Best Ulysses Alternative for Writing (2026)
iA Writer is the Ulysses alternative for people who want a Markdown file and a quiet page, bought once on the Mac, instead of a writing library on a subscription.
Ulysses is the better fit when one library has to hold many projects, with goals and publishing built in. iA Writer is the better fit when the draft itself is the whole job. This page compares those two jobs. It does not claim one app is better at everything.
When a Ulysses alternative makes sense
Ulysses is a full writing app for Apple devices. People look for something else when the library, or the subscription, is the part they do not want. A switch is worth it if you need:
- A page that gets out of the way of the sentence you are writing
- A Markdown file in a folder, not only inside an app library
- A Mac purchase you pay once, rather than a subscription
- The same kind of editor on Windows, not only on Apple devices
- Less organization around the draft
If you live in the library, sheets, and publishing tools, Ulysses is doing the job you bought it for.
What Ulysses is for
Ulysses is a Markdown writing suite for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Projects sit in one library. You can set a writing goal, keep notes beside a draft, and publish from the app. Sync stays inside Apple's ecosystem. The app is sold as a subscription, so the cost continues after the first year. Check the developer's current price before you subscribe. This page does not quote it, because that number changes.
What iA Writer changes
iA Writer is a Markdown editor. Focus mode dims every sentence except the one you are in. The file is plain text you can keep in any folder. The Mac version is a separate purchase from the iPhone and iPad version, and from Windows. On the developer's buy page, the Mac app was listed at $49.99. Confirm that before you pay. A purchase covers the current version; major upgrades can cost extra later.
Ulysses and iA Writer, side by side
| iA Writer | Ulysses | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | The sentence in front of you | A library of projects |
| Files | Markdown in a folder you choose | A library the app manages |
| Devices | Mac, Windows, iPhone, and iPad, sold separately | Apple devices |
| Goals and publishing | Light | Built in |
| Price | One-time purchase per platform | Subscription |
| Best fit | A focused draft | Many projects in one place |
Stay with Ulysses if
- You keep many articles or chapters in one library
- You use writing goals and publishing from the same app
- You work only on a Mac, iPhone, and iPad
- You want sheets, keywords, and filters around the draft
- A subscription is an acceptable way to pay for that library
Switch to iA Writer if
- You want the current sentence highlighted and the rest dimmed
- You want the draft as a Markdown file you can move
- You also write on Windows
- You would rather pay once per platform than subscribe
- You do not need a built-in publishing pipeline
The difference that matters
The useful difference is where the draft lives. In Ulysses, a chapter is an item in the library, with a goal count beside it. In iA Writer, the same chapter is a Markdown file in a folder, and focus mode fades the sentences you are not writing. If you will miss the library, iA Writer will feel empty. If the library was the part you were avoiding, that emptiness is the feature.
Which draft fits which app
| Job | Use |
|---|---|
| One essay, written in a single sitting | iA Writer |
| A book split across many sheets, with a daily word goal | Ulysses |
| A file you will edit later in another Markdown app | iA Writer |
| Publishing to a blog from the writing app | Ulysses |
The other guide on this site is the Anytype comparison for people leaving Logseq. That one is about a knowledge base, not about drafting prose.