Alternatives to Ulysses

A focused writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone with project management, sync and export. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

  • Ulysses

    A focused writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone with project management, sync and export.

    PaidProprietarymacOSiOS

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Ulysses.

  • Scrivener

    A writing app for drafting and organising long documents such as novels, screenplays and theses.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSiOS

    Scrivener handles long manuscripts with research and draft in one project, adds a Windows version, and is paid software with more complexity than Ulysses.

  • iA Writer

    Minimalist Markdown writing app focused on the text.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    iA Writer is a paid minimalist Markdown app on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS that keeps plain files in your folders but has no project library.

  • Notebooks

    A writing, notes and task app for Mac and iOS that organises documents in nested books.

    PaidProprietarymacOSiOS

    Notebooks is a Mac and iOS app for notes, long documents and tasks in nested books, sold as a one-time purchase with PDF and ebook export.

  • Bear

    Apple-exclusive markdown notes app with tag-based organization and a polished editor.

    FreemiumProprietarymacOSiOS

    Bear is an Apple-only Markdown notes app with tag-based organization and a freemium model, aimed at notes more than long writing projects.

  • Zettlr

    Write and organize Markdown documents for publication.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Zettlr is a free GPL-3.0 Markdown app for Windows, macOS and Linux focused on organizing documents for publication, with no iOS version.

  • Typora

    A polished Markdown editor with live in-place rendering, sold as a one-off purchase rather than a subscription.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    Typora is a one-time purchase Markdown editor with live rendering on Windows, macOS and Linux, but it has no sync, library or mobile app.

  • Craft

    Native docs app with real-time collaboration and deep integration into Apple's ecosystem.

    FreemiumProprietarymacOSiOS

    Craft is an Apple-native docs app with real-time collaboration and nested pages, freemium with premium features by subscription.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Ulysses as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Effie

    A minimalist writing app combining notes, outlines and mind maps, with an optional AI assistant.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    Ulysses is a paid, distraction-free writing app for Apple devices with a library for large projects and grammar checking, but it lacks mind maps and Windows or Android apps.

  • ghostwriter

    Write Markdown in a distraction-free desktop editor.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinux

    Ulysses is a paid distraction-free writing app with a project library, sync and export, but it runs only on Apple devices instead of Windows and Linux.

  • Manuskript

    Plan and draft long writing projects on your desktop.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Ulysses is a paid, Apple-only writing app with a distraction-free editor, a library for large projects, grammar checking in over 20 languages and flexible export.

  • novelWriter

    Write novels as a collection of manageable text documents.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Ulysses is a paid, distraction-free writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone with a library for large projects and grammar checking, limited to Apple platforms.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.