The Best Ulysses AlternativesTop Novel Authoring Tools & Text Editors like Ulysses

Ulysses is described as 'Text editor for creative writers. Used by bloggers, poets, students and published novelists all over the world, it offers an integrated environment to brainstorm, draft, revise and even submit text on a professional level' and is a popular Novel Authoring tool in the news & books category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Ulysses for a variety of platforms, including Mac, Windows, Linux, Web-based and iPhone apps. The best Ulysses alternative is Typora. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Zettlr or CherryTree. Other great apps like Ulysses are Microsoft Word, Scrivener, Manuskript and Dendron.

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Alternatives list

  1. Typora icon

    Typora

     325 likes
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    A minimalist Markdown editor offering cross-platform synchronization, live preview, and seamless export/import in various formats like PDF, DOCX, and LaTeX. Features include distraction-free Focus and Typewriter modes, file management with tree and articles panels, and content organization through an outline panel.

    174 Typora alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Electron
    Typora screenshot 1
     
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    39
    Comments about Typora as an Alternative to Ulysses
    Wonder Warthog
    Positive
    4

    Also features a handy files panel to the left. Display and editing is distraction free and very clean (cleaner than Ulysses).

    Ulysses Icon
    Typora icon

    • Most users think Typora is a great Ulysses alternative.

    • Typora is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Ulysses.

    • Typora is the most popular commercial alternative to Ulysses.

    • Typora is Paid and ProprietaryUlysses is also Paid and Proprietary
    • Typora is Lightweight, Minimalistic and CustomizableUlysses is not according to our users
  2. Zettlr icon

    Zettlr

     242 likes
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    Unified writing platform offering note-taking, easy citations with Zotero integration, LaTeX/Word templates, snippets, themes, dark modes, code highlighting, multi-language support, and knowledge management with Zettelkasten for seamless writing from notes to books.

    174 Zettlr alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    Zettlr Main Window (dark mode)
     

    • Zettlr is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Ulysses.

    • Zettlr is Free and Open SourceUlysses is Paid and Proprietary
    • Zettlr is Privacy focused and LightweightUlysses is not according to our users
  4. Microsoft Word icon

    Microsoft Word

     930 likes
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    Microsoft's leading word processor, enables professional-quality document creation with SmartArt graphics, seamless PDF support, and extensive search capabilities. Compatible across desktop, online, and mobile platforms with necessary subscription or standalone purchase options.

    95 Microsoft Word alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once or Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    New document view
     

    • Microsoft Word is the most popular Android, iPhone, iPad & Android Tablet alternative to Ulysses.

    • Microsoft Word is Paid and ProprietaryUlysses is also Paid and Proprietary
  5. Ad
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    Scrivener icon
    Scrivener

    Tailored for extensive writing, this tool offers flexible structure and organization, integrates project outlines, supports various formats, and allows reorganization through drag and drop, ensuring research materials are within ...

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  6. Scrivener icon

    Scrivener

     262 likes
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    Tailored for extensive writing, this tool offers flexible structure and organization, integrates project outlines, supports various formats, and allows reorganization through drag and drop, ensuring research materials are within reach for efficient work.

    121 Scrivener alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac
    • Wine
    Scrivener screenshot 1
     
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    33
    Comments about Scrivener as an Alternative to Ulysses
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    4

    Ulysses is WYSIWYM, while Scrivener is WYSIWYG. It can be extremely time-consuming to set the font styling right in every dialog box that controls the fonts. Ulysses, on the other hand, has one font setting, then the styles dictate how the editor is displayed. It's much more focused on content than appearance.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Not convenient about keyboard shortcuts on formatting on windows platform

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Scrivener is a terrible alternative to Ulysses. It's not a markdown editor, the interface is cluttered, and there are so many features that are cumbersome and unintuitive that it takes forever to figure them out. With Ulysses, it's more what you see is what you get. You can focus more on writing. You don't have to try to learn the app as much, and it's markdown, so you can focus on content, not formatting.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 5 comments
    Ulysses Icon
    Scrivener icon

    • Most users think Scrivener is a great Ulysses alternative.

    • Scrivener is Paid and ProprietaryUlysses is also Paid and Proprietary
  7. CherryTree icon

    CherryTree

     319 likes
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    Hierarchical note-taking software that is free, open-source, cross-platform. Features include rich text, syntax highlighting, multi-level lists, embedded files, customizable interface, code execution, PDF export, spell check, images & tables, and comprehensive project management support.

    96 CherryTree alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
    CherryTree screenshot 1
     
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  8. Manuskript icon

    Manuskript

     167 likes
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    Open-source software offering a hierarchical outliner, distraction-free editor, character management, plot tools, Snowflake method support, section multi-organization, customizable writing workflows, cross-platform availability, and export to standard formats.

    118 Manuskript alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Manuskript screenshot 1
     
  10. Dendron icon

    Dendron

     71 likes
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    Dendron is an open-source, local-first, markdown-based, note-taking tool built on top of VSCode. It supports all the usual features you would expect like tagging, backlinks, a graph view, split panes, and so forth.

    201 Dendron alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Visual Studio Code
    Dendron screenshot 1
     
  11. Blinko icon

    Blinko

     20 likes
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    Open-source note-taking tool offering AI-enhanced retrieval with RAG technology, secure self-hosted data storage, Markdown support, and transparent community collaboration on GitHub for efficient, private, and effortless note management.

    76 Blinko alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
    Blinko screenshot 1
     

    • Blinko is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to Ulysses.

    • Blinko is Free and Open SourceUlysses is Paid and Proprietary
    • Blinko is Lightweight and Privacy focusedUlysses is not according to our users
  12. iA Writer icon

    iA Writer

     96 likes
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    The key to good writing is not that magical glass of Bordeaux, the right kind of tobacco or that groovy background music. The key is focus. What you need to write well is a spartan setting that allows you to fully concentrate on your text and nothing but your text.

    117 iA Writer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    iA Writer screenshot 1
     
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    19
    Comments about iA Writer as an Alternative to Ulysses
    hildissent
    Positive
    6

    Solid application. I like the file browser in Ulysses better (tags are cool but can get messy), but iA Writer has some solid features like referencing files (write frequently used text once, update it at the source and be sure it is up to date anywhere it is used in the larger work) and using .csv files for tables. Also, they've avoided the subscription model. As long as there are alternatives, I'm not letting companies ding me for monthly fees.

    Guest
    Positive
    1

    I use iA Writer on Mac and mobiles and it is a first-class tool for handling notes and actual writing. In some ways I prefer it to Ulysses -- it's a proper Markdown editor and I can write jumps and anchors on long documents. I have a iA licence for Windows for when I use that platform.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Ulysses Icon
    iA Writer icon

    • Almost everyone thinks iA Writer is a great Ulysses alternative.

    • iA Writer is Paid and ProprietaryUlysses is also Paid and Proprietary
    • iA Writer is Privacy focused and LightweightUlysses is not according to our users
  13. Trudido icon

    Trudido

     13 likes
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    Offline in-device task manager and note app featuring smart creation, advanced organization, calendar and list views, Markdown notes, secure SHA-256 encryption, Material You theming, multiple color themes, no tracking or ads, and import/export for total ownership.

    34 Trudido alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    Trudido screenshot 1
    Trudido screenshot 2
    Trudido screenshot 3
     
  14. FocusWriter icon

    FocusWriter

     207 likes
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    Simple but configurable and themeable, distraction-free text editor for writers. Open-source and available across desktop platforms.

    98 FocusWriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    FocusWriter screenshot 1
     
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  15. Marknote icon

    Marknote

     21 likes
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    Marknote lets you create rich text notes and easily organise them into notebooks. You can personalise your notebooks by choosing an icon and accent color for each one, making it easy to distinguish between them and keep your notes at your fingertips.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    Marknote screenshot 1
     
12 of 123 Ulysses alternatives