Ulysses
A weekend of work, and real gaps remain.
A writing app for long projects: a library of sheets rather than files, goals per document, and publishing straight to blogs and ebook formats.
Build a long-form writing environment over plain files. STACK - A folder of Markdown files, CodeMirror in the browser or an editor you already like THE LIBRARY - One file per scene or section, numbered so order is a filename - A single project file listing the order explicitly, because renumbering files is worse than maintaining a list GOALS - Word count per file and per project, with a target and a daily count - The daily count is the one that changes behaviour; store it per day and chart it COMPILING - A build step concatenating in the project order into one document - Pandoc from there to ePub, PDF and HTML with a template you control SYNC - A Git repository, committed on a timer. Long-form writing produces small diffs and a real history is worth more here than anywhere else Include the project file format, the word-count tracker and the Pandoc build.
What you lose
- A library model that keeps a book's worth of sheets organised without a folder tree
- Sync across Apple devices with reliable conflict handling
- Direct publishing to blogs and export to ePub, which is more fiddly than it sounds
If you would rather not build
- Obsidian with a long-form plugin
The escape hatch
open source · no votes, no paid placement
Zettlr
$0Open-source long-form Markdown writing with export through Pandoc.
Zettlr/Zettlrfree · open source
Why this verdict
our own opinion · changed only by a person
58/100
Verdict kinda at 58. Files plus Pandoc cover the mechanics; the library experience and Apple sync are what the subscription actually buys.
History
tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten
Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.
Questions about Ulysses
answered from the record above
Is Ulysses free?
No — the plan we track is $5.99 a month. Around $5.99/month billed monthly, roughly $3.75 a month annually, across Apple devices.
Can you replace Ulysses by building your own?
ALMOST. A weekend of work, and real gaps remain. Replacement score 58 out of 100, build time a weekend. Read what you lose before you decide.
How much does Ulysses cost?
$5.99 a month on Subscription — $71.88 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.
What do you lose by replacing Ulysses?
A library model that keeps a book's worth of sheets organised without a folder tree; Sync across Apple devices with reliable conflict handling; Direct publishing to blogs and export to ePub, which is more fiddly than it sounds. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Ulysses?
Yes: Zettlr, Pandoc. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.
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