Ulysses vs Markdown+ Text & Code Editor
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ulysses
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.
- Distraction-free editor
- Unified document library
- Cross-device sync
- Built-in proofreader
- Flexible export options (PDF, DOCX, eBook, HTML)
- Direct publishing to blogs
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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
Markdown+ Text & Code Editor
This native editor offers real-time Markdown and LaTeX rendering with dynamic variables for complex calculations and reusable components. Enjoy a distraction-free interface, seamless cross-device syncing, and advanced code highlighting across Apple devices.
- Real-time Markdown and LaTeX previews
- Dynamic variables for calculations
- Code highlighting for 140+ languages
- Split-view editing
- Seamless cross-device syncing
- Dark mode and custom themes
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Introducing the native, real-time Markdown editor with superpowers. Markdown+ has been meticulously crafted for Vision Pro, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. With blazing-fast performance and powerful features like dynamic variables and real-time math rendering, Markdown+ delivers an unparalleled experience across all your Apple devices. Modern Editing Tools Experience the perfect balance of simplicity and power with our distraction-free interface. The split-view design lets you edit Markdown on one side while watching your content come alive instantly on the other—with perfect synchronized scrolling and jump-to-selection capabilities. Tables, Images, Links Easily create embed tables, images, and links, without having to memorize the markup. Live Code & Math Highlighting Create beautiful documents with advanced syntax highlighting for code blocks across 140+ programming languages. Write complex mathematical formulas with LaTeX-style syntax and watch them render in real-time with professional typesetting. Smart Variables System Transform your documents with the unique Variables feature. Create reusable components for names, dates, and complex expressions. Need to calculate sin(90)+cos(80)? Simply define it once, then reference it throughout your document—changes update everywhere automatically. Use Variables to evaluate or chain multiple mathematical expression right within your document, and use the vast library of built-in functions. Dark Mode & Custom Themes Work comfortably day or night with full dark mode support and customizable themes that perfectly complement your workflow and personal style. Performance Without Compromise Built with a native-first approach, Markdown+ delivers exceptional speed even with massive documents. Our optimized parsing engine ensures real-time previews update instantly as you type, without draining your battery or slowing down your device. Seamless Cross-Device Experience Whether you're working on Vision Pro, Mac, iPad, or iPhone, Markdown+ adapts perfectly to each screen with device-specific optimizations. Start a document on your Mac and seamlessly continue on your iPhone—your experience remains consistently excellent. One-Time Purchase, Lifetime Value No subscriptions. No in-app purchases. No hidden costs. Buy Markdown+ once and use it forever on all your devices with Family Sharing included. All future updates and features are yours at no additional cost. Learn more: EULA: https://zetegy.com/eula/markdown/ Privacy policy: https://zetegy.com/privacy/markdown/ Terms of use: https://zetegy.com/terms/markdown/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Ulysses at Free against Markdown+ Text & Code Editor's $9.99. Ulysses also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 50%). Markdown+ Text & Code Editor's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Ulysses is free to download; Markdown+ Text & Code Editor costs $9.99 up front. Ulysses sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Markdown+ Text & Code Editor sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, Markdown+ Text & Code Editor every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ulysses | Markdown+ Text & Code Editor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (2.2K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 67.1% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.2K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Paid — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 272 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG | Zetegy LLC |
Customer experience
Ulysses
Markdown+ Text & Code Editor
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
Markdown+ Text & Code Editor
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Ulysses
- Monthly Plan7 Days trial$5.991 Month
- Yearly Plan$29.991 Year
- Yearly Plan7 Days trial2 variants$39.991 Year
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- Yearly Plan1 Year trial$39.991 Year
- Student Offer$10.99
- Perpetual License$199.99
Markdown+ Text & Code Editor
- Markdown+ Monthly3 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Markdown+ Yearly14 Days trial$9.991 Year
Questions
Is Ulysses free?
Is Markdown+ Text & Code Editor free?
Do Ulysses or Markdown+ Text & Code Editor have ads?
Which is updated more often, Ulysses or Markdown+ Text & Code Editor?
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