1Writer vs Ulysses

1Writer

• Writing Markdown on an iPhone or iPad with files kept in Dropbox, iCloud Drive or WebDAV
• People who automate text work with JavaScript actions or URL schemes
• Anyone who wants an editor bought once, with no subscription

Ulysses

• Writers who work only on Apple devices and want their texts on all of them
• Bloggers publishing to WordPress, Ghost or Micro.blog
• Novelists and students keeping many texts in one library

1Writer

• iPhone and iPad only: there is no Android, Windows or web version, and on the Mac it runs only as the iPad app on Apple silicon.
• There is no free version or trial; the app costs $4.99 up front on the US App Store.
• The App Store version history lists only bug-fix releases since April 2021; the most recent is version 3.3.8 from September 2025.

Ulysses

• The site and App Store listing cover Mac, iPad and iPhone only; no Windows, Android or web version is offered.
• The pricing page lists subscriptions only: $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year once the trial ends.
• The trial is described as fully functional, but the site does not say how many days it runs.
• Volume licenses are priced in euros and cover one Mac, one iPad and one iPhone per user.

1Writer

Markdown editing with inline preview

Plain-text and Markdown files show their formatting inline while you write, with a full rich-text preview when you are done. MultiMarkdown is supported.

Sync with iCloud Drive, Dropbox and WebDAV

Pick the Dropbox or WebDAV folders to sync, or sync them all. Changes made offline sync at the next connection, and a document started on a Mac in iCloud Drive can be continued in 1Writer.

Custom actions in JavaScript

Built-in actions can be extended with your own, written in JavaScript or built on the onewriter:// URL scheme, which supports the x-callback-url protocol.

Sharing and export

Generate a link to a document as plain text or PDF, email it as plain text, formatted text or PDF, or copy its HTML to the clipboard.

In-app web browser

Look things up without switching apps, and copy a selection from a web page to the clipboard as Markdown in one action.

Customizable keyboard row

An extra row above the keyboard holds navigation, formatting and special characters, and can be assigned the actions you use most.

Ulysses

Markup-based editor

Text is formatted by typing markup in Markdown XL, Ulysses' own markup language, so headings, lists and emphasis never require leaving the keyboard.

Unified library

Everything is stored in one library and organized into projects, so scenes and chapters can be split into chunks and reordered.

Sync across Apple devices

Texts sync automatically between Mac, iPad and iPhone, and the vendor describes feature parity across macOS and iOS.

Grammar and style check

A built-in proofreader for more than 20 languages suggests fixes for capitalization, punctuation, semantics, redundancy and style.

Export and publishing

Exports PDFs, Word documents, ebooks and HTML with switchable styles, and posts directly to WordPress, Ghost and Micro.blog with images and tags.

Writing goals

Set a character limit, a deadline or a daily goal for a text and track progress against it.

1Writer

• 1Writer$4.99

  one-time purchase on the App Store

  The full app for iPhone and iPad. The in-app purchases are optional tips from $0.99 to $19.99, and the release notes say no update has been charged for.

Ulysses

• Yearly Plan$39.99

  per year

  Ulysses on all your Macs, iPads and iPhones with full sync. Apple Family Sharing with up to five other family members is included.

• Monthly Plan$5.99

  per month

  The same app and sync on every Mac, iPad and iPhone, paid month to month.

• Volume licensing€39.00

  per user / year, plus VAT if applicable

  Licenses for businesses and organizations, bought outside the App Store. Covers one Mac, one iPad and one iPhone per user.

1Writer

No public discounts listed.

Ulysses

• Annual discount

  Yearly plan costs about 44% less than monthly

  The yearly subscription is $39.99, against $71.88 for twelve payments on the $5.99 monthly plan.

• Education

  Student offer: $10.99 per 6 months

  Students enrolled at a high school, vocational school, college or university can apply from inside the app with a valid student ID.

• Other savings

  Apple Family Sharing included

  One subscription can be shared with up to five other family members through Apple Family Sharing.

• Lifetime license

  Perpetual License listed in the App Store

  The US App Store listing shows a Perpetual License in-app purchase at $199.99 alongside the subscriptions. The pricing page does not describe its terms.