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  3. Obsidian vs Ulysses

ObsidianvsUlysses

App
vs
App
ScoresSignalsPricingFeatures

Score Comparison

72
Overall
68
90
Pricing
45
55
Usability
75
85
Performance
85
70
Support
65
75
Reliability
70
40
Onboarding
60
55
Mobile
60
92
Security
70
70
Integrations
75
ObsidianUlysses

Signals Comparison

Onboarding

Obsidian

  • Steep learning curve intimidates new users(7/10)

Ulysses

No signals

Usability

Obsidian

  • Plugin overload and management headaches(7/10)
  • No real-time collaboration features(7/10)
  • No web version - desktop app required(5/10)
  • No native task management or project features(6/10)
  • Plain interface lacks visual appeal(4/10)
  • Search becomes limiting with larger vaults(5/10)

Ulysses

  • Apple-only: No Windows or Android versions(9/10)
  • Slow development despite subscription revenue(6/10)
  • Poor handling of links, images, and tables(6/10)
  • Features poorly explained with hidden menus(5/10)
  • Flawed print/formatting for traditional publishing(6/10)
Pricing

Obsidian

  • Sync across devices requires $48/year paid plan(6/10)

Ulysses

  • Controversial switch to subscription angered existing users(8/10)
  • High subscription cost at $50/year for a writing app(7/10)
Mobile

Obsidian

  • Mobile experience is basic and clunky(6/10)

Ulysses

  • Poor iPhone experience with cluttered interface(5/10)
Reliability

Obsidian

  • Free sync alternatives have corruption issues(7/10)

Ulysses

  • Sync conflicts and file ordering issues(7/10)

Pricing Comparison

Obsidian

Personal
Popular
Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Unlimited (local)

Limits: No built-in sync, No web access to publish, Must self-manage backups

Sync requires paid plan or technical workarounds, Publish requires paid plan
Obsidian Sync
$4/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: 10GB total, 200MB per file

Limits: Per-vault pricing, Cannot share with others

Billed annually at $48/year, 10GB may not be enough for media-heavy vaults
Obsidian Publish
$8/mo

Users: 1 site

Storage: 4GB

Limits: One-way sharing only, Not collaborative editing

Billed annually at $96/year, Per-site pricing, Additional sites cost more
Catalyst
$25/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: N/A

Limits: Not required for any features, Purely supporter benefit

Higher tiers (Supporter $50, VIP $100) for more forum recognition

Ulysses

Monthly
$5.99/mo

Users: 1 user (all Apple devices)

Storage: Unlimited (iCloud)

Limits: Apple devices only, No web version

Annual plan is better value, Adds up to $72/year if paying monthly
Annual
Popular
$49.99/yr

Users: 1 user (all Apple devices)

Storage: Unlimited (iCloud)

Limits: Apple devices only, No web version

Auto-renews unless cancelled 24 hours before renewal
Education
$34.99/yr

Users: 1 user

Storage: Unlimited

Limits: Must maintain educational status

Requires verification of educational status
Setapp Bundle
$9.99/mo

Users: 1 user

Storage: Unlimited

Limits: Bundled with other apps you may not need

Setapp subscription required, $9.99/month minimum

Feature Comparison

FeatureObsidianUlysses
Security
Local-first storage

Plain Markdown files you own

End-to-end encrypted sync

Obsidian Sync only ($4/mo)

Usability
Distraction-free writing

Core strength

Markdown support

Core format

Web version

No browser access

Organization
Bidirectional linking

Core feature

Library organization

Groups, filters, keywords

Native database views

Requires Dataview plugin

Visualization
Graph view

Visualize note connections

Canvas/whiteboard

Built-in canvas feature

Platform
Mac/iPad/iPhone apps

Native Apple apps

Windows app

Not available, no plans

Android app

Not available, no plans

Customization
Community plugins

1000+ available, quality varies

Custom themes

Extensive theme marketplace

Reliability
iCloud sync

Across Apple devices

Offline access

Full offline by default

Version history

Available

Publishing
Direct publishing

WordPress, Medium, Ghost

ePub export

Excellent quality

Publish to web

Obsidian Publish ($8/mo)

PDF/DOCX export

Multiple format support

Mobile
Mobile apps

iOS and Android, basic experience

Productivity
Writing goals

Word count targets

Templates

Core and Templater plugin

Built-in task management

Requires plugins

Pricing
Setapp included

Part of Setapp bundle

Free personal use

No feature restrictions

One-time purchase

Subscription only

Formatting
Table support

Not available

Collaboration
Real-time collaboration

Not available

Collaboration

Not available

AI
AI features

Requires third-party plugins