# Ulysses vs Craft

The clearest difference is monetization model: Craft at free with in-app purchases against Ulysses's subscription. Craft also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (85% vs 67%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ulysses sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Craft sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Craft holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.1K and 6.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Ulysses's written reviews are positive against 85% of Craft's.

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, Craft every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ulysses | Craft |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ulysses-writing-app/id1225570693/reviews) | **[4.8 (6.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/craft-notes-documents-ai/id1487937127/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.1K | **6.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 67.0% of reviews | **84.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 273 MB | 344 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/385113765) | [Craft Docs Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1487937126) |

## What reviewers say

### Ulysses

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ulysses-writing-app/id1225570693)

A distraction-free writing environment for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. It offers robust document management, seamless syncing, and flexible export options for writers of all kinds. Includes a proofreader and editing assistant.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free editor, Unified document library, Cross-device sync, Built-in proofreader, Flexible export options (PDF, DOCX, eBook, HTML), Direct publishing to blogs

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Plan | $5.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $39.99 | per year |
| Student Offer | $10.99 | one-time |
| Perpetual License | $199.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless syncing across devices
- 👍 Simple, distraction-free writing experience
- 💡 Powerful organization and formatting features
- 🦋 Beautiful, customizable interface
- ✨ Excellent for focused writing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional sync issues
- 🔒 Concerns about data privacy and lock-in
- 📚 Limited support for advanced formatting (tables, formulas, etc.)
- 🤔 Steep learning curve for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Unexpected data loss or file corruption
- Slow performance on older devices
- Unreliable iCloud sync
- Formatting issues when exporting to other formats

**Requested features**

- Improved collaboration and sharing features
- Better integration with reference managers and citation tools
- More flexible export options and compatibility
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Ability to hide Markdown syntax


### Craft

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/craft-notes-documents-ai/id1487937127)

This app helps you organize your thoughts, manage tasks, and boost productivity with an AI assistant. Create structured documents, plan your day, and connect with other tools for a seamless workflow across all your devices.

**Highlights:** AI Assistant for research and writing, Structured document creation, Native task management system, Daily notes and calendar view, Offline access and sync, Integrations with other tools

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Legacy - Monthly Subscription | $10.99 | per month |
| Family Monthly Subscription | $17.99 | per month |
| Team Monthly Subscription | $59.99 | per month |
| Plus Annual Subscription | $95.99 | per year |
| Legacy - Annual Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| Family Annual Subscription | $179.99 | per year |
| Business Monthly Subscription | $299.00 | per month |
| Team Annual Subscription | $599.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Absolutely amazing
- 👍 Beautiful, clean, simple, increasingly powerful
- 👍 Fantastic Essential App
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Seamless sync between devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Crashes after recent update
- 🔍 Lack of customization options (e.g. font size)
- 🔍 Inconsistent and confusing UI conventions
- 🔍 Lack of basic features like tags and tables

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when using voice control dictation
- Inconsistent behavior when rearranging notes
- Exporting to PDF creates blank first page

**Requested features**

- Add support for tables and columns
- Implement tagging system for better organization
- Improve text editing and formatting options
- Integrate with more third-party apps and services
- Add graph view for visualizing note connections


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ulysses free?

Ulysses is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Craft free?

Craft is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ulysses or Craft?

Craft is rated higher. Ulysses averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Craft averages 4.8 from 6.6K ratings.

### Do Ulysses or Craft have ads?

Neither Ulysses nor Craft shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ulysses or Craft?

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, and Craft every 10 days. Most recently, Ulysses was updated on October 21, 2026 and Craft on October 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*