Notion
Ulysses
| Feature | Notion | Ulysses |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10/mo | From $5.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, students, freelancers, small-teams | authors, bloggers, journalists, apple-users |
| Founded | 2016 | 2013 |
| Databases | ✓ | ✗ |
| Kanban | ✓ | ✗ |
| Docs | ✓ | ✗ |
| Wikis | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Assistant | ✓ | ✗ |
| Markdown Editor | ✗ | ✓ |
| Library Organization | ✗ | ✓ |
| Goals And Deadlines | ✗ | ✓ |
| Publishing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Icloud Sync | ✗ | ✓ |
| Split View | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Notion Pros
- Extremely flexible
- Great free tier
- Powerful databases
- Template marketplace
✗ Notion Cons
- Slow with large pages
- Steep learning curve
- Offline support limited
✓ 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
Notion is built for startups and students, with a focus on databases and kanban. 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 Notion — not a deciding factor on its own.
Notion 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, Notion 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.
