.
Which Tool Should You Use?
The right choice depends on your specific situation, budget, and needs. Here are our recommendations for common scenarios.
If you have zero budget, start with PublishReady's free tier for covers and formatting. Supplement with Canva's free tier for social media graphics and marketing materials. This combination costs nothing and covers most publishing needs.
If you want the best possible formatting quality and have a Mac, Vellum at two hundred forty-nine dollars remains the industry leader. Pair it with any cover tool that meets your needs and budget.
If you want excellent formatting and use Windows, Atticus at one hundred forty-seven dollars provides comparable quality across all platforms. Again, you will need a separate cover solution.
If you focus heavily on advertising and marketing, BookBrush's mockup and ad template features justify its subscription cost. Consider pairing it with PublishReady for covers and formatting.
If you want everything in one place with no complexity, PublishReady is the only platform that combines KDP covers, professional formatting, and mockups in a single subscription. This simplicity saves time and reduces the learning curve for new authors.
The Real Cost Calculation
When comparing annual costs for an author publishing four books per year, the numbers tell an interesting story. Combining Canva Pro with Atticus would cost approximately three hundred dollars in the first year and one hundred fifty-six dollars in subsequent years. BookBrush alone costs one hundred twenty dollars annually. PublishReady Indie costs one hundred eight dollars annually. Hiring professional designers for covers and formatting typically costs twelve hundred dollars or more per year for four books.
PublishReady offers the lowest total cost while covering both covers and formatting in one subscription. Authors who previously paid separate subscriptions for multiple tools often find they can consolidate and save money while simplifying their workflow.
Conclusion
There is no single best tool for every author, but there is a best tool for your specific situation. Need formatting only with maximum quality? Choose Atticus or Vellum. Need marketing graphics and mockups? Add BookBrush. Want everything in one place with minimum complexity? PublishReady provides covers, formatting, and mockups in a single platform.
Ready to see how PublishReady compares for yourself? Try it free and create your first cover in under 60 seconds. No credit card required, and you can publish your first three books without spending a dollar.