Obsidian vs Ulysses
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Obsidian is a note-taking and personal knowledge management app built around plain markdown files stored locally on your device. Rather than a rigid folder hierarchy, Obsidian encourages a networked structure through bidirectional links, backlinks, and an interactive graph view that visualizes how notes connect. Because notes are just markdown files on disk, Obsidian is fast, works fully offline, and keeps your data portable - there is no proprietary lock-in. A large community plugin ecosystem extends the core app with everything from spaced-repetition flashcards to kanban boards and calendar views. Obsidian Sync and Obsidian Publish are optional paid add-ons for cross-device syncing and publishing notes as a website, but the core app is free for personal use.
Ulysses is a writing app exclusive to Apple platforms, built for writers who manage long or multiple writing projects at once, from novels and articles to blog posts. It combines a distraction-free, markup-based editor with a library system for organizing texts into projects, along with writing goals and deadline tracking to keep longer works on schedule. Built-in grammar and style checking covers more than 20 languages, and finished work can be exported as PDFs, Word documents, ebooks, or published directly to WordPress, Ghost, Medium, and Micro.blog. Everything syncs seamlessly across Mac, iPad, and iPhone via iCloud, and the app has won an Apple Design Award for its interface and workflow.
Free for personal use; commercial licenses and sync/publish are paid add-ons.
- Full data ownership with local markdown files
- Extremely fast and works offline
- Massive plugin ecosystem
- One-time payment for sync (no forced subscription)
- Direct publishing to WordPress, Ghost, Medium, and Micro.blog saves a copy-paste step
- Library system suits writers juggling multiple long-form projects
- Family Sharing extends value to up to five people at no extra cost
- Won an Apple Design Award for interface quality
- Steeper learning curve than typical note apps
- Mobile app less polished than desktop
- Sync/Publish cost extra
- Exclusive to Apple devices, with no Windows, Android, or web version
- Subscription model rather than a one-time purchase
- Not suited to writers who need real-time collaborative editing with others
What reviewers say
Obsidian Reviews
4.0 (2)Highly recommend Obsidian
Obsidian has quickly become part of our daily workflow. Extremely fast and works offline. One minor gripe: sync/publish cost extra, but it hasn't been a dealbreaker. Would recommend to anyone considering it.
Highly recommend Obsidian
Obsidian has quickly become part of our daily workflow. Extremely fast and works offline. One minor gripe: mobile app less polished than desktop, but it hasn't been a dealbreaker. Would recommend to anyone considering it.
Ulysses Reviews
No reviews yet.
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The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataUlysses is the go‑to Apple‑only long‑form writing app with built‑in publishing, while Obsidian is a cross‑platform, markdown‑first knowledge base focused on linking and extensibility.
Key differences
- •Platform support: Ulysses runs only on Apple devices; Obsidian runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android.
- •Primary purpose: Ulysses is built for drafting and publishing long‑form text; Obsidian is a note‑taking/knowledge‑graph tool.
- •Data ownership: Obsidian stores plain markdown locally; Ulysses stores work in its own library synced via iCloud.
- •Collaboration: Ulysses has no real‑time collaboration; Obsidian offers sync as a paid add‑on but no native collaborative editing.
- •Pricing model: Ulysses is subscription‑only; Obsidian is free for personal use with optional paid sync/publish.
Pricing & value
Obsidian is free for personal use; Ulysses requires a paid subscription.
Ease of use / learning curve
Ulysses offers a distraction‑free editor aimed at writers; Obsidian’s plugin ecosystem adds complexity.
Features & depth
Ulysses includes built‑in grammar checking, goal tracking, and direct publishing to major platforms.
Integrations & ecosystem
Obsidian integrates with Git, iCloud, Dropbox and 1000+ community plugins; Ulysses only integrates with four publishing services.
Collaboration
Obsidian offers optional sync/publish add‑ons; Ulysses has no real‑time collaboration features.
Scalability / lock‑in
Obsidian stores plain markdown files locally, avoiding vendor lock‑in; Ulysses stores data in its own iCloud library.
Support
Obsidian provides community forum and Discord; Ulysses support details not specified.
Choose Obsidian if…
Cross‑platform researchers or developers who want local markdown ownership and extensible plugins.
Choose Ulysses if…
Apple‑only writers needing built‑in publishing and goal tracking.
Common questions
Can I use the app on Windows or Android?
Ulysses: no (Apple‑only). Obsidian: yes (Windows, Linux, Android, iOS).
Is there a free version?
Ulysses: no, only paid subscription. Obsidian: free for personal use; sync/publish are paid add‑ons.
Do either app support direct publishing to a blog?
Ulysses: yes, to WordPress, Ghost, Medium, Micro.blog. Obsidian: no built‑in publishing; requires external workflow.