Ulysses: Writing App for PC and Mac

Software Reviews and Criticism

• By Winter Zero

  The note taking app I’ve been waiting for!!

  Finally — the right mix of hierarchal-based note taking, lightweight design, and ease of use. As a past user of Scrivener, Evernote, and OneNote, I have long craved something in between — a simple, bare-bones note taking app that would allow me to stash notes in a hierarchy, so I could easily keep related pieces of research and meeting notes together. OneNote and Evernote come close, but recent releases have changed the ease by which you can create and collapse hierachies, that aspect of their features/design feels at times limited or heavy-handed. Scrivener was a great go-to for awhile because of the support for sliding things around in hierarchy, but honestly I find Ulysses to be simpler and easier to manage the hierarchy. I can see this has some powerful markup/structured authoring features as well, but I’m not currently using those. Just basic note-taking, each project in its own folder (group), and it’s really great for just that!!

  
  
• By bwintx

  Sync issues — like most “shoebox” apps

  Editing my previous review (bumping it up to four stars from three)... A couple of weeks ago, I slammed Ulysses for recent iCloud sync issues. Then I did some more research and learned it’s not alone in that regard. Indeed, many if not most so-called “shoebox” or central-library apps — like, to name two very familiar examples, Microsoft’s own Notes and Photos apps — are prone to them, too. It seems to be the nature of the beast. If you value having all your work together in the same library at all times without having to futz around with individual files and folders, the risks that go with the “shoebox” method are part of the price of admission. So I withdraw that previous complaint. Indeed, if it were not for that method of file storage and the occasional (but sometimes scary) glitches that accompany it, I’d give Ulysses five stars. For most of my work, I prefer the advantages of MultiMarkdown and a more transparent file structure than what Ulysses offers. That said, I still recommend it highly; it’s a great app and a marvelous writing environment in which you’ll spend many hours working happily and productively.

  
  
• By law4

  The Only Writing App I Use

  The most clear way I can express Ulysses is this: it's an indispensable tool that I use every day. I'm currently writing a book, and frequently write articles, podcast episodes, emails, and other web and businessy things. Everything I write starts in Ulysses. Reasons I love it: * Cloud syncing to iCloud is flawless * Fantastic export options * The minimal interfact has plenty of hidden features, and the Markdown rendering is fantastic * It exports directly to WP and Medium (though I've moved my site to Squarespace, which can translate both Markdown and Rich Text exports from Ulysses without any additional formatting) * The organization of text snippets, notes, chapters, etc. is first class * Dark mode... There are a few features I wish they'd add though. Here's my short list of cons: * Tagging could be better implemented, preferably with hashtags within documents * Linking between docs with an @ mention would be quite useful * Some mechanism for collaboration would be fantastic * Export to Google Docs for editing and collaboration help please; exporting rich text into Google Docs renders a poorly formatted text, which may be a limitation of Google Docs, but come on Ulysses team...ubiquity, ya know? --- Overall I absolutely love this app and highly recommend it. If you're serious about writing, and especially if you frequently publish to email or the web, this is your app. Look no further.

  
  
• By heykitty9

  Hands down best writing app

  I am a journalist as well as an amateur creative writer, and Ulysses suits my needs for every type of writing I do. Look no further: Ulysses is the best writing app on the market. This app not only provides a clean and unintrusive space to do my writing, but it's also packed with loads of features if you need them. Ulysses is fast and lightweight, unlike some of the bulkier writing apps I've tried. The sync between the iOS and Windows versions is instant (and the mobile apps are equally beautiful and easy to use). The focus mode and writing goals motivate me to actually sit down and WRITE. I also love the ability to view a number of sheets together in a single, streaming editor, because this allows me to sketch an outline with multiple sheets and then fill in as I go. The most recent update (March 2019) with the split-screen editor and the keyword manager are just a few of the significant new features that have rolled out since I became a happy subscriber to this app last year. I am thrilled to support these developers with a subscription when it means a stream of quality new feaatures like this. Thank you for making this app and continuing to develop it with such attention to detail. It's clear how much thought and effort has gone into the design and usability of this program and it is very much appreciated.

  
  
• By Jim Scolari

  Because writers write:

  Here's a splendid tool that every writer should have, a versatile engine that is devoted to nothing less than prose itself, and while it can do much more, its entire point is as simple as that, becasue as the old saying goes, writers write -- and it's really the only pedigreee any writer needs, because if you're writing, you're a writer, and if you're not, you aren't. Ulysses takes its name from what happens to be my favorite poem, an heroic epic from no less than Tennyson almighty, who like all writers knew the agony of an art that begins with nothing, but by som curious alchemy offers outcomes our world simply could not be without. We writers are as Tennyson penned, "one equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield." Quite simply -- in a way that is both simple but not easy, Ulysses (both the app and the epic poem) helps us get there. So download it, then spring for the modest annual, and then get to work and use it every day, because whether you know it or not, the world needs your pen, your poetry, and your prose, and we need them all more than ever before. Five stars, but only becasuse it wont let me give any more.

  
  

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