# Ulysses vs Virtual Bead Board

The clearest difference is price: Ulysses at Free against Virtual Bead Board's $9.99. Ulysses also leads on ratings volume (2.2K vs 3). Virtual Bead Board's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and review sentiment (100% vs 67%). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Ulysses is free to download; Virtual Bead Board costs $9.99 up front. Ulysses sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Virtual Bead Board asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Ulysses against 4.7 for Virtual Bead Board. 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 are what separate them: 67% of Ulysses's written reviews are positive against 100% of Virtual Bead Board's.

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, Virtual Bead Board weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ulysses | Virtual Bead Board |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ulysses-writing-app/id1225570693/reviews) | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-bead-board/id6759130257/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 67.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Paid** |
| Size | 272 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.2** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/385113765) | [Kimberly Beeler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1217082844) |

## 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 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:** Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**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


### Virtual Bead Board

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-bead-board/id6759130257)

Design and visualize jewelry creations on a virtual bead board. Organize your inventory, preview designs with AR try-on, and enhance product photos with automatic background removal. Sync your work across devices for seamless crafting.

**Highlights:** Virtual bead board design, AR try-on preview, Inventory management with PDF export, Automatic photo background removal, iCloud sync across devices, Drawing canvas with 3D effect

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ulysses free?

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

### Is Virtual Bead Board free?

Virtual Bead Board costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ulysses or Virtual Bead Board?

Virtual Bead Board is rated higher. Ulysses averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Virtual Bead Board averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Ulysses or Virtual Bead Board have ads?

Neither Ulysses nor Virtual Bead Board shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ulysses or Virtual Bead Board?

Ulysses ships an update every 3 weeks, and Virtual Bead Board weekly. Most recently, Ulysses was updated on November 7, 2026 and Virtual Bead Board on October 31, 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.*