iA Writer vs Ulysses
We give iA Writer a 3.2 GPA and Ulysses a 3.0, out of 4.0. iA Writer grades higher on platforms. Ulysses grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
iA Writer
Minimal plain-text Markdown writing app with Focus Mode
Ulysses
Markup-based writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAiA WriterVery good | 3.0GPAUlyssesVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AA one-time payment: $19.99 for iPhone and iPad, $29.99 for Windows, $49.99 for Mac. Paid writing tools typically start around $10 a month, so even the Mac app costs less than half a year of that. Each platform is bought separately, and major updates may cost extra. | A$39.99 a year, or $5.99 a month. Paid writing apps typically start around $10 a month, so the yearly plan is about a third of that. One subscription covers all your Macs, iPads and iPhones, and Family Sharing with up to five others is included. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free version. Mac and Windows get a 7-day free trial with no credit card. No trial is listed for iPhone and iPad, so there you pay the $19.99 first. | CNo free plan. Every plan starts with a free trial that's fully functional, sync and export included, but Ulysses doesn't say how many days it runs. After that it's $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year. |
| Features | BFocus Mode fades all but the current sentence or paragraph. Authorship shows AI text in colour and your own in black and white. Style Check flags clichés and filler. Markdown with a styled Preview, and export to HTML, PDF or Word. It's bare on purpose, and it does that fully, without a lot around it. | AYou format by typing markup, so your hands stay on the keys. One library holds everything, split into projects you can reorder. A proofreader covers grammar and style in more than 20 languages. It exports PDF, Word, ebooks and HTML, and posts straight to WordPress, Ghost and Micro.blog. |
| Ease of use | B4.56 from about 1,500 App Store ratings, just under our line for an A. There are no toolbars or buttons to learn, only the text. Formatting is Markdown, which you type yourself. | B4.58 from about 2,100 App Store ratings, a whisker under our line for an A. Formatting is done in Markdown XL, Ulysses' own markup language, which takes a little learning if you've never typed markup before. |
| Platforms and integrations | AMac, Windows, iPhone and iPad, and the iPhone and iPad listing names WordPress and Medium as export targets. There are gaps, though: the Android app was removed from sale in September 2024, and iA says it isn't planning a web version. | CMac, iPad and iPhone only, with no Windows, Android or web version. Inside Apple it's strong: texts sync automatically, the features match across macOS and iOS, and it publishes to WordPress, Ghost and Micro.blog. |
| Best for | distraction-free Markdown writing, paid for once | writing anything long on Apple devices |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: iA Writer and Ulysses. How we grade
Where they differ
- iA Writer starts at $19.99 one-time (iPhone and iPad); $29.99 Windows, $49.99 Mac. Ulysses starts at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.
- Only iA Writer lists a Windows app.
- iA Writer can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Ulysses also covers long-form writing.
At a glance
| iA Writer | Ulysses | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $19.99 one-time (iPhone and iPad); $29.99 Windows, $49.99 Mac | $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial for Mac and Windows, no credit card required. No trial is listed for iPhone and iPad. | Every plan includes a free, fully functional trial with sync and export. The site does not state how long it lasts. |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Information Architects AG | Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG |
| Price read from | ia.net | ulysses.app |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
iA Writer
- Writers who want a bare Markdown editor with no toolbars
- People who want to see which text they typed and which they pasted from AI
- Buyers who prefer a one-time payment to a 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
Worth knowing
iA Writer
- Each platform is a separate purchase: Mac, Windows, and iPhone and iPad are bought individually.
- The Android app was removed from sale in September 2024, and iA says it is not planning a web-based version.
- A one-time payment covers the current version; minor updates are free, but major updates may cost extra.
- The 7-day free trial is offered for Mac and Windows only.
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.
Key features
iA Writer
- Focus Mode
- Highlights the sentence or paragraph being written and fades the rest of the document, in an interface with no buttons or title bar.
- Authorship
- Tracks what was typed and what was pasted. Your own words stay black and white, AI text appears in color and other authors in subtle tones.
- Style Check
- Flags clichés, fillers and clutter and leaves the decision to cut them with the writer. The check runs on the device.
- Plain text with Markdown
- Documents are plain text formatted with Markdown. A Preview shows the styled result using a template, and links, pictures and tables can be embedded.
- Export
- Copies a document as HTML or exports it to PDF or Microsoft Word. The iPhone and iPad listing also names WordPress and Medium as export targets.
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.
Plans
iA Writer
iPhone & iPad$19.99
one-time payment, App Store only
The iPhone and iPad app, sold only through the App Store. Requires iOS 15 or later.
Windows$29.99
one-time payment
Bought directly from iA and usable on more than one Windows PC. Requires Windows 10 or later.
Mac$49.99
one-time payment
Bought directly from iA or on the Mac App Store. Requires macOS 10.15 or later.
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.
Ways to pay less
iA Writer
- Education
20% educational discount on direct purchases
iA offers a 20% educational discount on the Mac and Windows versions bought directly from it. App Store copies get education pricing on 20 or more licenses through Apple School Manager.
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.
