Attente vs Ulysses
Ulysses is one of the most beautiful writing apps there is, and its focus on plain, distraction-free writing is close to our hearts. Attente shares that calm, and adds the tools a book needs: structure, a story bible, continuity, and readers in the margin.
Where Ulysses is strong
- Elegance. A clean, quiet interface that has set the standard for distraction-free writing.
- One library for everything you write, synced across Mac, iPad and iPhone.
- Publishing straight to blogs such as WordPress, Ghost and Medium, with good export styles.
- Markdown at heart, with goals and keywords that stay out of the way.
Side by side
| Topic | Ulysses | Attente |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, iPad and iPhone | macOS, Windows, Linux and the web |
| Pricing model | Subscription | A one-time licence for every platform, and an optional subscription for hosted readers |
| Writing | Markdown-based, distraction-free | A rich page in a book face, attention mode, with Markdown and plain text out |
| Structure | Groups and sheets in a library | Binder, corkboard, outline, timeline and plot threads for each project |
| Story tools | Notes and attachments per sheet | Story bible, characters, world rules and continuity |
| AI | Not a focus | Readers in the margin that only suggest, with real off switches |
| Forms | Prose and Markdown | Prose, screenplay, thesis with citations, and branching game scripts |
Which suits you
Choose Ulysses if…
You write mostly on Apple devices, you publish articles or posts as often as books, and you love working in Markdown.
Choose Attente if…
You're writing a novel, a screenplay, a thesis or a game, you want to see its structure and keep its facts straight, or you work on Windows, Linux or the web.
Switching from Ulysses
Attente reads Ulysses exports (TextBundle, TextPack and Markdown), keeping headings, emphasis and scene breaks.
Try Attente free for 7 days.
Download it for macOS, Windows or Linux, or open it in your browser. When it's earned its place, one licence covers every computer you write on.