Comparison

Ulysses vs Note Fold

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 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
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

Note Fold

Features
Read full description

Note Fold is a powerful note-taking app for students, professionals, and lifelong learners who need more than a flat list. Create nested folders, write with rich text formatting, embed photos and videos, and tag notes for instant cross-referencing. • Unlimited Folder Structure • Rich Text Editor • Embed Photos, Videos & Links • Smart Tagging System • Search Everything • Works Offline, No Account Required • Archive & Restore • Import & Export Your Library • Customize Your Workspace UNLIMITED FOLDER STRUCTURE Organize notes in folders within folders. Drag and drop to rearrange instantly. Color-code folders and notes to find what you need at a glance. Perfect for coursework, research projects, creative writing, or building your personal knowledge base. RICH TEXT EDITOR Write beautifully formatted notes with bold, italic, headings, bullet points, numbered lists, blockquotes, and inline code. No markdown syntax required, just tap and type. EMBED PHOTOS, VIDEOS & LINKS Insert images from your camera roll or capture new photos Embed videos directly from your device Paste YouTube links for inline video playback Add web links with automatic preview cards SMART TAGGING SYSTEM Create color-coded tags and apply multiple tags to any note. Browse all notes by tag to find related content across your entire folder structure, perfect for connecting ideas across subjects. SEARCH EVERYTHING Find any note instantly. Search results show the full folder path so you can jump directly to what you need. WORKS OFFLINE, NO ACCOUNT REQUIRED Your notes are stored locally on your device. Write and organize without internet. No sign-up, no cloud. Your data stays on your device. ARCHIVE & RESTORE No accidental deletion. Archived notes are kept safe until you restore or permanently remove them. IMPORT & EXPORT YOUR LIBRARY Back up everything or share individual folders. The .notefold format preserves your complete structure including notes, folders, and tags. CUSTOMIZE YOUR WORKSPACE Light and dark themes Adjustable text sizes Custom colors for folders, notes, and tags NOTE FOLD PRO Unlock the complete experience: • Unlimited folder nesting depth • Embed photos, videos, and YouTube • Rich link preview cards • Import & export functionality • Ad-free note-taking Available as monthly, yearly, or lifetime purchase. Download Note Fold today and organize your notes the way your mind actually works. Privacy Policy: https://barrelofsunshine.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Ulysses4 screens
Note Fold4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Ulysses at none against Note Fold's shown. Note Fold's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). 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 Note Fold sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, Note Fold every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ulysses versus Note Fold: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUlyssesNote Fold
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (2.1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews67.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.1K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size274 MB62 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUlysses GmbH & Co. KGBarrel of Sunshine

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

Note Fold

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
3 purchases

Note Fold

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly - Note Fold Pro$1.991 Month
  • Annual - Note Fold Pro$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime - Note Fold Pro$24.99

Questions

Is Ulysses free?
Ulysses is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Note Fold free?
Note Fold is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ulysses or Note Fold have ads?
Note Fold shows ads; Ulysses does not.
Which is updated more often, Ulysses or Note Fold?
Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, and Note Fold every 3 days. Most recently, Ulysses was updated on September 24, 2026 and Note Fold on September 15, 2026.

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