# Ulysses vs Paragraph

The clearest difference is rating: Ulysses at 4.6 against Paragraph's 4.0. Ulysses also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (2.1K vs 12). Paragraph's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, ads 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. Paragraph asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ulysses holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ulysses has 2.1K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 67% and 67% positive.

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, Paragraph every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ulysses | Paragraph |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ulysses-writing-app/id1225570693/reviews)** | [4.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paragraph-markdown-notes/id1578282800/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **67.0% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 272 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/385113765) | [HurryApp LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1562864305) |

## 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


### Paragraph

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paragraph-markdown-notes/id1578282800)

A modern writing application offering powerful features for creating and organizing documents. It supports real-time collaboration, password protection, and iCloud syncing across iOS devices. Enhance your writing with Smart Markdown, attachments, and customizable themes.

**Highlights:** Smart Markdown formatting, Real-time collaboration, Password-protected documents, iCloud syncing, File attachments and photos, Text sorting and tags

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ulysses free?

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

### Is Paragraph free?

Paragraph is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Ulysses is rated higher. Ulysses averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Paragraph averages 4.0 from 12 ratings.

### Do Ulysses or Paragraph have ads?

Neither Ulysses nor Paragraph shows ads.

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

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, and Paragraph every 5 months. Most recently, Ulysses was updated on October 27, 2026 and Paragraph on October 24, 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.*