Atticus vs AethelWrite
Atticus and AethelWrite have a lot in common: both run in the browser on Windows, macOS and Linux, can be installed as an app and produce EPUBs, print PDFs and DOCX files. The differences lie elsewhere – in sync, languages, AI and the tools for the writing itself.
As of October 2026
The short version
- In common: browser on Windows, macOS and Linux, installable as an app, export to EPUB, PDF and DOCX.
- According to its maker, Atticus is a one-time $147 purchase and offers collaboration with roles. Those are real strengths of Atticus.
- AethelWrite syncs end-to-end encrypted, offers its interface in 21 languages and has optional AI with your own key. According to its own help center, Atticus’s interface is available only in English and it has no AI features.
- AethelWrite includes a Story Bible and read-aloud, adds dictation from Author up, and has a free Starter plan.
At a glance
| Feature | AethelWrite | Atticus |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | In the browser on Windows, macOS and Linux, in a current version of Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox; installable as an app (PWA) in Chrome, Edge and Safari | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook; progressive web app in the browser, per the vendor also on tablets and phones |
| Offline | Yes, after the first visit with a connection: writing continues offline; sync, AI, cloud voices and cloud dictation need a connection | Partly: per its help center, writing works offline, importing and exporting only online |
| Pricing | Starter is free; Author $11/month, $99/year or $299 once (Author Lifetime: every Author feature and all 53 book designs, with no end date for as long as we operate AethelWrite); Writing Studio $28/month | One-time payment of $147, future updates included |
| Our prices are final prices; as a small business under § 19 of the German VAT Act (UStG) we charge no VAT. Customers in Europe, including the UK, pay in euros; all other countries in US dollars. Competitor prices as listed by the vendor, retrieved October 12, 2026, not converted; sales tax or VAT may apply depending on your country. | ||
| Trying it outAethelWrite ahead | Starter is free with no time limit – no trial period, no credit card: up to 35,000 words per book, every book export format, end-to-end encrypted sync for 2 books | No free trial; 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Export | Print PDF of the interior in grayscale with embedded fonts and bleed, with the format specifications of KDP and IngramSpark (paperback and hardcover): with “Create PDF” as PDF/X-1a:20011, for books in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi via the browser’s print dialog; from Author up: print cover to KDP dimensions with calculated spine and EAN-13 barcode; EPUB per store: Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, Nook, tolino; DOCX, RTF, Markdown, TXT, MP3 audiobook (one file per chapter, with your own key for a cloud voice) | EPUB, PDF (print), DOCX |
| ImportAethelWrite ahead | DOCX, ODT, RTF, PDF, EPUB, Markdown, TXT and Scrivener 2 and 3 projects (as a .scriv folder or .zip) | DOCX |
| Book designs | 53 book designs (Starter 4, Author 18, Writing Studio and Author Lifetime all 53) | Per the vendor, 17 templates, 1,200+ combinations, a theme builder and 1,500+ fonts |
| Sync and cloud | Built-in sync, end-to-end encrypted: chapters, titles, structure and Story Bible are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM; active once the Recovery Vault is set up, for 2 books on Starter | Auto-save and cloud backup on AWS, per its help center in an encrypted database |
| CollaborationAtticus ahead | No shared editing with roles; comments in the manuscript, hand-off to editors via DOCX and RTF (comments are not included) | Owner, Co-Writer, Editor (track changes) and Beta Reader (comments) roles; per its help center, every participant needs their own Atticus account |
| Writing tools | Story Bible (characters, places, relationship network, timeline), Series Bible from Author up, daily goals, streaks, heatmap, read-aloud; dictation from Author up | Chapters, scenes, parts and volumes, box sets, word counter, book goals, writing habit tracker, comments, track changes |
| VersionsAethelWrite ahead | Up to 10 versions per book on the device, the latest 3 across all your devices | Version control listed as “Coming Soon” (as of October 2026) |
| AI | Optional, with your own key (BYOK): Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Kimi – your browser calls the provider directly | None; per its help center, none planned at present |
| Interface languagesAethelWrite ahead | 21, including Arabic and Hebrew (right to left) and Japanese, Chinese, Korean | Per its help center, English only; automatic chapter numbers and hyphenation follow English rules, and right-to-left languages are not fully supported |
Note on PDF/X-1a: The print PDF that AethelWrite writes itself via “Create PDF” conforms to PDF/X-1a:2001 (ISO 15930-1). Excluded are PDFs made with “Print / Save as PDF” (the browser’s print dialog) and books in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi, which AethelWrite currently outputs via the print dialog.
The markers refer only to the individual feature and are based on the sources listed below. They are not an overall rating – which program suits you better depends on how you work.
Where AethelWrite differs
End-to-end encrypted sync
According to its help center, Atticus saves automatically and backs up your books on AWS in an encrypted database. Atticus does not describe end-to-end encryption there – which says nothing about how well the data is actually protected.
In AethelWrite, chapters, titles, structure and the Story Bible are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM before they sync, and you hold the key. For completeness: cloud dictation and read-aloud with cloud voices – except Amazon Polly – are relayed through our server to the provider. We don’t store the text, the recording or the key along the way; all we record is when a request came in (for the hourly limit). This path is not end-to-end encrypted.
21 languages, in the interface and on the page
AethelWrite’s interface comes in 21 languages, and every book can be typeset in any of them, including right-to-left Arabic and Hebrew, and Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Typography and chapter headings work in all 21 languages, hyphenation in the languages written in Latin or Cyrillic script; Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi are not hyphenated, in line with their typesetting conventions.
According to its help center, Atticus’s interface is available only in English; automatic chapter numbers and hyphenation follow English rules, and right-to-left languages are not fully supported.
Tools for the writing itself
Atticus offers chapters, scenes, book goals and a writing habit tracker. AethelWrite adds a Story Bible with characters, places, a relationship network and a timeline; from Author up, a Series Bible for book series joins it.
There is also read-aloud on every plan, with your device voice or one of seven cloud providers through your own key, and, from Author up, dictation via the browser’s speech recognition (Chrome, Edge, Safari) or, with your own key, Whisper or Deepgram.
AI with your own key
According to its own help center, Atticus has no AI features and has no plans to add them at present. In AethelWrite the AI Ghostwriter is optional: you add a key for Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek or Kimi, and your browser calls the provider directly with no markup from us. AethelWrite does not train AI on your writing.
Book designs: curated set or construction kit
Atticus lists 17 templates plus a theme builder that, per the vendor, yields more than 1,200 combinations. AethelWrite relies on finished designs: 53 book designs (Starter 4, Author 18, Writing Studio and Author Lifetime all 53), each with its own front matter, chapter openings and type area. If you enjoy designing your own look, the Atticus theme builder gives you more room.
When Atticus is the better choice
- You want to pay $147 once and receive all future updates.
- You work with a co-author, an editor or beta readers inside the same book – Atticus offers roles with track changes and comments for that.
- You want to build your own book design in a theme builder with a large font library.
- You publish box sets of several volumes in one file.
- You specifically want no AI features in your software.
Moving from Atticus to AethelWrite
Export your book from Atticus as DOCX or EPUB and import the file into AethelWrite; before anything is brought in, a preview shows the chapters it found. AethelWrite reads DOCX, ODT, RTF, PDF, EPUB, Markdown, TXT and Scrivener 2 and 3 projects (as a .scriv folder or .zip).
Then choose a book design in the Book Formatter and check the print PDF and the EPUB in the preview before you export.
Frequently asked questions
What do Atticus and AethelWrite have in common?
According to its maker (as of October 2026), Atticus, like AethelWrite, runs in the browser on Windows, Mac and Linux and can be installed as an app; both export EPUBs, print PDFs and DOCX files. Both work offline with limits: per its help center, Atticus needs a connection for importing and exporting, AethelWrite for sync, AI, cloud voices and cloud dictation.
Is AethelWrite’s sync encrypted?
Yes, end to end: chapters, titles, structure and the Story Bible are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM before they sync. Sync starts once you have set up the Recovery Vault; on Starter it covers 2 books.
Can I buy AethelWrite once?
Yes. Author Lifetime costs $299 once, no subscription, and has no end date for as long as we operate AethelWrite; should we ever discontinue it, we will announce that at least twelve months in advance. The Starter plan is free with no time limit.
Can I work on a book together with others in AethelWrite?
AethelWrite does not offer shared editing with roles the way Atticus does according to its maker (as of October 2026). For editors and publishers you export DOCX or RTF; comments are not included. The Correction Center compares the edited file with your book chapter by chapter.
Try it yourself
The Starter plan is free with no time limit – no trial period, no credit card – including every book export format and 4 of 53 book designs.