Anytype
Ulysses
| Feature | Anytype | Ulysses |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10/mo | From $5.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Best For | privacy-enthusiasts, personal-knowledge-management, researchers, digital-gardeners | authors, bloggers, journalists, apple-users |
| Founded | 2019 | 2013 |
| Local First | ✓ | ✗ |
| End To End Encryption | ✓ | ✗ |
| Types And Relations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Graph View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sets And Collections | ✓ | ✗ |
| Syncing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✓ | ✗ |
| Markdown Editor | ✗ | ✓ |
| Library Organization | ✗ | ✓ |
| Goals And Deadlines | ✗ | ✓ |
| Publishing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Icloud Sync | ✗ | ✓ |
| Split View | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Anytype Pros
- Local-first with end-to-end encryption
- Open-source with peer-to-peer sync
- Powerful type system and relations
- Beautiful, fast native application
✗ Anytype Cons
- Unique paradigm requires learning investment
- Smaller community than Notion/Obsidian
- Collaboration features still maturing
✓ Ulysses Pros
- Beautiful distraction-free writing
- Excellent library management
- Direct publishing to blogs
- iCloud sync across devices
✗ Ulysses Cons
- Apple ecosystem only
- Subscription model controversial
- No Windows support
The Verdict
Anytype is built for privacy enthusiasts and personal knowledge management, with a focus on local-first and end-to-end-encryption. Ulysses targets authors and bloggers and leads with markdown-editor and library-organization.
Pricing is close: Ulysses starts at $5.99/mo versus $10/mo for Anytype — not a deciding factor on its own.
Anytype has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Ulysses requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, Anytype offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Ulysses takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.