# Alternatives to Ulysses

Markdown writing library for Apple devices.

Ulysses ranks #1 of 10 in Writing apps, with an Alt Score of 91. It is proprietary, sold by subscription from $5.99/month and available on macOS and iOS. 10 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ulysses/
Category: Writing apps

## Where Ulysses stands out

- **Version history** — 2 of 7 apps with a verified answer have this
- **Publishing integrations** — 3 of 6 apps with a verified answer have this
- **Sync between devices** — 4 of 9 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Writers who work on long-form or ongoing projects — novelists, bloggers, journalists, and students — who write across Mac, iPad, and iPhone and want their work in one place.
- **What you get**: A unified library that syncs all texts across Apple devices, with folders and sections for organizing long or multi-part projects. A distraction-free Markdown editor with built-in grammar and style checking in 20+ languages. Goal-setting tools for deadlines, daily word counts, and character limits. Export to PDF, Word, and ebook formats, plus direct publishing to WordPress, Ghost, Medium, and Micro.blog.
- **How it works**: You write in plain-text Markdown within Ulysses's editor, organizing pieces into sheets, groups, and folders in the central library. When a piece is ready, you export it to a file format or publish it directly to a connected blog or CMS.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Pricing model**: Subscription (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Starts at**: $5.99/month (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Platforms**: macOS, iOS
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [iA Writer](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ia-writer.md) | 86 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS |
| 2 | [Scrivener](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/scrivener.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS |
| 3 | [Atticus](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/atticus.md) | 73 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web |
| 4 | [Dabble](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/dabble.md) | 68 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Web |
| 5 | [Manuskript](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/manuskript.md) | 68 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 6 | [novelWriter](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/novelwriter.md) | 68 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 7 | [Typora](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/typora.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 8 | [Ghostwriter](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ghostwriter.md) | 50 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, Linux |
| 9 | [FocusWriter](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/focuswriter.md) | 42 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Writing apps checklist | Ulysses | iA Writer | Scrivener | Atticus | Dabble | Manuskript |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Subscription | One-time | One-time | One-time | Subscription | Free |
| Starts at | $5.99/month | $29.99 one-time | $23.99 | $147 one-time | $19/month | ? |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | GPL-3.0 |
| Platforms | macOS, iOS | Windows, macOS, iOS | Windows, macOS, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web | Windows, macOS, Web | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Markdown support | Yes | Yes | Partial | ? | ? | Yes |
| Distraction-free mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Long-form organization (chapters) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Goals & word counts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Export formats (docx, epub, pdf) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Sync between devices | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Version history | Yes | Partial | Yes | ? | No | ? |
| One-time purchase option | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Offline | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Publishing integrations | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ? | ? |

## Sources

Sources for Ulysses. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **License**: Proprietary — <https://ulysses.app/imprint/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “© 2026 Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG”
- **Starts at**: $5.99/month — <https://ulysses.app/pricing/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “$5.99 per Month”
- **Platforms**: macOS, iOS — <https://help.ulysses.app/faqs> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “iOS/iPadOS 18.6 or later and macOS 14.0 or later”
- **Pricing model**: Subscription — <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ulysses-writing-app/id1225570693> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Ulysses requires a subscription. We offer monthly and yearly subscription plans.”
- **Status**: active — <https://ulysses.app/release-notes/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “40.1 JULY 3, 2026”
- **Markdown support**: Yes — <https://help.ulysses.app/en_US/getting-started/first-steps-markdown-xl> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “By default, Ulysses uses its native markup language, dubbed Markdown XL.”
- **Distraction-free mode**: Yes — <https://help.ulysses.app/en_US/getting-started/details-and-tips> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “There is a full-screen mode, for example, which lets Ulysses take over your entire screen so other apps can't distract you.”
- **Long-form organization (chapters)**: Yes — <https://help.ulysses.app/en_US/getting-started/first-steps-library-editor> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “The library lets you access your groups and projects.”
- **Goals & word counts**: Yes — <https://help.ulysses.app/en_US/getting-started/details-and-tips> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Writing goals allow you to track your progress toward a certain word or character limit or even target a specific reading time.”
- **Export formats (docx, epub, pdf)**: Yes — <https://help.ulysses.app/en_US/export-publishing/export> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Text, HTML, ePub, PDF, or DOCX.”
- **Sync between devices**: Yes — <https://help.ulysses.app/en_US/subscription-synchronization/synchronization-issues> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Ulysses synchronizes the content via your iCloud account.”
- **Version history**: Yes — <https://help.ulysses.app/en_US/the-library/backups> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Ulysses automatically creates backups and stores them locally on each device you use.”
- **One-time purchase option**: No — <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ulysses-writing-app/id1225570693> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Ulysses requires a subscription. We offer monthly and yearly subscription plans.”
- **Offline**: Yes — <https://help.ulysses.app/en_US/the-library/ulysses-library> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Anything you create in this section will be stored locally on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone without being synced across your other devices.”
- **Publishing integrations**: Yes — <https://help.ulysses.app/en_US/getting-started/first-steps-export-more> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “The publishing feature works with WordPress, Ghost, Micro.blog and Medium.”

---
Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/