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Ulysses Review: Price, Features and Score

Ulysses: Markdown-based writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone. $39.99 a year, on Mac and iOS. We did not test it; the facts come from its own pages.

Prices and data checked October 7, 2026 · Author Score computed by a published formula, not paid for

Ulysses on the BookBird Author Score

Author Score · book writing software · #5 of 16 ·

Best for: Apple-only writers who like plain-text markup

BookBird Author Score7.6/10 #5 of 16 book writing software. Worked out from Ulysses’s own pages, its price and US searches for its name, not typed in. Author jobs50 pts43.8/50Each of the 8 author jobs on the book writing software list is worth an equal share of 50 points, and counts only when Ulysses’s own pages confirm it. 7 of 8 confirmed = 43.8 points. A job the vendor does not mention earns nothing.Cost25 pts21.5/25Ulysses costs $39.99 a year on its cheapest plan. Free earns 25 points; the dearest book writing software product with a US price, Dabble at $228 a year, keeps 5; prices in between fall in a straight line. $39.99 = 21.5 points.Adoption25 pts10.6/25Searches, 20 points: 1,000 a month for “ulysses app”, against Google Docs, the most searched in this category (20,400,000), on a log scale = 8.2. Trend, 5 points: down 1% (last three months against the first three of the year) = 2.4; a fall of half or more earns 0, no change 2.5, a rise of half or more 5. 75.9 of 100 points= 7.6 out of 10 The full method, with every product’s points →

Author jobs, from Ulysses’s own pages

  • Yes: Chapters and scenes you can reorder
  • Yes: Word-count goals
  • Yes: Notes beside the manuscript
  • Yes: Version history or snapshots
  • Not stated: Works offline (not stated)
  • Yes: Exports to Word (DOCX)
  • Yes: Exports a book file (EPUB or print PDF)
  • Yes: Syncs across devices

Ulysses pricing

Several ways to pay. Free trial: 7 days. Plans, in US dollars:

  • Ulysses: $5.99 a month
  • Ulysses: $39.99 a year
  • Perpetual license: price in USD not confirmed

Prices apply to the U.S.; sold through the App Store. Monthly and yearly subscriptions include a 7-day trial; the perpetual license has none. Student pricing and Setapp also available.

What Ulysses offers

  • Markup-based, distraction-free editor
  • Long texts split into sheets that can be reorganised
  • Notes, annotations and comments attached to sheets
  • Grammar and style check in 20+ languages
  • Export to PDF, DOCX, ePub, HTML and text with live preview
  • Writing goals and deadlines
  • Automatic local backups; individual sheets can be restored
  • iCloud sync across Mac, iPad and iPhone; publishing to WordPress, Ghost, Medium, Micro.blog

Runs on: Mac and iOS. Exports: TXT, HTML, EPUB, PDF and DOCX. Launched: 2003.

Ulysses alternatives

SoftwareScorePrice fromBest for
Novlr8.7Free plan; paid from $8 a month (billed yearly)Writers wanting a free web app with no built-in AI
Google Docs8.3FreeAuthors sharing drafts with editors at no cost
LivingWriter7.8Free plan; paid from $179 a yearPlotters writing on web, desktop and mobile
Scrivener7.7$59.99 one-timeMac or Windows authors who want a one-time licence
Storyist7.5$19 one-timeApple users who want a one-time purchase with ebook export

Compare: All book writing software · All software for authors

How the score is computed: the formula, step by step.