# 1Writer vs Ulysses

The clearest difference is price: Ulysses at Free against 1Writer's $4.99. Ulysses also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 393). 1Writer's advantage is review sentiment (84% vs 67%) and chart position (#68 vs unranked). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Ulysses is free to download; 1Writer costs $4.99 up front. 1Writer sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Ulysses sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for 1Writer against 4.6 for Ulysses. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ulysses has 2.2K ratings behind it against 393, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of 1Writer's written reviews are positive against 67% of Ulysses's.

1Writer ships an update every 2 months, Ulysses every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 1Writer | Ulysses |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (393 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1writer-markdown-text-editor/id680469088/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ulysses-writing-app/id1225570693/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 393 | **2.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **83.9% of reviews** | 67.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#68** | — |
| Size | 19 MB | 272 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ngoc Luu](https://appshunter.io/developer/476810735) | [Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/385113765) |

## What reviewers say

### 1Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1writer-markdown-text-editor/id680469088)

**Currently charting:** #68 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

This app is a powerful text editor for creating, revising, and sharing ideas efficiently. It supports plain text and Markdown, with advanced features like an extended keyboard, photo insertion, and custom URL actions. Sync with cloud services and personalize your writing experience.

**Highlights:** Markdown syntax highlighting and preview, Extended keyboard with custom buttons, Photo insertion with Dropbox integration, Sync with iCloud, Dropbox, and WebDAV, Custom URL actions and JavaScript support, In-app web browser for research, Passcode and biometric app protection

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Nice Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Massive Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $19.99 | one-time |


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 1Writer free?

1Writer costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Ulysses free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 1Writer or Ulysses?

1Writer is rated higher. 1Writer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 393 ratings, while Ulysses averages 4.6 from 2.2K ratings.

### Do 1Writer or Ulysses have ads?

Neither 1Writer nor Ulysses shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 1Writer or Ulysses?

1Writer ships an update every 2 months, and Ulysses every 3 weeks. Most recently, 1Writer was updated on October 26, 2026 and Ulysses on October 28, 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.*