Comparison

Ulysses vs Binder

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

Binder

Organize and secure all your important documents digitally. Scan, import, and make them instantly searchable with powerful OCR. Set reminders for deadlines and sync across devices.

Highlights
  • Colorful binders with customizable tabs
  • OCR-powered instant search
  • Password protection
  • Reminders & calendar integration
  • iCloud sync
  • Import from camera, photos, or files
Features
Read full description

Everything in Binder is free. An optional purchase removes the ads. Keep all your important documents organized and searchable in one place. Binder lets you create colorful binders with customizable tabs – just like a real filing cabinet, but in your pocket. **Scan & Search Everything** Scan documents with your camera or import from photos and files. Powerful OCR technology makes every document searchable – find any receipt, contract, or note instantly. **Stay Organized** Create binders for different categories – home, car, health, finances. Add tabs to organize further. Customize colors and icons to make them yours. **Never Miss a Deadline** Set reminders for important dates found in your documents. Get notified and add events directly to your calendar. **Private & Secure** Protect sensitive binders with password protection. Your documents sync securely via iCloud across all your devices. **Features:** • Colorful binders with customizable tabs • OCR-powered instant search • Password protection • Reminders & calendar integration • iCloud sync • Import from camera, photos, or files

Screenshots

Ulysses4 screens
Binder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Ulysses at 4.6 against Binder's 3.3. Ulysses also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 3). Binder's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Ulysses sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Binder sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ulysses holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ulysses has 2.2K ratings behind it against 3, 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 50% of Binder's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, Binder every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Ulysses versus Binder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUlyssesBinder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (2.2K ratings) — better3.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews67.1% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2.2K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.018.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size272 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUlysses GmbH & Co. KGApp4Life Sweden AB

Customer experience

Ulysses

All ratings2,159 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral2.2%
Negative8.1%
Written reviews1,288 reviews
Positive67.1%
Neutral7.0%
Negative25.9%

Binder

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

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

Binder

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
1 purchases

Binder

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.49

Questions

Is Ulysses free?
Ulysses is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Binder free?
Binder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ulysses or Binder?
Ulysses is rated higher. Ulysses averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Binder averages 3.3 from 3 ratings.
Do Ulysses or Binder have ads?
Binder shows ads; Ulysses does not.
Which is updated more often, Ulysses or Binder?
Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, and Binder every 3 days. Most recently, Ulysses was updated on November 8, 2026 and Binder on November 5, 2026.

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