# Ulysses vs Focus Range

The clearest difference is ads: Ulysses at none against Focus Range's shown. Ulysses also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Focus Range's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, 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 Focus Range sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, Focus Range every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ulysses | Focus Range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ulysses-writing-app/id1225570693/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 67.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 274 MB | 59 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) | [Toshiya Hondo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571875732) |

## 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


### Focus Range

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focus-range/id1579309326)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ulysses free?

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

### Is Focus Range free?

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

### Do Ulysses or Focus Range have ads?

Focus Range shows ads; Ulysses does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ulysses or Focus Range?

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, and Focus Range every 2 months. Most recently, Ulysses was updated on September 24, 2026 and Focus Range on August 10, 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.*