Ulysses vs Vellum

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

Vellum

• Self-publishing authors on a Mac who format their own books
• Authors with many titles, since one license covers unlimited books and pen names
• Producing ebook and print editions of a book from a single file

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.

Vellum

• Mac only, on macOS 13 or newer. It does not run on iPad, and the vendor says it has no plans for a native Windows version.
• The free download cannot generate files for publishing; that step requires buying Vellum Ebooks or Vellum Press.
• Print editions need Vellum Press. Upgrading from Vellum Ebooks after 30 days costs $69.99, more than the $50 gap between the two prices.
• A license is tied to one individual and cannot be shared with a co-worker or assistant. Listed prices do not include tax.

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.

Vellum

Manuscript import

Imports any .docx file, including ones made in Word, Scrivener or Pages, and builds the book's structure with a title page and table of contents.

Book Styles

A chosen style, with drop caps, embedded fonts and flourishes, is applied to every chapter, including ones added later. Custom ornaments and backgrounds can be added.

Live preview

Shows how the ebook will appear on a range of devices and how the print edition will look, updating with every edit.

Ebook generation

Generates files for Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books and other stores in EPUB 3 or EPUB 2, with image optimization and output the vendor describes as ACE-approved for accessibility.

Print editions

With Vellum Press, sets margins, page numbers, headers and footers for 24 trim sizes plus large print, handles widows and spread balancing, and outputs PDF/X-1a.

Box sets and advance copies

Combines a finished series into a box set in a few steps and produces advance reader copies for beta readers in EPUB and MOBI.

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.

Vellum

• Vellum Ebooks$199.99

  one-time purchase, before tax

  Create unlimited ebooks for stores such as Kindle, Kobo and Apple Books. Does not include print editions.

• Vellum Press$249.99

  one-time purchase, before tax

  Create unlimited ebooks plus print editions that can be printed as paperbacks or hardcovers.

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.

Vellum

No public discounts listed.