Ulysses review -- is this writing app worth $40 a year?
Let's take a dive into this pro-level writing software
Ah, the quest for the perfect writing app—a journey many wordsmiths embark upon in search of a digital quill that seamlessly melds with their creative process. As writers, we're no strangers to the cacophony of options available, each promising to elevate our craft and make the words flow like a tranquil river. In this ever-evolving landscape of writing tools, one name consistently surfaces: Ulysses.
Now, before you scoff at the idea of shelling out $40 for yet another app, I invite you to explore Ulysses with me.
This isn't your typical tech review laden with jargon and cold analysis; this is a friendly conversation between fellow writers, delving into the heart of an app that has carved its own niche in the world of digital writing.
You see, writing isn't just about putting words on a screen; it's about the experience, the flow, the seamless transition from idea to creation. Ulysses claims to offer just that—a harmonious blend of functionality, simplicity, and beauty. But does it live up to the hype, and is it worth the investment? Let's find out together as we navigate the Ulysses' user interface, explore its features, and weigh the $40 price tag against the treasure trove of tools it offers to writers.
Getting started
Ulysses is an Apple-only app, meaning you need a Mac, iPad or iPhone to enjoy what it offers.
Let's talk about that initial encounter with the app. I vividly remember the moment I opened Ulysses for the first time—the excitement mixed with a dash of skepticism. Would this be another labyrinthine app that requires a Ph.D. in tech to navigate?
To my pleasant surprise, Ulysses is like that friendly tour guide who greets you with a warm smile and clear directions at the start of an adventure. Its user interface is refreshingly uncluttered, with a clean and minimalist design that immediately puts you at ease. No need to decipher a hieroglyphic-laden toolbar; everything is straightforward and intuitive.
On the left you see a simple menu with some basic headings. You can add new headings, rename the current ones, and play around with your setup. I back everything up to iCloud and Ulysses saves in real time as I type. I never have to remember to save.
Navigating through Ulysses feels like a walk in the park. Your documents are neatly organized in a sidebar, and creating a new one is as simple as hitting the "+" button. The editor itself offers a distraction-free mode that's easy on the eyes, allowing your words to take center stage. The typography is crisp, the layout is unobtrusive, and the overall experience is, well, pleasant.
One of the standout features for me was the use of Markdown, a lightweight markup language. While it might sound like geeky jargon, Markdown is a writer's best friend. It lets you format text without fumbling through complex menus, making your words look just the way you want without breaking a sweat. It's like having your own personal formatting assistant, minus the fuss.
Pressing the little box with the pen icon starts a new sheet, which is the primary writing canvas used in Ulysses. You can create regular sheets or “Material” sheets. Material sheets won’t be exported for publishing. I use those for planning, character development, research notes, etc.
In essence, Ulysses welcomes you with open arms, making the first impression a breeze. But as we all know, first dates can be deceiving, so let's dive deeper and explore how this app performs when it comes to the nitty-gritty of the writing process. Ready to continue our journey? Great! Let's sail into the heart of Ulysses.
The writing experience
Now that we've had a warm welcome to Ulysses, it's time to get down to what really matters—writing. After all, a writing app's true worth lies in how it helps us craft our words into stories, articles, and ideas. So, how does Ulysses fare in the actual act of writing?
Let me tell you, the writing experience in Ulysses is like sipping your favorite hot beverage by a crackling fireplace on a winter's day. It's cozy, comfortable, and it makes you feel right at home.
Distraction-free mode, a feature I touched on earlier, is a godsend for those of us prone to wandering attention. It banishes the clutter, leaving you with just your words on a serene background. No flashing notifications, no buzzing distractions—just you and the page. It's like having a peaceful writing sanctuary at your fingertips.
The Markdown support, as I mentioned, is a game-changer. It allows you to format your text effortlessly using simple symbols. Need a heading? Just add a "#" symbol before your text. Want to italicize something? Surround it with asterisks. It's so intuitive that once you get the hang of it, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it.
But it's not just about formatting; Ulysses also excels in organization. You can divide your work into sheets and group them in folders, making it easy to manage even the most complex writing projects. Tags and keywords further help you categorize and find your content with ease.
The latest Ulysses release brought a new “Projects” section to the sidebar. This is awesome for decluttering my system. I keep my different active books there, with each project opening up to its own self-contained Ulysses dashboard. Ideas, characters, story planning, research, and the draft can all exist in their own project.
And here's a little gem: Ulysses keeps track of your word count as you write, which can be a real motivator for hitting those daily goals. It also integrates seamlessly with macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, ensuring you can write from your favorite device, whether it's a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
All in all, the writing experience in Ulysses is nothing short of delightful. It feels like the app was designed by writers, for writers, with every feature crafted to make your writing journey smoother and more enjoyable. But as we continue our exploration, we'll venture into other aspects, such as organization and collaboration. So, stay with me as we uncover more gems in the Ulysses treasure chest!
Organization and structure
As writers, we often wrestle with the intricate puzzle of organizing our thoughts, ideas, and chapters. This is where Ulysses really shines, offering an array of features to streamline the organizational side of your writing journey.
One of the standout capabilities is the ability to create individual sheets for chapters, scenes, or even snippets of dialogue. Each sheet acts as a self-contained unit, making it easy to focus on specific parts of your work without getting overwhelmed by the entire manuscript. It's like having a virtual stack of index cards, each holding a piece of your narrative puzzle.
You can add notes to each sheet. I personally write a quick synopsis of each scene so when I open the sheet to write, I have a handy roadmap right there in front of me. You can also add photos, keywords, and other metadata to help you stay organized.
The real magic happens when you realize how effortlessly you can rearrange these sheets. Ulysses allows you to simply drag and drop them to reorder your chapters or scenes. This flexibility is a boon for writers who prefer to let their creativity flow without worrying about the rigid structure of their work. You can experiment, try out different sequences, and find the perfect flow for your story—all without the hassle of cutting and pasting in a traditional word processor.
But it doesn't stop there. Ulysses also offers a powerful folder system, which lets you group related sheets together. Imagine having all your character profiles, research notes, and drafts neatly organized within a few clicks. It's like having a well-organized filing cabinet for your writing projects.
And if you're working on multiple projects simultaneously, Ulysses doesn't miss a beat. It provides a clean and intuitive library system, allowing you to switch effortlessly between different works-in-progress, all neatly categorized and accessible with a click.
For those who love to label and categorize, Ulysses provides tagging and keyword features. You can add tags to your sheets, making it easy to find related content later. This is a boon for research-heavy projects or stories with a complex web of characters and plotlines.
In a nutshell, Ulysses offers a robust suite of tools for writers to sculpt their work with precision and ease. Whether you're creating a novel with chapters, a screenplay with scenes, or a collection of essays with distinct themes, Ulysses adapts to your creative process, offering a helping hand in the journey to bring your words to life.
Now, let's keep exploring and dive into the collaborative features and more that Ulysses has to offer.
Collaboration
Writing doesn't always happen in solitude, and Ulysses understands that. While it may not be the most feature-rich collaboration tool out there, it still offers some handy options for co-writing and editing.
You can easily share your Ulysses documents with collaborators, and the app ensures that the formatting remains consistent, no matter who's working on it. It's a useful feature when you need a second pair of eyes on your work or are engaged in a collaborative writing project.
While it may not replace dedicated collaboration tools, it's a valuable addition for writers who occasionally work in teams.
Exporting & Publishing
Ulysses doesn't just help you write—it's got your back when it comes to sharing your work with the world. Exporting your creations is a breeze with this app. You can convert your documents into various formats like PDF, Word, ePub, and even HTML with just a few clicks.
When it's time to publish, Ulysses offers a direct route to platforms like WordPress and Medium. This means you can write, edit, and publish your blog posts all from within the app, streamlining the process and saving you time.
For those of us who like to tinker with the formatting before publishing, Ulysses offers style and theme customization, ensuring your work looks just the way you envision it. It's a handy feature that lets you maintain your unique style across different platforms and publications.
But here is where I find Ulysses falls short. I write most everything in Ulysses and then export it from there, whether to my editor’s own CMS or here to Substack. It seems no matter which output I choose, the formatting gets all messed up on the receiving end.
It’s not life-threatening, but it is highly annoying. Most of the formatting issues have to do with sentence breaks. Ulysses adds hyphens (-) between words for some unknown reason. I end up going through the entire draft line-by-line to delete random hyphens and rejoin sentences together.
The mobile experience
Why anyone would try to write a novel on mobile is beyond me, but you do you. Ulysses has what you need if that is what you are attempting.
The Ulysses app offers dedicated versions for iOS and iPadOS, ensuring a consistent and enjoyable writing experience across all your devices. Whether you're waiting for your morning coffee, commuting on a bus, or taking a break at the park, you can access your Ulysses documents with ease.
The intuitive touch interface feels natural, making it effortless to type, edit, and navigate through your work. And thanks to iCloud synchronization, your documents are always up-to-date, no matter where you choose to write.
But I’ll be completely honest here and say that no matter how well Ulysses makes the UI of their app, it’s not a great iPhone writing experience. The menus look small and all the sheets look cluttered. Then there’s the issue of keyboards on Apple mobile devices (yuck).
I suppose writing on a larger-screen iPad with a keyboard would provide an excellent Ulysses experience, but there is no saving grace for the iPhone.
This isn’t really the fault of Ulysses. It’s just writing on mobile sucks no matter what tool you use. I generally stick to writing on my Mac.
Price vs Value
Now that we've explored Ulysses inside and out, let's address the elephant in the room: the price. Ulysses comes with a $40 per year price tag, or $5.99 per month, which may raise eyebrows in a world filled with free writing apps and budget-friendly alternatives.
But here's the crucial question: does the value match the price?
To answer that, let's consider what Ulysses brings to the table. It offers a seamless and distraction-free writing experience, effortless organization and structuring of your work, and a mobile experience. It also simplifies the export and publishing process, helping you share your work with the world. Plus, it's beautifully designed, which can make a big difference in your writing environment.
Compare this to the countless free or cheaper writing apps out there, and you might wonder if the investment is justified. Well, it all depends on your writing needs and preferences.
If you're a professional writer, an aspiring author, or someone who writes daily, Ulysses could be a game-changer. It's a tool that streamlines your writing process, enhances your organization, and offers a polished writing environment that can boost your productivity.
However, if you're a casual writer, an occasional blogger, or someone who prefers a simpler writing tool, the $40 price might not align with your needs. There are free alternatives that can get the job done.
Ultimately, it's a matter of value. If Ulysses enhances your writing experience and helps you achieve your writing goals, the $40 investment can be well worth it. But if you find yourself not utilizing its full potential, you might want to explore other options.
So, when considering the price vs. value equation, remember to weigh your writing needs and aspirations against what Ulysses has to offer. It's an investment in your craft, and like any investment, it should align with your goals and expectations.
My personal verdict
Now, for the moment of truth: my personal verdict on Ulysses. Full disclosure—I've been a Ulysses subscriber for three years, and during that time, I wrote an entire novel using this software. However, I've also got a confession to make—I rarely use the mobile version.
Let's break it down:
Ulysses has undoubtedly been a game-changer in my writing journey. The desktop version has become my trusty sidekick for everything from articles and essays to that novel I mentioned. Its distraction-free mode, Markdown support, and robust organizational tools have made my writing process smoother and more enjoyable. Plus, the export and publishing features have saved me heaps of time when sharing my work with the world.
However, when it comes to the mobile version, I have mixed feelings. While it's a well-crafted app that's consistent with the desktop experience, I find myself gravitating toward other writing apps on my mobile devices - mainly Apple Notes.
So, my personal verdict is this: Ulysses is an outstanding writing app for those who write extensively on desktop or prefer a distraction-free, feature-rich writing environment. If you're like me and rarely use the mobile version, it's still worth considering for its desktop capabilities alone.
However, if you rely heavily on mobile writing or have a limited budget, there are free or cheaper alternatives that may better suit your needs. Ultimately, Ulysses' value depends on your specific writing habits and requirements.
In the end, it's not just about the app itself; it's about how it fits into your unique writing process. So, as you ponder whether Ulysses is worth the investment, consider your writing goals and preferences, and don't hesitate to give it a try if it aligns with your creative journey.