Ulysses suits bloggers, content writers and authors on Mac, iPad and iPhone who want a calm, distraction-free app that publishes straight to WordPress, Ghost and Medium. Scrivener suits novelists, screenwriters and researchers writing long, complicated projects, and it runs on Windows as well as macOS and iOS. Blog posts and articles: Ulysses. Big books and research: Scrivener.
Writers argue about these two the way photographers argue about cameras. Both are built for people who write a lot, but they think about writing differently. I read the Ulysses home page and the Scrivener overview from Literature and Latte, the company that makes it.
Ulysses and Scrivener compared
| Ulysses | Scrivener | |
|---|---|---|
| Around since | 2003 | 2007 |
| Platforms | Mac, iPad and iPhone | macOS, Windows and iOS |
| Trial | Free, fully functional trial on all devices | Free trial download |
| Built for | People who love to write and write a lot | Long writing projects, from first idea to final draft |
| Output | PDF, Word, ebooks and blog posts | Compile to Word, PDF, Final Draft or plain text |
| Publishing | Straight to WordPress, Ghost, Medium and Micro.blog | Not covered on the page I read |
What Ulysses is like to use
Ulysses calls itself the ultimate writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone, with a distraction-free interface that keeps you in the flow. It handles projects of all sizes, from college essays to blog posts to a full novel, and syncs between your devices.
Two features stand out on its page. A built-in grammar and style check covers over 20 languages, and you can publish posts, complete with featured images, tags and excerpts, straight to WordPress, Ghost, Medium and Micro.blog. You can also set a character-limit goal and track your progress, which is handy for client work. It's won an Apple Design Award, and it's been around since 2003, which is a long time in the world of apps.
What Scrivener is like to use
Scrivener's tagline is 'Typewriter. Ring-binder. Scrapbook.' It's built for long projects: you write in any order, in sections as large or small as you like, and everything sits in a project outline alongside your notes and research.
When you're done, Scrivener compiles everything into one document for printing or self-publishing, or exports to Word, PDF, Final Draft or plain text. Literature and Latte says it launched in 2007 and is used by novelists, screenwriters, students, academics, lawyers, journalists and translators.
Scrivener doesn't tell you how to write, as Literature and Latte puts it; it gives you somewhere to gather everything and keep going. You can plan every detail before you type a word, or draft first and restructure later, and the outline view lets you see the whole manuscript or zoom in on one scene.
Publishing or compiling
That's the heart of the difference. Ulysses is built to get finished pieces out into the world, with direct publishing to blog platforms. Scrivener is built to hold a big, messy project together until it's ready, then compile it into a manuscript. If your writing ends up on a website, Ulysses saves a step every time. If it ends up with an editor or a publisher, Scrivener's compile tools are made for that.
Platform can settle it before features do. Ulysses lists Mac, iPad and iPhone only. Scrivener lists macOS, Windows and iOS, so it's the one to look at if you write on a Windows laptop.
Who each app suits
Ulysses suits bloggers, content marketers, newsletter writers and Apple users who publish often. Scrivener suits novelists, screenwriters, PhD students and anyone juggling research, notes and chapters in one long document. If you also use AI to help draft, here are the AI writing tools bloggers rate, and my tips on stopping AI writing sounding like AI.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
My advice on Ulysses or Scrivener
Think about where your words end up. If they go onto a blog or a newsletter, try Ulysses first and publish one post straight from it; you'll know quickly whether that suits you. If you're writing a book with lots of research, start a Scrivener project and move one chapter in. Both offer a free trial, so use it on real work rather than a test page. You'll learn more from one real chapter or post than from an hour of reading reviews.
Do you make writing apps? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ulysses work on Windows?
No. Ulysses lists Mac, iPad and iPhone.
Does Scrivener run on Windows?
Yes. Scrivener is available for macOS, Windows and iOS.
Can Ulysses publish to WordPress?
Yes. Ulysses can publish posts straight to WordPress, Ghost, Medium and Micro.blog.
Can Scrivener export to Word?
Yes. Scrivener compiles your project and exports to Word, PDF, Final Draft or plain text.
Do Ulysses and Scrivener have free trials?
Yes. Ulysses offers a free, fully functional trial on all devices, and Scrivener offers a free trial download.
