The best iA Writer alternatives for Mac
Looking for an iA Writer alternative on Mac? Koi, Ulysses, Typora, Bear, Scrivener and Obsidian compared on editor, files, voice, Word export and price.
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What Ulysses does well
Ulysses is a writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone, and an Apple Design Award winner. You write in a clean markup editor, keep every text in one library with groups and goals, and sync it all through iCloud. A grammar and style check covers more than 20 languages, and Writing Tools from Apple Intelligence proofread and rewrite where Apple offers them.
It's strong on getting words out: PDF, Word, ePub, HTML and Markdown export with styles you pick, and publishing straight to WordPress, Ghost, Medium and Micro.blog. It added tables in 2022 and LaTeX equations in 2023 (its release notes). It's a subscription: $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year in the US, with Family Sharing for up to five others, on its pricing page. It's also in Setapp.
We make Koi, so read this with that in mind. Every fact about another app comes from its own site, help pages or App Store page, checked October 21, 2026. We didn't run tests.
Stay
Stay on Ulysses if
Stay on Ulysses if
- You write on your iPad or iPhone too. Koi is Mac only, with no sync.
- You publish to WordPress, Ghost, Medium or Micro.blog. Koi publishes nowhere.
- You write books: ePub export, export styles and writing goals are Ulysses' home ground. Koi has none of them.
- You want a grammar and style check built into the editor.
- You want it cheaper. Ulysses is $39.99 a year; Koi Pro is $192.
Why people look
Why people look for a Ulysses alternative
The subscription is the big one. Ulysses moved to one in 2017, and some writers still want to pay once. The second is platforms: Ulysses is Apple only, so anyone who also writes on Windows or Android has to look elsewhere. The third is fit. Some people want plain files in a folder, a manuscript tool built for chapters and research, or a writing app that also handles notes, meetings and voice.
The list
6 Ulysses alternatives for Mac
1. Koi
Best for: Writing by voice, plus notes, tables and recorded calls, on one Mac
Koi isn't a book-writing app, and it doesn't try to beat Ulysses on manuscripts. Where it's different is voice. Tap Fn + ⌥ and Koi types what you say, on your Mac, offline, in any of 100 languages, in Koi or in Ulysses itself. The ums go, a list you say comes out as a list, and a word you fix once is spelled your way from then on. More on dictation apps for writers.
Its editor has headings, lists, to-dos, pictures, tables with spreadsheet formulas, 11 chart types drawn from a table, and LaTeX equations. Pages export to Word or PDF on A4 or US Letter, and every page exports as Markdown at once. Tap Fn + ⌃ to record an interview into a page, transcribed on your Mac, and tap Fn + ⌘ to ask Koi to rewrite a paragraph; that part uses Koi's AI, which is online.
What you give up: iPad and iPhone, sync, publishing, ePub, export styles, writing goals and a grammar check. Pro is $20 a month after a 3-day trial, or Lifetime from $59 once, which answers the subscription complaint at least.
2. iA Writer
Best for: Focused writing on plain text files, paid once
iA Writer is the other famous Mac writing app, and you buy it once: $49.99 on Mac, $49.99 on iPhone and iPad, $29.99 on Windows, with a 7-day trial on Mac and Windows that needs no card. Texts are Markdown files in a folder or the cloud you pick. It exports Word and PDF, publishes to WordPress, Ghost, Medium and Micro.blog on Mac and iOS, and marks AI or pasted text apart from your own. See our iA Writer alternatives.
3. Scrivener
Best for: Long manuscripts, research and chapters, paid once
Scrivener 3 is built for books, theses and scripts: a binder of scenes and research beside the text, then Compile to Word, PDF, ePub, Kindle, Final Draft or plain text. It's $59.99 on the Mac App Store, with a 30-day trial from Literature & Latte, and an iOS version sold separately. It takes longer to learn than Ulysses.
4. Bear
Best for: A similar feel on Mac, iPhone and iPad, for less
Bear looks and feels close to Ulysses and costs less: Pro is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year after a 7-day trial, with iCloud sync and export to Word, PDF, ePub, HTML, Markdown and more. It's a notes app first, with tags, so long projects are less organised. More in our Bear alternatives page.
5. Typora
Best for: Markdown files that format as you type, paid once, on any computer
Typora is $14.99 once for up to 3 devices on Mac, Windows and Linux, after a 15-day trial. It edits .md files wherever you keep them and exports to Word, PDF, ePub, LaTeX and more. No phone app, no sync of its own and no publishing.
6. Obsidian
Best for: Free, local Markdown with links and plugins
Obsidian is free on every platform, keeps Markdown files in a folder, and links notes together. Sync is $4 a month billed yearly. Writing features like goals or Word export come from community plugins, so expect some setting up.
Comparison
Ulysses alternatives compared
From each app's own site or App Store page, checked October 21, 2026.
| Pay | Platforms | Texts kept as | Publishing | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulysses | $39.99 a year | Mac, iPad, iPhone | Its library, synced by iCloud | WordPress, Ghost, Medium, Micro.blog | Writers on Apple devices |
| Koi | $192 a year, or Lifetime from $59 | Mac | Pages in Koi on your Mac; .md on export | No | Writing by voice, notes and calls |
| iA Writer | $49.99 once (Mac) | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows | Markdown files | WordPress, Ghost, Medium, Micro.blog | Focused writing, paid once |
| Scrivener | $59.99 once (Mac) | Mac, Windows, iOS | Scrivener projects | No; Compile to ePub and Kindle | Books and theses |
| Bear | $29.99 a year | Mac, iPad, iPhone | Its library, synced by iCloud | No | Cheaper, similar feel |
| Typora | $14.99 once | Mac, Windows, Linux | Markdown files | No | Markdown paid once |
| Obsidian | Free | Every platform | Markdown files | Its own Publish, $8 a month yearly | Linked notes and plugins |
Head to head
Ulysses vs Koi
- Long writing: Ulysses, with groups, goals, export styles and ePub. Koi is page by page.
- Voice: Koi. Offline dictation in any app, Ulysses included, and interviews recorded and transcribed on your Mac. Ulysses has none of its own.
- Tables and math: both have tables and LaTeX equations. Koi's tables do spreadsheet formulas, and Koi draws 11 chart types.
- Export: both export Word, PDF and Markdown. Ulysses adds ePub, HTML and publishing.
- AI: Ulysses uses Apple's Writing Tools. Koi's own AI, online, writes and edits pages when you ask out loud.
- Devices: Ulysses syncs Mac, iPad and iPhone. Koi is one Mac.
- Price: Ulysses is $39.99 a year. Koi is $192 a year, or Lifetime once.
Moving
How to bring Ulysses texts into Koi
- In Ulysses, select a sheet and export it as Markdown or Word.
- In Koi, choose File, then Import…, and pick the file. Koi makes a page of its words, read on your Mac.
- Import takes one file at a time, so bring in what you're working on now and leave the archive in Ulysses.
Many writers keep both: Ulysses for the manuscript, and Koi's dictation to talk drafts straight into it. That costs both subscriptions, so be sure the voice part earns its place.
How to
Dictate into Ulysses with Koi
- Click into a sheet in Ulysses where you want the words.
- Tap Fn + ⌥ and start talking.
- Say “new paragraph” when you want one. Koi stops when you go quiet, and the words land where your cursor is.
Nothing is sent: dictation runs on your Mac, offline, in any of 100 languages.
Choosing
Which Ulysses alternative should you pick?
- Pay once, plain files? iA Writer.
- A novel or a thesis? Scrivener.
- The same feel for less? Bear.
- Markdown on Windows and Linux too? Typora.
- Free with plugins? Obsidian.
- Writing by voice, with notes, tables and recorded interviews, on one Mac? Koi.
See Koi's plans, or how Koi's dictation works in any app.
Keep exploring
The best dictation apps for writers on Mac
Dictation apps for writers on Mac, checked October 16, 2026: verbatim apps that keep your voice against AI apps that rewrite it, with prices and offline use.
Notes on your Mac, with tables, charts and math
Koi for Mac is an offline notes app with tables, 11 chart types, LaTeX, to-dos and flashcards. Export to Word or PDF, and start by typing or by talking.
The best Typora alternatives for Mac
Looking for a Typora alternative on Mac? Koi, Obsidian, iA Writer, Zettlr, Bear and Ulysses compared on files, equations, charts, phone apps and price.
Support
Frequently asked questions
In the US, $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year, with Family Sharing for up to five others, at the time of writing. It's also included in Setapp.
Yes. iA Writer is $49.99 once on Mac, Scrivener $59.99 on the Mac App Store, and Typora $14.99 for 3 devices. Koi sells Lifetime from a one-time price too.
No. Ulysses is for Mac, iPad and iPhone only. iA Writer, Scrivener, Typora and Obsidian have Windows versions.
Yes, with the Mac's own dictation. Koi's dictation also types where your cursor is in any app, Ulysses included, on your Mac and offline, and tidies the ums as it goes.