Product Review

Ulysses Review

Ulysses calls itself the “ultimate writing app for Mac, iPad, and iPhone” and Apple products are the only ones it is compatible with. You can easily download the app from the app store. 

What makes this service unique is the ability to sync your files automatically in iCloud. That means, you can access your content anywhere, anytime, and you never lose your files even if the original version is destroyed.

Take a look at the pros and cons of this service to decide if it’s the perfect fit for you.

Lastly, check the file format or syncing possibilities of the service, and see if that’s what you are after. 

Disclosure: These reviews are reader-supported. We might earn a small commission if you purchase something through our site. Learn more.

Our Verdict

I found this app to be ideal only for Apple users. Others can go for a cheaper (considering lifetime cost) alternative like Scrivener (or Write!App).

Ulysses Ideal for Apple-users

$4.99 monthly
PROS
  • Stores writing in one place
  • Keep older versions of images
  • Distraction-free interface
  • Exporting options
  • Add third-party apps
  • Best customer service
CONS
  • No pre-designed template
  • Only available in MacOS and iOS
  • Works only with sheets
  • Citation Machine cost

Grammarly Best All-Around

$11.66 /mo – before discount
PROS
  • 86% out of 86% accuracy
  • 16+ billion database
  • 150k+ word limit
  • 5 devlice limit
  • Includes plagiarism
  • 1-hour response
CONS
  • Only supports English
  • Expensive without our link

Grammarly Premium Walkthrough Video

Ulysses App Pros

#1 Ulysses stores all your writing in one place called ‘Library’ eliminating rigorous back and forth between files and saves precious time for you. Your writing projects can’t be lost. 

#2 It lets you keep the older versions of your images so that you can go back to the old copy if you don’t like the current work.

The only flaw is, it’s available only for the Mac version.

#3 Ulysses has a distraction-free interface that keeps you focused while working and make you more productive in writing.

Any novelist or writer will find it great as the interface does improve the writing environment. It makes it easier to achieve your writing goals.

Also, you can set up the app in a way that allows you to display only the sheet you are working on, no other buttons.

#4 There’s an array of exporting options available with Ulysses. You can export your files as Plain Text, Rich Text, Markdown, Textbundle, DOCX, PDF, HTML, and ePub.

Besides this, you can also directly publish your post on WordPress and Medium. How cool is that, ha?

#5 At present, there’s no scope of sharing your documents directly from the app, but Ulysses allows you to add third-party apps such as Dropbox to share your folders and collaborate with your colleagues.

However, keep in mind, it also comes with some limitations, like Markdown XL is not available in this section.

#6 I was blown with the customer service of Ulysses to such an extent that I could rank it the best in this section.

Though the first reply took a little less than 24 hours (after FocusWriter’s response), but after that, it took them minutes to get back to my further queries.

Also, the support agent was very helpful and gave detailed answers to all my questions. Amazing experience!

Ulysses App Cons

#1 There’s no pre-designed template as we saw in Scrivener. However, to save time, you can design your own templates and add them to your favorites. Such a feature is definitely important for a writer. 

For that right-click on a sheet and select “add to favorites” from the options and you’re done. In the future, when you’re writing similar content, just pull it out from the favorites.

#2 It was a big blow for me to know that Ulysses App is not available for any platform other than macOS and iOS, making it useless for Windows and Android users.

And according to its customer support, they don’t have any plans to bring a Windows version soon.

#3 Ulysses works only with sheets so I couldn’t find any special arrangements or features for taking notes or quickly jotting down unbaked ideas for future reference.

Ulysses App Pricing Plans

Ulysses App is the only application in this test that offers a subscription model to the users.

It gives 14 days to try the service for free, and after that, the monthly plan costs $4.99/month, and if you want to pay for the whole year at once, then it’s $39.99.

Students and teachers get a significant discount on the 6-month plans.

Do I recommend Ulysses App?

To be honest, I found this app to be ideal only for Apple users and that too, especially for bloggers. It’s quite intuitive, automatically backs your files on iCloud, and also easy to share directly on WordPress or Medium.

That’s why I’d recommend this writing tool to bloggers or any writers who read a lot and research online literature or text.

To go even further, check out Wordable to publish Google Docs to WordPress in 1-click. It will not only clean and properly format your HTML, but also compress images, open links in a new tab, automatically set featured images or create a table of contents, and lots more.

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