Ulysses is your one-stop writing environment for Mac, iPhone and iPad. Its pleasant, focused writing experience, combined with effective document management, seamless sync, and flexible export, make Ulysses the first choice for writers of all kinds.
++ Apple Design Award Winner ++
“The app is amazing. An absolute delight to use. Well done.”
– David Hewson, Bestselling Author (The Killing)
### A Text Production Powerhouse
Ulysses’ markup-based, distraction-free editor lets you focus on your most important task: Write, edit, and write some more. Formatting is kept for later, so you can completely immerse yourself in the text. Ulysses’ uniquely streamlined toolset covers the entire writing process, and its clean and simple interface will boost your productivity. From first to final draft, from prologue to closing chapter – Ulysses keeps you in the flow, so you can get stuff done.
### All Your Texts, All the Time
Everything you’ll ever write is stored in Ulysses’ unified library. You can manage projects of all kinds and sizes, be it novels, diaries or study notes – they are always saved, and automatically in sync. And since Ulysses offers feature parity across macOS and iOS, it doesn’t matter where you are or when inspiration hits: All its tools, and all your texts, are always at your fingertips.
### Built-In Proofreader and Editing Assistant
Write with confidence, thanks to Ulysses’ integrated grammar and style check. Available for over 20 languages, it analyzes your text and offers informed suggestions for capitalization, punctuation, semantics, redundancy, style and more.
### Create eBooks, DOCX, PDFs and HTML
Ulysses’ export is flexible enough to cover any writer’s needs: Transform your text into beautiful PDFs, Word documents or eBooks. Or export HTML code, ready to be used anywhere on the web. You can even choose between a variety of pre-made formatting styles for all kinds of purposes, or create your own and share it with other users.
### Publish to WordPress, Ghost, Substack & More
Do you blog? Ulysses’ offers best-in-class publishing to WordPress, Ghost, and Micro.blog. You can post to WordPress, Ghost and Micro.blog from right within the app – complete with images, tags, categories etc. All offer a built-in preview to proofread before submission. Ulysses also supports copy paste publishing to Substack and Basecamp.
### Pricing
Ulysses requires a subscription. We offer monthly and yearly subscription plans. They include a fully functional trial, so you can test Ulysses (including export and sync). There’s also a special discount for students.
All plans unlock the app on Mac, iPhone and iPad, and feature full synchronization.
### Questions
Please visit ulysses.app for more information. You can also reach us via help@ulysses.app or on Twitter @ulyssesapp – we’re happily awaiting your feedback!
Terms of Use: https://ulysses.app/app-terms-of-service
Privacy Policy: https://ulysses.app/app-privacy-policy
After many attempts at finding the perfect writing app, I have come to the conclusion that the one that I find myself going back to time and time again is the one I have been looking for all along. It is Ulysses. I have tried my hand at Scrivener (which really is good and I’m not sure if I can concede a right-out victory for Ulysses just yet), I have tried Ai writer, I have tried many others, and Ulysses hits the mark most of the time. A seamless and beautiful interface, the ability to organize how you want to, markdown options, theme customization, distraction-free typewriter mode and the ability to customize that experience as well just makes this writing app a gentle workhorse. Yes, it requires a monthly subscription so you never actually own the software, but these are the things you have to deal with if you want the software to be refined and maintained as we move forward into the future (Think about how Microsoft Office has managed to remain relevant for decades now. Subscription service!). If I can make one request! Sharing notes from articles/ebooks on Ulysses is a real pain. Each individual note I make from a highlighted section of a book or article gets thrown into Ulysses as an entirely separate page each time! I want the notes to be compiled into a single page when I send them to Ulysses so I don’t have to go through many notes for reorganization. This is the reason I am still using Bear which allows me to put notes *exactly* where I want them. Also, the tag system needs to be refined because it’s a bit inconvenient to use. Although I like to organize my notes using tags, Ulysses’ tag system just doesn’t do it for me (think Bear, eh?). It shouldn’t be so complicated to change the color of the tag, and I find myself spending more time on changing the color than I would ever want to. Other than that, this writing app is very near as good as it can get.
just not for me
penny-per-thought
I want to preface this by saying I use this app for fiction writing purposes, and this app seems more geared towards the academic. As someone using this app for casual writing, it isn’t worth paying for. I like the simplicity and the dark mode, but that’s kind of where the positivities end. I mostly write on mobile with a bluetooth keyboard, and the “keyboard shortcuts” listed on the site don’t seem to work the way they do on desktop, ex - once my keyboard is connected, it takes away the on screen features that allow me to back out of a sheet or check its stats, and the “shortcut” does nothing, forcing me to disable bluetooth to get those features back. This is a really cumbersome defect when I want to go back and forth between chapters to cross-reference details. Also, I do not understand why the sheets get placed out of order the way that they do. Even though I’m writing chronologically, the chapters are all jumbled around and I have to go hunting for the current one every time I open a project. I’ve tried moving them to be in order but they don’t stay way, and it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with which ones got looked at/edited most recently or whatever. I don’t really want to ding on this app just because it’s not for me, just saying if you’re a casual writer who’s only needs are “something to type on with an auto-save feature”, there are free options that will suit your needs just as well.
Developer Response
Thank you for your review! When it comes to sorting your sheets in Ulysses, you have various options. You can sort them by title, creation date, modification date, or even arrange them manually. You can find detailed instructions on how to do this on our help site at help.ulysses.app › Sheets & Groups › Sorting Options.As for keyboard shortcuts, most of them are the same on both Mac and iOS/iPadOS. However, there are a few shortcuts that are exclusive to each platform. If you're using Ulysses on your mobile device, you can find a list of shortcuts specifically designed for it on help.ulysses.app › Keyboard Shortcuts.If you encounter any issues with the shortcuts or have any specific shortcuts you'd like to request, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly at help@ulysses.app. We're here to assist you! — Andrea
Good, but needs features
AndrewColletti
I really enjoy it’s day to day usage, but it needs more feature, better appearance, and organization to be worth my money to resubscribe next time. I appreciate what it does, says, and intends to help the user with, but it just needs more writing focused features. I feel like the creators thought that not using heading, bolding, numbering, font size increases, decreases—things that are better for the eye to more easily separate ideas, are kind of wanted in this sense. I love it, but will not be resubscribing without new features focused on the user interacting with the software.[Update]Agreed with the focus on text alone, not the formatting within; however then there is one feature I would definitely re-subscribe for, and that would be grid view for folders. I tend to have a lot of extra folders, and being able to see them in larger views, such as 4-6 per screen, being larger icons, would help organizing story info, along with character information. Would definitely encourage me to keep a constant subscription. A feature other writing apps have that gives better organization. I rescind my comments about needing a better focus on formatting and offer this feature as something I believe many users would appreciate. Just a general ease of access and organization/visibility update. Things kinda feel cramped on the iPhone. I wish the extra screen space were better utilized. Thanks for the response! I have updated to increase a star for developer clarity and feedback.
Developer Response
Thank you for leaving a review! As you might already know, Ulysses distinguishes between writing the text itself and formatting it during export to enable a distraction-free environment. Ulysses has a WYGIWYM (What You Get Is What You Mean) editor, as opposed to a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor like Pages or WOrd. This means that you semantically mark your text in Ulysses which will result in visual formatting when exporting. This allows to completely focus on your text and not the formatting. I've +1'd the feature request for an easier way to modify an export style in your name, so please consider your vote counted. I can't make any promises when or whether we will implement this feature, but your feedback is highly appreciated. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us directly via help@ulysses.app –Alex
Helpful or hindrance?
toddhunt
We are already a family of published writers, my mom writes everything in longhand and I fell into using MS Word as my word processor. With today's world events I decided to get a MacBook Pro laptop and dedicate it to the sole function of being my writing typewriter- no other apps installed but one, my writing page. I gave both Ulysses and Scrivener fair and equal auditions. As a writer my opinion is neither of them is necessary and both of them are too fussy and end up getting in the way more than being useful. My advice is to use a word processor like Word, Pages or similar in its least obtrusive mode for your first and subsequent drafts and when you are ready for and serious about publication have the final draft reviewed, edited and formatted by a professional service or only THEN buy a software tool to assist you. Between Scrivener and Ulysses the former has the edge of offering the writer a more comprehensive toolkit but it's learning curve is daunting. Ulysses loses by their ridiculous decision to be a subscription product. Why? How much could they possibly "improve" a word processor year over year? Plus the fact that they burned me by billing my Apple account for a full year without my knowledge or approval after I already determined I didn't want it and deleted it. It seems they are more interesting in grabbing my wallet than being of any use to me as a writing tool.
Developer Response
We are sorry you feel that way. What type of editor a writer prefers is a very personal choice eventually. However, there is a crucial difference between a markdown editor (like Ulysses) and a “What You See Is What You Get“ editor (like Word, Pages, or Scrivener): Ulysses distinguishes between writing the text itself and formatting it during export to enable a distraction-free writing environment. Furthermore, you get incredible organizational opportunities, fully customizable export, the ability to set writing goals and to publish blogs in an environment that allows you to fully focus thanks to a simple and intuitive interface. As to our subscription-based business model, please be assured that we did not take the decision to move to subscription lightly. Not only was it necessary so we can keep developing the best version of Ulysses possible, it was also a necessary step for us to survive as a company. You'll find more details why we switched to subscription here: ulys.app/move Regarding you being billed by Apple for a yearly subscription: We are sorry about this! We are merely utilizing the standard App Store trial provided by Apple which can be canceled anytime up to 24 hours before the trial period expires. The yearly subscription comes with a 14-day trial which should be more than enough to check out our app. We opted for a free download with in-app purchases so we can offer a fully-functional trial in the App Store and there is no other way to realize this. A list of available subscription options is also displayed in the app's description (under the heading “Subscriptions“). Should you have any questions about the subscription options or using Ulysses in general, please contact us via help@ulysses.app. —Andrea
## iPad only
- We have completely reworked the main menu, mirroring the full structure and functionality of the main menu on Mac.
- You can now separately activate the line marker and fixed scrolling.
- You can now select themes from the View menu.
- The editor now has menus for paragraph- and text-markup (yay!).
- You can now copy and paste sheets and groups using the menu (or keyboard shortcuts).
## Improvements (all devices)
- Projects, groups, and filters now have a dedicated Edit view, which covers name, icon, and color, while a new Statistics view covers history and… statistics.
- We have redesigned the condition editor for filters.
- We have reorganized the editor settings, making them much more accessible.
- The writing history for groups and projects is now always visible within the statistics view (it previously needed a goal).
- Editor search now includes options for "Whole Words" and "Begins with”.
- Images in the editor now load faster.
- Mathematical equations are now exported as native Word equations (OMML), ensuring full compatibility with Microsoft Word.
## Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue with our ePub exporter when a cover image was set.
- Fixed the alphabetical sorting of tags and categories in the WordPress publishing panel.
- Fixed certain group or project icons not appearing in the Shortcuts app and within widgets.
- Fixed various crashes.
If you're happy with the app, please rate it, or even leave a review. This is a great way to support us indie developers. Thanks a lot!
Version 40
Subscriptions
Monthly Plan (Mobile)
Full access on all devices.
Free Trial
Yearly Plan (Mobile)
Full access on all devices.
Free Trial
The developer, Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Purchases
Identifiers
Usage Data
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Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Seller
Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG
Size
293.8 MB
Category
Productivity
Compatibility
Requires iOS 18.6 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 18.6 or later.
iPad Requires iPadOS 18.6 or later.
Languages
English and 11 more
English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese
