# Ulysses

> Markup-based writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone

Ulysses is a writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone that pairs a markup-based editor with one library for everything from blog posts to book manuscripts. Texts sync between devices, a built-in checker covers grammar and style in more than 20 languages, and finished work can be exported as a PDF, Word document, ebook or HTML, or published straight to a blog. It is sold by subscription.

- **Category:** Writing Tools
- **Made by:** Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG (since 2003)
- **Website:** https://ulysses.app
- **Runs on:** macOS, iOS
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 5, 2026

## Pricing

Ulysses is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month.

- **Pricing model:** Free trial
- **Free plan:** None.
- **Free trial:** Every plan includes a free, fully functional trial with sync and export. The site does not state how long it lasts.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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. |

Read from https://ulysses.app/pricing/ on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Ulysses before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **Yearly plan costs about 44% less than monthly** (Annual discount): The yearly subscription is $39.99, against $71.88 for twelve payments on the $5.99 monthly plan. Source: https://ulysses.app/pricing/
- **Student offer: $10.99 per 6 months** (Education): Students enrolled at a high school, vocational school, college or university can apply from inside the app with a valid student ID. Source: https://ulysses.app/students/
- **Apple Family Sharing included** (Other savings): One subscription can be shared with up to five other family members through Apple Family Sharing. Source: https://ulysses.app/pricing/
- **Perpetual License listed in the App Store** (Lifetime license): 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. Source: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ulysses-writing-app/id1225570693

## Key features

- **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.

## Good for

- 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

- 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.

## What people say

- **App Store rating of the iPhone and iPad app:** 4.6 out of 5 from 2,125 ratings in the United States, read Oct 5, 2026. This is the store's rating of the app, not a score from ToolGPA. Source: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1225570693

## Works with

WordPress, Ghost, Micro.blog

**Tags:** Long-form writing, Markdown, Grammar & style

## Alternatives

- [iA Writer](https://toolgpa.com/tools/ia-writer): Minimal plain-text Markdown writing app with Focus Mode. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/ia-writer-vs-ulysses)
- [Scrivener](https://toolgpa.com/tools/scrivener): Manuscript writing app with a binder, corkboard and outliner. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/scrivener-vs-ulysses)
- [Bear](https://toolgpa.com/tools/bear): Markdown notes app for Mac, iPhone and iPad with tags and links. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/bear-vs-ulysses)
- [Typora](https://toolgpa.com/tools/typora): Minimal Markdown editor that renders formatting as you type. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/typora-vs-ulysses)
- [1Writer](https://toolgpa.com/tools/1writer): Markdown editor for iPhone and iPad with scriptable actions. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/1writer-vs-ulysses)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026:

- https://ulysses.app/pricing/
- https://ulysses.app
- https://ulysses.app/students/
- https://license.ulysses.app/checkout
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ulysses-writing-app/id1225570693
- https://help.ulysses.app/en_US/editor/markup
- https://ulysses.app/en/releases/
- https://ulysses.app/imprint/

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/ulysses
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).