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Ulysses alternatives · Writing

Free alternatives to Ulysses

Ulysses has no free plan. 44 of the 67 other writing tools in this directory are free or have a free plan.

Ulysses is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month. 8 of them have no paid plan at all; the rest pair a free plan with paid ones.

44 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 9, 2026 · Where the facts come from

The 12 closest to Ulysses

  1. JotterPad

    Markdown and Fountain editor for books, papers and screenplays

    What is free: Free with limited access: Markdown editing, importing .md, .fountain and .fdx files, Unsplash images, and printing Markdown to PDF with a watermark. No cloud sync.

    • JotterPad starts at $29.99 per year on the App Store; $3.33 per month billed annually on the web. Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
    • JotterPad has a free plan. Ulysses does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only JotterPad lists a web app.
    • Only JotterPad lists an Android app.
    JotterPad vs UlyssesJotterPad pricing and details

  2. ProWritingAid

    Grammar, style and story-critique toolkit for book writers

    What is free: Grammar, spelling and punctuation checks on up to 500 words at a time, 2 runs of each line-editing report, 10 Rephrases, 3 Sparks and 3 Creative Nudges a day.

    • ProWritingAid starts at $10 per month, billed yearly ($120). Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
    • ProWritingAid has a free plan. Ulysses does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only ProWritingAid lists a web app.
    • Only ProWritingAid lists a Windows app.
    ProWritingAid pricing and details

  3. Novlr

    Browser-based novel writing workspace built around writing goals

    What is free: 2 projects with sync across devices, notes, the planning grid, focus mode, writing sprints, streaks, comments, writing analytics and starter Academy courses.

    • Novlr starts at $8 per month, billed yearly ($96); $10 billed monthly (Starter). Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
    • Novlr has a free plan. Ulysses does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Novlr lists a web app.
    • Only Ulysses lists macOS and iOS apps.
    Novlr pricing and details

  4. Zettlr

    Free, open-source Markdown editor for academic writing

    What is free: Everything. There is no paid plan.

    • Zettlr is free. Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
    • Zettlr has a free plan. Ulysses does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Zettlr lists Windows and Linux apps.
    • Only Ulysses lists an iOS app.
    Zettlr pricing and details

  5. AutoCrit

    Online manuscript editor and story analysis for book authors

    What is free: Free Forever: the writing platform with no word limits, digital noteboards and cards, and select editing tools including Adverbs, Word Choice and Readability.

    • AutoCrit starts at $15 per month, billed annually. Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
    • AutoCrit has a free plan. Ulysses does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only AutoCrit lists a web app.
    • Only Ulysses lists macOS and iOS apps.
    AutoCrit pricing and details

  6. Manuskript

    Free, open-source novel planner with an outliner and index cards

    What is free: Everything. There is no paid plan.

    • Manuskript is free. Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
    • Manuskript has a free plan. Ulysses does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Manuskript lists Windows and Linux apps.
    • Only Ulysses lists an iOS app.
    Manuskript pricing and details

  7. novelWriter

    Free, open-source plain-text editor for writing novels

    What is free: Everything. There is no paid plan.

    • novelWriter is free. Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
    • novelWriter has a free plan. Ulysses does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only novelWriter lists Linux and Windows apps.
    • Only Ulysses lists macOS and iOS apps.
    novelWriter pricing and details

  8. Grammarly

    Writing assistant for grammar, tone and rewrites in any app

    What is free: Spelling and grammar corrections, tone detection and 100 AI prompts a month. Docs is free to use, though some of its agents are limited to Pro.

    • Grammarly starts at $12 per member / month, billed annually. Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
    • Grammarly has a free plan. Ulysses does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Grammarly lists a web app.
    • Only Grammarly lists Windows and Android apps.
    Grammarly pricing and details

  9. Microsoft Word

    Word processor sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser

    What is free: Word for the web is free for 1 person: real-time collaboration, basic spelling and grammar, basic templates, dictation and 5 GB of cloud storage. The mobile apps cover basic editing without a subscription.

    • Microsoft Word starts at $9.99 / month, or $99.99 / year (Microsoft 365 Personal). Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
    • Microsoft Word has a free plan. Ulysses does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Microsoft Word lists a web app.
    • Only Microsoft Word lists Windows and Android apps.
    Microsoft Word pricing and details

  10. QuillBot

    AI paraphraser with grammar, summarizing and AI-detection tools

    What is free: Paraphrase up to 125 words in 2 modes, basic grammar fixes, summaries of up to 1,200 words, and limited use of the Humanizer, AI Detector and AI chat. Limits may vary across platforms.

    • QuillBot starts at $8.33 per month, billed annually (Premium). Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
    • QuillBot has a free plan. Ulysses does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only QuillBot lists a web app.
    • Only QuillBot lists Windows and Android apps.
    QuillBot pricing and details

  11. Hemingway Editor

    Readability editor that flags wordy, hard-to-read sentences

    What is free: The free web editor highlights hard-to-read sentences, passive voice and weak wording and grades readability. Grammar fixes and AI rewrites need Hemingway Editor Plus.

    • Hemingway Editor starts at $8.33 per month, billed annually ($100); desktop app $19.99 once. Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
    • Hemingway Editor has a free plan. Ulysses does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Hemingway Editor lists a web app.
    • Only Hemingway Editor lists a Windows app.
    Hemingway Editor pricing and details

  12. LanguageTool

    Grammar and style checker for more than 30 languages

    What is free: Basic plan: grammar, punctuation and spelling checks in 30+ languages on up to 2,000 characters per text field, with limited Picky Mode and 3 AI rephrasings a day.

    • LanguageTool starts at $4.99 per month on a 2-year plan ($119.80); $69.90 billed annually. Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
    • LanguageTool has a free plan. Ulysses does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only LanguageTool lists a web app.
    • Only LanguageTool lists a Windows app.
    LanguageTool pricing and details

32 more that are free or have a free plan

All 44 in one table

Common questions

Is there a free alternative to Ulysses?

Yes. JotterPad, ProWritingAid, Novlr, Zettlr, AutoCrit, Manuskript, novelWriter, Grammarly and 36 more are free or have a free plan.

Does Ulysses have a free plan?

Ulysses has no free plan. Ulysses is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.

When was this checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Oct 9, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.

This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to Ulysses: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.