Galley as a Ulysses alternative
Last reviewed July 2026
The facts first: Ulysses (a subscription of ~$5.99/month or ~$49.99/year; Mac, iPad and iPhone only) is a popular Markdown writing app for distraction-free drafting and publishing to blogs. Galley (€199 once, runs in the browser on any desktop) is built to end with a finished book: you draft on a trim-size page and export a print-interior PDF and an EPUB. Ulysses is nicer for writing plain text across Apple devices, and Galley is for turning the manuscript into a book.
Ulysses is really good software. A lot of writers keep everything in it, from shopping lists to novels, and I can see why. This page is about what it doesn't do for a novelist who wants a printed, store-ready book at the end.
There are two things. Ulysses only runs on Apple devices, so you can't use it on a Windows or Linux computer. And it stops at the manuscript. Its exports are fine for a blog post or sending a Word file, but a print paperback needs typesetting, and Ulysses doesn't do that. Galley has you writing on the laid-out page from the start, and exports files a printer will accept.
| Feature | Galley | Ulysses |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €199 once, all platforms | ~$5.99/mo or ~$49.99/yr subscription |
| Runs on | Any desktop browser: Mac, Windows, Linux | Apple only (Mac, iPad, iPhone) |
| Write on a true trim-size book page | Yes, six trims, 35 book typefaces | No, a Markdown editor |
| Print-interior PDF & EPUB export | Yes, with KDP preflight included | PDF/DOCX/ePub from Markdown, not typeset |
| Distraction-free focus mode | Yes, with typewriter scrolling | Yes, it's known for it |
| Story bible (characters, places, timeline) | Built in, attached to the book | No, free-form sheets and keywords |
| Revision analytics (overused words, name consistency) | Built in | No |
| Blog publishing (WordPress, Ghost, Medium) | No, it makes books | Yes, a main feature |
| AI in your prose | Never | Never |
Markdown doesn’t make a printed book
Ulysses keeps your writing as Markdown and applies a style when you export. That works well for text that's going on a website or into someone else's document. For a printed book, you need a trim size, an inside margin wide enough for the spine, running heads, page numbers and chapter openings. Galley shows all of that while you write, so what you see on screen is what gets printed, and you don't need a second tool to format it.
Ulysses only runs on Apple devices
Ulysses is a native Mac and iOS app, and there's no Windows or Linux version. Galley runs in the browser, so your book opens on whichever computer you're using and stays in sync. If you only use Apple devices and plan to keep it that way, Ulysses feeling like a native app is a real plus. If you use other computers too, you can't take it with you.
Moving a Ulysses draft over
Export your sheets from Ulysses as DOCX or Markdown and import the file into Galley. It splits into chapters on your headings and "Chapter N" lines, and you set the book's design once for the whole thing. After that you have the trim-size page, the story bible and the exports as well.
Choose Ulysses if…
- You use Apple devices and want to write on your Mac, iPad and iPhone
- You mostly write for a blog, since WordPress, Ghost and Medium publishing are built in
- You like writing in Markdown and don't need to typeset a print book yourself
Choose Galley if…
- You want a print-interior PDF and EPUB at the end, not a Markdown export
- You use computers other than Apple ones, or don't want to pay monthly for a writing app
- You want the story bible, revision checks and the laid-out page in one tool
Common questions
Is Galley a good Ulysses alternative if I leave the Mac?
Yes. Ulysses only runs on Mac, iPad and iPhone. Galley runs in the browser, so your book is there on a Mac, a Windows PC, Linux or a Chromebook. If you’ve moved away from Apple, or use different computers during the week, that’s usually why people switch.
Can Ulysses format a print paperback?
Not really. Ulysses exports Markdown to PDF, DOCX, ePub and HTML, which works for a manuscript or a blog post. It doesn’t lay out a book interior with mirrored margins, a gutter, running heads, page numbers, drop caps and a trim size. Galley does, and it exports a file a printer will accept.
Do I lose the distraction-free writing Ulysses is known for?
No. Galley has a focus mode and typewriter scrolling too. The difference is that in Galley you’re writing on the actual book page, like a 6×9 in a book typeface, instead of in a Markdown editor you’ll need to format later.
Ulysses' details are from its public pricing pages, checked in July 2026. They can change, so check ulysses.app for anything newer. If I've got something wrong, email me and I'll fix it.