Writing apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head

Ulysses vs Scrivener

Ulysses ranks #1 and Scrivener ranks #2 in our guide to the best writing apps for Mac and iPhone. Ulysses is our pick for most people.

The Useful TechResearched and written with AI under our rulesUpdated 14 Oct 2026

Our pickUlysses app iconUlyssesPick Ulysses if you run a blog or write long pieces and want every draft in 1 library that syncs.From $5.99#2 in the guideScrivener app iconScrivenerPick Scrivener if you're writing a novel, script or thesis and need sections you can rearrange beside your research.$59.99 once

What decides it

  • Scrivener costs less over 3 years: $59.99, against $119.97 for Ulysses.
  • Both run on Mac, iPhone and iPad.
  • Ulysses is included with a Setapp subscription; Scrivener isn't.

Side by side

Prices are checked every day.

At a glanceUlysses app iconUlyssesScrivener app iconScrivener
PriceFree trial, then $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year for Mac, iPad and iPhone$59.99 once for the Mac, with a 30-day free trial
How you paySubscriptionPay once
3 years of use$119.97 Yearly plan$59.99 Cheaper
Free trialYesYes
Runs onMac, iPhone, iPadMac, iPhone, iPad
Where to buyApp Store, SetappDeveloper, App Store
Rating4.6 2.2K ratingsToo few ratings
FeaturesiCloud sync, Family Sharing, Free trialFree trial, Family Sharing, Privacy
Made byUlysses GmbH & Co. KGLiterature & Latte
Last updated23 Oct 202619 Dec 2025

Who should get which

Get Ulysses if

You write long pieces or run a blog and want every draft organized in 1 distraction-free library.

Get Scrivener if

You are writing a book, script or thesis and 1 long document has become hard to steer.

Skip Ulysses if

You write the odd short document, and Pages or Apple Notes does that with no subscription.

Skip Scrivener if

You write blog posts and emails, where Pages or a plain Markdown editor gets you there faster.

Our verdicts

Ulysses app iconUlysses

At $39.99 a year for all your Macs, iPads and iPhones, shared with up to 5 family members, this writing app keeps every draft in 1 iCloud library split into sheets you can reorder. Word count goals, deadlines and direct publishing to WordPress, Ghost and Micro.blog suit bloggers and novelists alike. If you hate subscriptions, Scrivener costs $59.99 once for the Mac, and Ulysses has a $199.99 perpetual license in its App Store purchases.

Scrivener app iconScrivener

If you are writing a novel, screenplay or thesis in 1 unwieldy document, Scrivener splits it into sections you shuffle like index cards, with research beside the draft. Word targets, snapshots and EPUB export round it out, but for blog posts and short essays it is far more app than you need. It is $59.99 once on the Mac, and the iPhone and iPad app costs $23.99 more and syncs only through Dropbox.

What each one helps you do

Ulysses app iconUlysses

  • Organize a whole book into reorderable sections
  • Hit daily word count goals and deadlines
  • Publish a post straight to WordPress or Ghost
  • Export a manuscript as an ebook or Word file

Scrivener app iconScrivener

  • Break a long manuscript into movable sections
  • Keep research notes next to your draft
  • Hit a daily word count target
  • Export a finished book as EPUB or Word

Where to get them

Ulysses

Free trial, then $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year for Mac, iPad and iPhone

Scrivener

$59.99 once for the Mac, with a 30-day free trial

  • From the developer30-day free trial that only counts the days you use it
    $59.99Get it
  • Mac App Store
    $59.99Mac App Store
  • iPhone and iPad appCompanion app on the App Store
    $23.99App Store

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Neither one quite right?

The other picks in our guide to the best writing apps for Mac and iPhone.

Read the full guideAll Ulysses alternativesAll Scrivener alternatives

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