Comparison

Ulysses vs Ai

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Ulysses

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

Highlights
  • Distraction-free editor
  • Unified library for all texts
  • Seamless sync across devices
  • Built-in proofreader and editing assistant
  • Flexible export to PDF, DOCX, HTML
  • Publishing to WordPress, Ghost, Substack
Features
Read full description

Ulysses is your one-stop writing environment for Mac, iPhone and iPad. Its pleasant, focused writing experience, combined with effective document management, seamless sync, and flexible export, make Ulysses the first choice for writers of all kinds. ++ Apple Design Award Winner ++ “The app is amazing. An absolute delight to use. Well done.” – David Hewson, Bestselling Author (The Killing) ### A Text Production Powerhouse Ulysses’ markup-based, distraction-free editor lets you focus on your most important task: Write, edit, and write some more. Formatting is kept for later, so you can completely immerse yourself in the text. Ulysses’ uniquely streamlined toolset covers the entire writing process, and its clean and simple interface will boost your productivity. From first to final draft, from prologue to closing chapter – Ulysses keeps you in the flow, so you can get stuff done. ### All Your Texts, All the Time Everything you’ll ever write is stored in Ulysses’ unified library. You can manage projects of all kinds and sizes, be it novels, diaries or study notes – they are always saved, and automatically in sync. And since Ulysses offers feature parity across macOS and iOS, it doesn’t matter where you are or when inspiration hits: All its tools, and all your texts, are always at your fingertips. ### Built-In Proofreader and Editing Assistant Write with confidence, thanks to Ulysses’ integrated grammar and style check. Available for over 20 languages, it analyzes your text and offers informed suggestions for capitalization, punctuation, semantics, redundancy, style and more. ### Create eBooks, DOCX, PDFs and HTML Ulysses’ export is flexible enough to cover any writer’s needs: Transform your text into beautiful PDFs, Word documents or eBooks. Or export HTML code, ready to be used anywhere on the web. You can even choose between a variety of pre-made formatting styles for all kinds of purposes, or create your own and share it with other users. ### Publish to WordPress, Ghost, Substack & More Do you blog? Ulysses’ offers best-in-class publishing to WordPress, Ghost, and Micro.blog. You can post to WordPress, Ghost and Micro.blog from right within the app – complete with images, tags, categories etc. All offer a built-in preview to proofread before submission. Ulysses also supports copy paste publishing to Substack and Basecamp. ### Pricing Ulysses requires a subscription. We offer monthly and yearly subscription plans. They include a fully functional trial, so you can test Ulysses (including export and sync). There’s also a special discount for students. All plans unlock the app on Mac, iPhone and iPad, and feature full synchronization. ### Questions Please visit ulysses.app for more information. You can also reach us via help@ulysses.app or on Twitter @ulyssesapp – we’re happily awaiting your feedback! Terms of Use: https://ulysses.app/app-terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://ulysses.app/app-privacy-policy

About

Ai

This application provides instant, intelligent, and engaging responses to any question. It utilizes advanced language processing and AI technology to offer a conversational experience, acting as a personal assistant for problem-solving, casual chat, or entertainment.

Highlights
  • Instant AI responses
  • Smart and witty conversation
  • Advanced language processing
  • Personal genie experience
  • Problem-solving assistance
  • Casual conversation partner
  • Entertainment
Features
Read full description

Ai-Chat: The Ultimate AI Companion. Get instant, smart and witty responses to all your questions and queries. With advanced language processing and the latest AI technology, Ai-Chat is like having your own personal genie in your pocket. Whether you need help with a problem, want to have a casual conversation, or just want to be entertained, Ai-Chat has got you covered. Download now and experience the future of human-like conversation with Ai-Chat.

Screenshots

Ulysses4 screens
Ai4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Ulysses at 4.6 against Ai's 3.9. Ulysses also leads on ratings volume (2.2K vs 275). Ai's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Ulysses sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Ai asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ulysses holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ulysses has 2.2K ratings behind it against 275, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Ulysses's written reviews are positive against 64% of Ai's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, Ai monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Ulysses versus Ai: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUlyssesAi
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (2.2K ratings) — better3.9 (275 ratings)
Positive reviews67.0% of reviews — better63.5% of reviews
Number of ratings2.2K — better275
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS26.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size272 MB10 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperUlysses GmbH & Co. KGMemes Apps LLC

Customer experience

Ulysses

All ratings2,159 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral2.2%
Negative8.1%
Written reviews1,293 reviews
Positive67.0%
Neutral7.0%
Negative26.1%

Ai

All ratings270 ratings
Positive72.6%
Neutral7.4%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews96 reviews
Positive63.5%
Neutral10.4%
Negative26.0%

User reviews

Ulysses

From 2.2K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 💰 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

Ai

From 275 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐️ Great app
  • 👍 Helpful
  • 🤖 Artificially intelligent
  • 🆓 Free
  • 🤩 Awesome

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy
  • ⏱️ Slow response time
  • 🤖 AI limitations
  • 📆 Outdated
  • 🤬 Frustrating

Bugs and requests

Ulysses

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

Ai

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Freezing
  • Crashing
  • Compatibility issues
  • Unreliable responses

Requested features

5 requests
  • Image generation
  • Wider platform support
  • More advanced AI capabilities
  • Customization options
  • Improved tutorial

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Ulysses

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Plan7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan$29.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial2 variants$39.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Plan1 Year trial$39.991 Year
One-time2
  • Student Offer$10.99
  • Perpetual License$199.99
None

Ai

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ulysses free?
Ulysses is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ai free?
Ai is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ulysses or Ai?
Ulysses is rated higher. Ulysses averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Ai averages 3.9 from 275 ratings.
Do Ulysses or Ai have ads?
Neither Ulysses nor Ai shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ulysses or Ai?
Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ai monthly. Most recently, Ulysses was updated on November 13, 2026 and Ai on November 12, 2026.

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