Ulysses has no Windows version, so on a PC you need a different app. Ulysses runs on Mac, iPad and iPhone only. The closest Windows alternatives depend on what you used it for: Obsidian keeps the plain Markdown files, Scrivener keeps the long-project organising, and Deckle keeps the organising and adds book formatting.
Every Ulysses and Obsidian fact on this page comes from ulysses.app, help.ulysses.app, the App Store listing and obsidian.md, read on 2026-10-20. Scrivener facts come from Literature & Latte. Prices are US list prices as of October 2026.
Is there a Ulysses app for PC?
There is no Ulysses app for PC. The vendor's tagline is "The Ultimate Writing App for Mac, iPad and iPhone". Its pricing page sells "Ulysses on all your Macs, iPads and iPhones" through the Mac App Store, the App Store and Setapp. There is no Windows, Android or web version. The App Store listing puts the floor at macOS 15.4, or iOS and iPadOS 26.0.
Ulysses is a subscription: $39.99 a year or $5.99 a month in the US. The same listing also sells a one-time "Perpetual License" in-app purchase at $199.99. Ulysses's help centre says that licence covers Mac, iPhone and iPad, and that it "does not include a trial period". None of these options includes Windows. What the Ulysses app does on a Mac and iPad is set out on its own page.
What made Ulysses worth using in the first place?
Judge any replacement against the six things Ulysses does well.
- Plain-text writing. Ulysses's help says "In Ulysses, you write in plain text". Formatting is typed as markup tags, in a dialect it calls Markdown XL, "inspired by Gruber's and Swartz's Markdown".
- One library. Every text sits in a central library, with groups, keywords and an overview of scenes and chapters.
- Writing goals. Character goals, daily goals and deadlines.
- Export from one source. Text (Plain, Rich Text, Markdown, TextBundle, TextPack), HTML, ePub, PDF and DOCX, with PDF and DOCX sharing one style.
- Publishing to blogs. Direct to WordPress, Ghost, Medium and Micro.blog.
- Apple sync. Ulysses syncs through iCloud across Mac, iPad and iPhone.
No single Windows app copies all six. Blog publishing and iPhone sync are the two that matter most to pick against.
Can I keep my Ulysses files and open them on Windows?
Yes, if they live in an External Folder. Ulysses can embed "external folders ... stored on your local hard drive or on a cloud service". In those folders, "By default, Markdown is chosen to ensure broad compatibility across applications". The files are ordinary .md or .txt files, so any Windows Markdown editor can open them from the same Dropbox folder.
Three things are lost on the way, per Ulysses's own help:
- Local images can't be embedded in Markdown files in an External Folder.
- Notes, images and sheet-specific goals can't be attached.
- Markdown XL's comments, annotations and highlights are not available.
Sheets kept in the main Ulysses library are a different case. Export them first: Markdown keeps the formatting, and TextBundle also carries the images. The general approach to carrying a draft across is in how to move a manuscript between writing apps.
Which Windows apps replace Ulysses?
| Ulysses | Obsidian | Scrivener | Deckle (ours) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on Windows | No | Yes | Yes (64-bit Windows 10+) | Yes |
| Other platforms | Mac, iPad, iPhone | Mac, Linux, iOS, Android | macOS, iOS | Mac, Linux |
| Writing format | Markdown XL in a library, or Markdown files | Markdown files on your disk | Rich text in a project | Rich text in a project folder |
| Long-book structure | Groups, sheets, keywords | Folders and links; Longform is a community plugin | Binder, Corkboard, Outliner | Binder, Outliner with Grid View |
| Ebook export | ePub | Not documented as built in | EPUB, Kindle e-books | EPUB (Generic, Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo) |
| Price model | Subscription, or $199.99 perpetual | Free core; Sync and Publish paid | One-time, per platform | One-time purchase |
Obsidian: closest to the plain-text feel
Obsidian is the nearest match for a writer who chose Ulysses for Markdown. It "stores your notes locally as plain text Markdown files". It also says "Obsidian uses open file formats, so you're never locked in". It installs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android, and the core app is "Free without limits". Sync is $4 a month billed annually, or $5 monthly.
Obsidian is a general notes app, not a book tool. Its built-in export is Export to PDF for the open note, on desktop only. Manuscript features come from community plugins, which Obsidian's help says "run third-party code on your behalf that could potentially do harm". A fuller comparison is in Scrivener vs Obsidian.
Scrivener: closest to the long-project organising
Scrivener runs on Windows (version 3.1.6, 64-bit Windows 10 or later, per Literature & Latte's overview) and is a one-time $59.99 licence per platform. It has a Binder, Corkboard, Outliner, Snapshots, Targets and Compile. Compile produces Word, PDF, EPUB and "Kindle e-books". Scrivener is not a Markdown app: it writes in rich text, with MultiMarkdown and Pandoc as export routes. The head-to-head is in Scrivener vs Ulysses.
Is Deckle a Ulysses alternative for Windows?
Deckle is our app, so weigh this section accordingly.
Deckle is a desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux that writes and formats a book in one place. It has a Binder, an Outliner with a Grid View of index cards, Continuous View, Focus Mode, a Codex, a Timeline and writing goals with daily or weekly targets. It exports EPUB, PDF, DOCX, Markdown and plain text. Its print PDF comes with 26 built-in style presets, eight trim sizes, drop caps and running heads.
The Binder: parts, chapters and scenes in one project
Deckle is not a Markdown editor, and a Ulysses writer should know that before switching. A project is a folder holding one .deckle SQLite database (all the writing, notes and settings) plus research/ and .deckle-assets/ folders. The text is not stored as .md files. Markdown is a way in and out: a Markdown folder import makes each file a chapter, and Markdown export can write the whole project (Draft, Research and Notes) as folders of .md files that re-import.
What you would give up: Ulysses's iPhone and iPad apps, its blog publishing, and typing formatting as markup. Deckle has no mobile version and no cloud sync.
Deckle is a one-time purchase. To try it, click Take Deckle for a Spin on the screen Deckle opens to. There is no card, no account and no time limit. It opens a sample novel with every screen open to explore, and you can restyle it and export real EPUB, PDF and DOCX files. New writing is capped at about 500 words, and new documents and imports are blocked.
What goes wrong when leaving Ulysses?
- Exporting a Ulysses library as Plain Text. Ulysses warns that Plain Text "will strip out all of your markup tags". Use Markdown or TextBundle.
- Expecting images to travel in Markdown. Only TextBundle carries images along.
- Moving Markdown XL comments to another app. Comments, annotations and highlights are Ulysses features and don't exist in plain Markdown files.
- Assuming the perpetual licence covers Windows. It covers Mac, iPhone and iPad only.
- Treating Obsidian plugins as Obsidian features. Longform and similar plugins are made by the community, not by Obsidian.
FAQ
Q: Is Ulysses available for Windows? A: No. Ulysses runs on Mac, iPad and iPhone only. There is no Windows, Android or web version.
Q: What is the best Ulysses alternative for Windows? A: It depends on the job. Obsidian is closest for plain Markdown files. Scrivener is closest for organising a long project. Deckle organises and formats the finished book.
Q: Can I use Ulysses on a PC? A: Not as an app. If your Ulysses texts sit in an External Folder as Markdown files, a Windows Markdown editor can open those files.
Q: Is there a free Ulysses alternative for Windows? A: Obsidian's core app is free, including for commercial use, as of October 2026. Sync and Publish are paid add-ons.
Q: Does Ulysses have a one-time purchase? A: The App Store lists a $199.99 Perpetual License as an in-app purchase, as of October 2026. It covers Mac, iPhone and iPad and has no trial.
Q: Can I export from Ulysses to Word? A: Yes. Ulysses exports DOCX, and DOCX shares its style, page size and table of contents settings with PDF.
Q: Is Ulysses Markdown? A: Ulysses uses Markdown XL, its own markup "inspired by" Markdown. In External Folders it can save standard Markdown files.
Sources
All retrieved 2026-10-20.
- Ulysses, home page (tagline, library, goals, export, blog publishing)
- Ulysses, Pricing ($39.99 a year, $5.99 a month, Macs, iPads and iPhones only)
- Apple App Store, Ulysses Writing App (system requirements, $199.99 Perpetual License in-app purchase)
- Ulysses Help, Perpetual License (covers Mac, iPhone and iPad; no trial)
- Ulysses Help, Export (formats, Plain Text strips markup)
- Ulysses Help, Markdown XL and External Folders
- Obsidian, home page, Download and Pricing
- Obsidian Help, Export to PDF and Community plugins
- Literature & Latte, Scrivener overview and Scrivener features
- Literature & Latte, Cross-grading: "Scrivener for macOS or Windows is $59.99" (the store page loads its prices from the checkout, so this page shows the figure in its text), retrieved 21 October 2026
Last checked 2026-10-20. Ulysses is a trademark of Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG. Obsidian is a trademark of Dynalist Inc. Scrivener is a trademark of Literature & Latte. Deckle is not affiliated with or endorsed by any product named here.