Ulysses

Subscription writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone with a built-in library and publishing.

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Ulysses

Ulysses is a writing app for Apple devices that keeps all your texts in one library instead of separate files. You write in a clean Markdown-style editor, organise sheets into groups, set word-count goals and deadlines, attach notes and keywords, and get grammar and style checks. Everything syncs over iCloud between Mac, iPad and iPhone. When a piece is ready, you can export to Word, PDF, ePub or HTML with styling, or publish directly to WordPress, Ghost, Medium and Micro.blog, which makes it popular with bloggers, journalists and non-fiction authors. It is sold as a subscription, monthly or yearly, with a free trial and a discount for students, and it is also included in the Setapp bundle. There are no Windows, Android or web versions, the library-based storage can feel locked in compared with plain files, and it offers no real-time collaboration.

Best for: Apple users who write a lot and publish to blogs or ebooks.

What works

Single library with goals, keywords and grouping
Direct publishing to WordPress, Ghost, Medium and Micro.blog
Smooth iCloud sync across Mac, iPad and iPhone

Why people leave

Apple devices only
Subscription pricing
Library storage is less portable than plain files

Top Ulysses alternatives

See all 5

1
iA Writer
One-time purchase with plain-text files and a Windows version.
66.5
2
Scrivener
Stronger for book-length projects, with a one-time license.
62.6
3
Obsidian
Free Markdown editor with local files and cross-platform support.
61.5
4
Apple Pages
Free on Apple devices when you need page layout rather than pure writing.
57.2
5
Bear
Cheaper Markdown notes and writing app on Apple devices.
49.1

Why people left Ulysses

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Ulysses: common questions

Is Ulysses free?

No, Ulysses is a paid product. Price: $39.99/year or $5.99/month (checked on Ulysses's own site).

Is Ulysses open source?

No, Ulysses is not open source.

What platforms does Ulysses run on?

Ulysses is available for macOS and iOS.

What are the best alternatives to Ulysses?

The highest-ranked Ulysses alternatives right now are iA Writer, Scrivener and Obsidian. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Ulysses alternatives

Ulysses facts

4 of 4 verified

Price: $39.99/year or $5.99/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026ulysses.app(opens source in a new tab); “$39.99 per Year Or $5.99 per Month”
Platforms: Mac, iPad, iPhone; Checked Oct 25, 2026ulysses.app(opens source in a new tab); “Ulysses on all your Macs, iPads and iPhones”
Free trial: Yes, fully functional; Checked Oct 25, 2026ulysses.app(opens source in a new tab); “All plans contain a free, fully functional trial.”
Publishing: WordPress, Ghost, Medium, Micro.blog; Checked Oct 25, 2026ulysses.app(opens source in a new tab); “publish them seamlessly to these platforms: WordPress, Ghost, Medium and Micro.blog .”