IN-DEPTH:
Ulysses vs. iA Writer: A New Comparison
Perfecting the minimal writing environment
It’s novel season, which has me thinking about the ways we write and the tools we use to get it done.
A couple of years ago, I compared the two front-runners: iA Writer and Ulysses. These continue to be, in my estimation, the finest plain-text writing environments out there. And each of them has come a long way in the intervening months.
With everyone sharpening their digital pencils, I figured it was time to dive in and see how their respective changes have improved the experience of using and trusting them with our words.
My Approach
To make it easier to follow along with my impressions, it helps to understand where I’m coming from as a writer and what my priorities are.
When I last compared these two, I identified my criteria as follows:
- Beautiful, clutter-free interface
- Flexible, cross-platform workflow
- Powerful export options
I write primarily non-fiction, mostly for online consumption in the form of articles (like this one!) and photo essays (like this one!)…
