# Ulysses vs 锦鲤写作

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 锦鲤写作 at 88% against Ulysses's 67%. 锦鲤写作 also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). 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 锦鲤写作 sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, 锦鲤写作 weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ulysses | 锦鲤写作 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | 67.0% of reviews | **87.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 272 MB | 126 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/385113765) | [卓 周](https://appshunter.io/developer/1492783487) |

## 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


### 锦鲤写作

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6448647433)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 30-day membership | $0.99 | one-time |
| 90-day membership | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1-year membership | $6.99 | one-time |
| Permanent member | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ulysses free?

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

### Is 锦鲤写作 free?

锦鲤写作 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Ulysses or 锦鲤写作 have ads?

Neither Ulysses nor 锦鲤写作 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ulysses or 锦鲤写作?

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, and 锦鲤写作 weekly. Most recently, Ulysses was updated on October 25, 2026 and 锦鲤写作 on October 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.*