Ulysses alternatives
Killing $5.99/mo (~$72/yr) — here are 3 verified escapes, honest trade-offs included.
the answer easy migration
Zettlr · Free ⭐ 13.4K stars Academic-grade Markdown writing with citations and exports.
you stop paying $5.99/mo → keep ~$72/yr
head-to-head
| Ulysses | Zettlr | |
|---|---|---|
| price | $5.99/mo | Free |
| self-hostable | no | yes |
| license | proprietary | GPL-3.0 |
| verified | — | 2026-08 |
| migration | — | easy effort |
free & open source (1)
cheaper, but not open source (2)
Obsidian (free) cheaper
Free / $4/mo sync
Local-first vault with thousands of writing plugins.
trade-offs: Sync between devices costs extra
iA Writer cheaper
One-time ~$50
Focused writing app with zero subscription.
trade-offs: Closed source
faq
What is the best free alternative to Ulysses?
Zettlr is the top free option — Academic-grade Markdown writing with citations and exports.
How much can I save by switching from Ulysses?
Ulysses costs $5.99/mo, so switching to a free alternative saves roughly $72/year per seat.
Can Ulysses be self-hosted?
Yes — Zettlr can be self-hosted for free.