Comparison

Ulysses Mobile vs HiveBloom

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Ulysses Mobile

A focused writing environment for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. It offers distraction-free editing, effective document management, seamless syncing, and flexible export options for various formats and publishing platforms. Includes a built-in 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
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

HiveBloom

This app simplifies beekeeping by providing a digital journal for managing your hives. It helps you track colonies, record inspections, and stay organized, with features like cloud syncing and weather-based reminders. The free version supports up to two hives.

Highlights
  • Free management for up to 2 hives
  • Unlimited hive inspections
  • Apiary mapping and organization
  • Detailed hive health tracking
  • Cloud backup and syncing
  • Weather-based inspection reminders
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

HiveBloom: Free beehive management for healthier, happier bees Keep your colonies thriving with HiveBloom, the beekeeping journal that makes hive management clear and effortless. Whether you're tending a few backyard hives or managing a large apiary, HiveBloom helps you stay organized and connected to your bees. Free forever for up to 2 hives. - Free forever. Manage up to 2 hives with unlimited inspections at no cost. No trial, no credit card, no expiration. - Upgrade when you're ready. Unlock unlimited hives and premium features for only $59.99/year or $5.99/month. - Oversee every apiary. Add as many apiaries as you like and see them pinned on the map. - Track your hives. HiveBloom keeps your colonies organized in one place. - Protect your bees' health. Record detailed inspections and check the status of any hive at a glance. - Work together. Share apiaries so friends or fellow beekeepers can help manage your hives. - Always in sync. Your records are securely backed up and automatically synced to the cloud. - Stay on schedule. Get notified when it's time to inspect, with smart reminders based on your local weather. - Works offline. Keep logging even without a connection. - Quick access. Use QR codes or NFC tags on your hives for instant identification. View our terms of service at https://hivebloom.com/terms-of-service/

Screenshots

Ulysses Mobile4 screens
HiveBloom4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: HiveBloom at freemium against Ulysses Mobile's subscription. HiveBloom also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). Ulysses Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (2.6K vs 291). On price, update cadence, 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 Mobile sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and HiveBloom sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HiveBloom holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ulysses Mobile has 2.6K ratings behind it against 291, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ulysses Mobile ships an update every 3 weeks, HiveBloom fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Ulysses Mobile versus HiveBloom: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUlysses MobileHiveBloom
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2.6K ratings)4.8 (291 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—88.6% of reviews
Number of ratings2.6K — better291
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
Ads—No
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size193 MB91 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUlysses GmbH & Co. KGMartin Fuhry

Customer experience

Ulysses Mobile

All ratings2,364 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral1.7%
Negative10.8%

HiveBloom

All ratings291 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral2.4%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive88.6%
Neutral8.6%
Negative2.9%

Bugs and requests

Ulysses Mobile

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

HiveBloom

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Technical issue with no support response
  • Lost all entries and data after free trial
  • Issues with reloading records after phone death (resolved by support)
  • Harvest feature issue (resolved by support)

Requested features

9 requests
  • Ability to share notes/inspections read-only
  • Summary views for varroa counts, hive weights, gentleness over time
  • Line graphs for data visualization
  • Financial management features (recording sales, units)
  • Ability to modify dates to be in the past
Show 4 more
  • General notes per hive
  • Ability to mark defensive bees
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Ulysses Mobile

Subscriptions5
  • Monthly Plan (Mobile)7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan$29.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan (Mobile)7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Yearly Plan (Mobile)1 Year trial$39.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Student Offer$10.99
4 purchases

HiveBloom

Subscriptions4
  • HiveBloom Monthly$2.991 Month
  • HiveBloom Monthly Subscription1 Month trial$5.991 Month
  • HiveBloom Yearly$17.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • HiveBloom Yearly Subscription1 Month trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Ulysses Mobile free?
Ulysses Mobile is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HiveBloom free?
HiveBloom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ulysses Mobile or HiveBloom?
HiveBloom is rated higher. Ulysses Mobile averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while HiveBloom averages 4.8 from 291 ratings.
Which is updated more often, Ulysses Mobile or HiveBloom?
Ulysses Mobile ships an update every 3 weeks, and HiveBloom fortnightly. Most recently, Ulysses Mobile was updated on October 21, 2026 and HiveBloom on October 20, 2026.

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