Best Ulysses Alternatives

43 tools that can replace or complement Ulysses

Pricing Comparison

Tool Free Plan Starting Price Rating
Ulysses ✗ No $5.99+ ★ 4.6
Notion ✓ Yes Free / $10+ ★ 4.6
Obsidian ✓ Yes Free / $4+ ★ 4.7
Evernote ✓ Yes Free / $10.83+ ★ 3.8
ChatGPT ✓ Yes Free / $8+ ★ 4.5
Claude ✓ Yes Free / $20+ ★ 4.6
Grammarly ✓ Yes Free / $12+ ★ 4.5
Google Gemini ✓ Yes Free / $19.99+ ★ 4.3
Logseq ✓ Yes Free / $5+ ★ 4.4
QuillBot ✓ Yes Free / $9.95+ ★ 4.3
DeepL ✓ Yes Free / $8.74+ ★ 4.7
beehiiv ✓ Yes Free / $39+ ★ 4.6
Notion AI ✗ No $10+ ★ 4.2
Roam Research ✗ No $15+ ★ 4.1
Craft ✓ Yes Free / $5+ ★ 4.5
Substack ✓ Yes Free / $0+ ★ 4.4
Ghost ✓ Yes Free / $9+ ★ 4.5
AppFlowy ✓ Yes Free / $12.5+ ★ 4.3
Anytype ✓ Yes Free / $10+ ★ 4.4
Memos ✓ Yes Free / $0+ ★ 4.4
Mem ✓ Yes Free / $14.99+ ★ 4.2
Buttondown ✓ Yes Free / $9+ ★ 4.4
Capacities ✓ Yes Free / $9.99+ ★ 4.4
Heptabase ✗ No $11.99+ ★ 4.6
Tana ✓ Yes Free / $12+ ★ 4.3
Grammarly Business ✗ No $15+ ★ 4.5
Hemingway Editor ✓ Yes Free / $10+ ★ 4.3
ProWritingAid ✓ Yes Free / $10+ ★ 4.4
Scrivener ✗ No $23.99+ ★ 4.5
Ulysses ✗ No $5.99+ ★ 4.4
iA Writer ✗ No $49.99+ ★ 4.5
Descript for Writing ✓ Yes Free / $24+ ★ 4.5
Google Docs ✓ Yes Free / $6+ ★ 4.5
Microsoft Word ✗ No $6.99+ ★ 4.5
Bear ✓ Yes Free / $2.99+ ★ 4.5
Joplin ✓ Yes Free / $2.99+ ★ 4.2
Standard Notes ✓ Yes Free / $7.5+ ★ 4.3
Apple Notes ✓ Yes Free ★ 4.2
Wordtune ✓ Yes Free / $9.99+ ★ 4.3
Clearscope ✗ No $189+ ★ 4.6
Bear ✓ Yes Free / $2.99+ ★ 4.7
Typora ✗ No $14.99+ ★ 4.5
Craft ✓ Yes Free / $5+ ★ 4.6
Scrintal ✓ Yes Free / $12+ ★ 4.2

All Ulysses Alternatives

Notion icon

Notion

★★★★★ 4.6
Free / $10+

All-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, wikis, and databases.

  • Extremely flexible
  • Great free tier
  • Powerful databases
  • Slow with large pages
  • Steep learning curve
Obsidian icon

Obsidian

★★★★★ 4.7
Free / $4+

A knowledge base that works on local Markdown files.

  • 100% offline
  • Local-first
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • No real-time collaboration
  • Steep learning curve
Evernote icon

Evernote

★★★★☆ 3.8
Free / $10.83+

Note-taking app for capturing and organizing ideas.

  • Great web clipper
  • OCR for images
  • Cross-platform
  • Expensive
  • Feels outdated
ChatGPT icon

ChatGPT

★★★★★ 4.5
Free / $8+

AI chatbot by OpenAI for conversation, writing, coding, and analysis.

  • Versatile
  • GPT-4o access
  • Plugins/GPTs
  • Can hallucinate
  • Knowledge cutoff
Claude icon

Claude

★★★★★ 4.6
Free / $20+

AI assistant by Anthropic focused on safety and helpfulness.

  • Long context window
  • Great at writing
  • Thoughtful responses
  • No image generation
  • Smaller ecosystem
Grammarly icon

Grammarly

★★★★★ 4.5
Free / $12+

AI writing assistant for grammar, spelling, and style.

  • Works everywhere
  • Clear suggestions
  • Tone detection
  • Premium is pricey
  • Can over-correct
Google Gemini icon

Google Gemini

★★★★☆ 4.3
Free / $19.99+

Google's AI assistant with deep Google Workspace integration, Gemini 3 model, and real-time Google Search.

  • Native Google Workspace integration
  • Google Search-powered web browsing
  • 1M token context window
  • Less polished than ChatGPT for general tasks
  • Fewer third-party integrations
Logseq icon

Logseq

★★★★☆ 4.4
Free / $5+

Open-source, local-first knowledge management tool based on outliner and bidirectional links.

  • 100% open-source
  • Local-first and privacy-friendly
  • Powerful outliner structure
  • Steeper learning curve than Notion
  • Mobile app is less polished
QuillBot icon

QuillBot

★★★★☆ 4.3
Free / $9.95+

AI paraphrasing and writing tool for rewording, grammar checking, summarizing, and translating text.

  • Excellent paraphrasing with multiple modes
  • Integrated grammar checker
  • Works within Google Docs and Word
  • Paraphrasing can change meaning
  • Free tier limits paragraph length
DeepL icon

DeepL

★★★★★ 4.7
Free / $8.74+

AI translation service widely considered more accurate and natural-sounding than Google Translate for European languages.

  • Superior translation quality for European languages
  • Document translation preserving formatting
  • Glossary for consistent terminology
  • Fewer languages than Google Translate (33 vs 130+)
  • Free tier limited to 1,500 characters
beehiiv icon

beehiiv

★★★★★ 4.6
Free / $39+

Newsletter platform built by ex-Morning Brew team for growing and monetizing email newsletters.

  • Built specifically for newsletters
  • Ad network for monetization
  • Referral program built-in
  • Less suitable for e-commerce email
  • Automations less mature than Mailchimp
Notion AI icon

Notion AI

★★★★☆ 4.2
$10+

AI assistant built into Notion for writing, summarizing, translating, and extracting insights from your workspace content.

  • Works directly within your existing Notion workspace
  • Understands context from your pages and databases
  • Q&A across entire workspace knowledge base
  • Requires existing Notion subscription plus add-on cost
  • Quality limited compared to dedicated AI tools
Roam Research icon

Roam Research

★★★★☆ 4.1
$15+

Networked thought tool with bidirectional linking and daily notes for building a personal knowledge graph.

  • Bidirectional links surface unexpected connections
  • Block-level referencing for atomic notes
  • Daily notes workflow reduces friction
  • Steep learning curve for new users
  • No free tier (expensive for note-taking)
Craft icon

Craft

★★★★★ 4.5
Free / $5+

Beautiful document editor for Mac and iOS with nested pages, real-time collaboration, and native Apple ecosystem integration.

  • Stunning native macOS/iOS design
  • Offline-first with seamless sync
  • Nested documents for organized hierarchies
  • Best experience limited to Apple ecosystem
  • Web app less capable than native apps
Substack icon

Substack

★★★★☆ 4.4
Free / $0+

Newsletter and publishing platform for writers to build paid subscription audiences with zero upfront cost (10% revenue share).

  • Completely free to start — no monthly fees
  • Built-in paid subscription infrastructure
  • Network effects from Substack recommendations
  • 10% cut of paid subscriber revenue
  • Limited design and branding customization
Ghost icon

Ghost

★★★★★ 4.5
Free / $9+

Open-source publishing platform for professional blogs and newsletters with native memberships and email delivery.

  • Open-source and self-hostable (free)
  • Native membership and paid subscription support
  • Fast and SEO-friendly by default
  • Themes require code knowledge to customize
  • Smaller plugin ecosystem than WordPress
AppFlowy icon

AppFlowy

★★★★☆ 4.3
Free / $12.5+

Open-source Notion alternative offering documents, databases, kanban boards, and AI-powered features with data privacy and self-hosting capabilities.

  • Open-source with full self-hosting option
  • Familiar Notion-like interface and features
  • Local-first with offline support
  • Less mature than Notion with fewer integrations
  • Template library is limited
Anytype icon

Anytype

★★★★☆ 4.4
Free / $10+

Local-first, open-source knowledge management tool with end-to-end encryption, graph-based relations, and type system for personal and team knowledge bases.

  • Local-first with end-to-end encryption
  • Open-source with peer-to-peer sync
  • Powerful type system and relations
  • Unique paradigm requires learning investment
  • Smaller community than Notion/Obsidian
Memos icon

Memos

★★★★☆ 4.4
Free / $0+

Open-source, self-hosted memo hub for capturing quick thoughts, ideas, and notes with a privacy-first approach, tags, and markdown support.

  • Completely free and open-source
  • Lightweight and fast (single binary deployment)
  • Twitter-like quick note interface
  • No real-time collaboration features
  • Limited organizational tools (no folders/hierarchy)

Mem

★★★★☆ 4.2
Free / $14.99+

AI-powered note-taking tool that automatically organizes your notes and surfaces relevant information when you need it, without manual folder structures.

  • AI auto-organizes notes
  • No folder structure needed
  • Smart search finds related content
  • AI organization can feel unpredictable
  • Limited formatting options

Buttondown

★★★★☆ 4.4
Free / $9+

Minimal newsletter platform for writers who want to focus on content, offering Markdown support, automation, and analytics without the bloat of full marketing platforms.

  • Clean minimal interface
  • Markdown-first writing experience
  • Paid newsletter support built in
  • Very basic email design options
  • No landing page builder

Capacities

★★★★☆ 4.4
Free / $9.99+

Object-based note-taking app that structures information as interconnected objects (people, books, meetings) rather than pages, inspired by how the brain works.

  • Unique object-based approach
  • Daily notes with automatic linking
  • Beautiful and intuitive interface
  • No mobile app yet (web only)
  • Limited export options

Heptabase

★★★★★ 4.6
$11.99+

Visual note-taking tool that helps you make sense of complex topics using whiteboards, cards, and mindmaps to visually organize your knowledge and research.

  • Visual-first approach to note-taking
  • Whiteboards for spatial thinking
  • Card-based system is very flexible
  • No free plan
  • Mobile app is limited

Tana

★★★★☆ 4.3
Free / $12+

AI-powered workspace combining notes, tasks, and data with a unique supertag system that makes every piece of information a queryable node in your knowledge graph.

  • Supertags create structured data effortlessly
  • Powerful AI-powered search and commands
  • Everything is queryable and linked
  • Steep learning curve
  • No mobile app yet
Grammarly Business icon

Grammarly Business

★★★★★ 4.5
$15+

AI-powered writing assistant for teams with style guides and analytics.

  • Real-time writing suggestions
  • Team style guides
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Expensive for large teams
  • Occasional false positives
Hemingway Editor icon

Hemingway Editor

★★★★☆ 4.3
Free / $10+

Writing tool that highlights complex sentences and common errors for clearer prose.

  • Simple and focused
  • Readability scoring
  • Free web version
  • Limited features
  • No grammar check
ProWritingAid icon

ProWritingAid

★★★★☆ 4.4
Free / $10+

AI writing assistant with in-depth reports on style, grammar, and readability.

  • Detailed writing reports
  • Lifetime plan available
  • Good for fiction
  • Can be overwhelming
  • Slower than Grammarly
Scrivener icon

Scrivener

★★★★★ 4.5
$23.99+

Long-form writing tool designed for novelists, researchers, and screenwriters.

  • Great for long documents
  • Powerful organization
  • Research binder
  • Steep learning curve
  • Dated interface
Ulysses icon

Ulysses

★★★★☆ 4.4
$5.99+

Distraction-free writing app for Mac and iOS with markdown and publishing features.

  • Beautiful interface
  • Markdown support
  • iCloud sync
  • Apple only
  • Subscription model
iA Writer icon

iA Writer

★★★★★ 4.5
$49.99+

Minimalist writing app focused on removing distractions for pure writing flow.

  • Beautiful minimalism
  • Focus mode
  • Cross-platform
  • Very minimal features
  • No collaboration
Descript for Writing icon

Descript for Writing

★★★★★ 4.5
Free / $24+

All-in-one editor for video, podcasts, and screen recordings with text-based editing.

  • Edit video like docs
  • AI transcription
  • Screen recording
  • Heavy application
  • Learning curve
Google Docs icon

Google Docs

★★★★★ 4.5
Free / $6+

Free cloud-based document editor with real-time collaboration and Google AI integration.

  • Free
  • Best real-time collaboration
  • Accessible everywhere
  • Limited offline
  • Fewer formatting options than Word
Microsoft Word icon

Microsoft Word

★★★★★ 4.5
$6.99+

Industry-standard document processing software with advanced formatting and Copilot AI.

  • Most powerful word processor
  • Professional templates
  • Copilot AI
  • Subscription required
  • Heavy application
Bear icon

Bear

★★★★★ 4.5
Free / $2.99+

Beautiful markdown note-taking app for Apple devices with powerful organization.

  • Beautiful design
  • Markdown support
  • Nested tags
  • Apple only
  • No collaboration
Joplin icon

Joplin

★★★★☆ 4.2
Free / $2.99+

Open-source note-taking app with end-to-end encryption and sync across devices.

  • Free and open-source
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Self-host option
  • Less polished UI
  • Sync requires setup
Standard Notes icon

Standard Notes

★★★★☆ 4.3
Free / $7.5+

Encrypted notes app focused on longevity, portability, and privacy.

  • End-to-end encrypted
  • 100-year company promise
  • Cross-platform
  • Basic free version
  • Fewer features than Notion
Apple Notes icon

Apple Notes

★★★★☆ 4.2
Free

Apple's built-in note-taking app with rich text, scanning, and iCloud sync.

  • Free with Apple devices
  • Fast and reliable
  • Good scanning
  • Apple ecosystem only
  • Limited organization
Wordtune icon

Wordtune

★★★★☆ 4.3
Free / $9.99+

AI writing assistant that rewrites sentences for clarity, tone, and style improvement.

  • Great rewriting suggestions
  • Tone options
  • Summarization
  • Limited free rewrites
  • English only

Clearscope

★★★★★ 4.6
$189+

AI-powered content optimization platform that helps writers create high-ranking content by analyzing top-performing pages for relevant terms.

  • Excellent content grading system
  • Easy to use for writers
  • Google Docs integration
  • Very expensive for small teams
  • Limited to English content

Bear

★★★★★ 4.7
Free / $2.99+

Beautiful, flexible writing app for Apple devices with nested tags, Markdown support, and a focus on elegant note-taking and long-form writing.

  • Gorgeous design
  • Flexible tag system
  • Supports Markdown
  • Apple only (no Windows/Android)
  • Limited collaboration

Typora

★★★★★ 4.5
$14.99+

Minimalist Markdown editor with live preview that seamlessly blends editing and reading modes into a single distraction-free interface.

  • Live preview while editing
  • One-time purchase
  • Cross-platform
  • No cloud sync built in
  • Limited organizational features

Craft

★★★★★ 4.6
Free / $5+

Beautiful document and note-taking app for Apple devices with blocks, AI assistant, nested pages, and real-time collaboration.

  • Stunning native Apple design
  • Fast and responsive
  • Good sharing and collaboration
  • Best on Apple devices
  • Limited web version

Scrintal

★★★★☆ 4.2
Free / $12+

Visual knowledge management tool combining notes and mind maps on an infinite canvas for connecting ideas and building knowledge networks.

  • Visual note connections
  • Infinite canvas
  • Combines notes and mindmaps
  • Newer platform still maturing
  • Limited integrations

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