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Calendars · head to head

Fantastical vs Ulysses

Fantastical logo

Fantastical

Calendars

The calendar app you'll love to use

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ulysses logo

Ulysses

Productivity

Distraction-free writing application for creative professionals

From
$5.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Fantastical has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fantastical premium subscription required for advanced features at $56.99/year; Ulysses no free tier available
  • They diverge on capability: Fantastical covers Natural language input, Ulysses covers Distraction-free writing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fantastical and Ulysses actually diverge.

Attributes where Fantastical and Ulysses differ
AttributeFantasticalUlysses
Starting priceFree$5.99/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, WindowsMacOS, IOS, IPadOS
CategoryCalendarsProductivity
Founded20112003

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Fantastical

  • Natural language input
  • Calendar sets
  • Weather integration
  • Scheduling
  • Tasks
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • iCloud

Only in Ulysses

  • Distraction-free writing
  • Markdown support
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Organization with sheets and groups
  • iCloud sync
  • Dark and light themes
  • Full-screen mode
  • Search and filter

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Fantastical

  • Schedulingnot Ulysses
  • Appointment bookingnot Ulysses
  • Time trackingnot Ulysses
  • Resource managementnot Ulysses
  • Team coordinationnot Ulysses

Ulysses

  • Writing and editing on Apple devicesnot Fantastical
  • Cross-device document synchronizationnot Fantastical
  • Markdown-based writingnot Fantastical

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Fantastical

  • Premium subscription required for advanced features at $56.99/year
  • Primarily designed for Apple ecosystem; Windows version is resource-intensive
  • No native Android app, limiting cross-platform usage
  • No web interface for calendar access
  • Shows events but lacks event management capabilities compared to specialized task tools

Ulysses

  • No free tier available
  • Only subscription model, no one-time purchase option
  • Family Sharing limited to 5 additional members (6 total users)

Pricing, plan by plan

Fantastical

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic calendar views (day, week, month, quarter, year)
    • Natural language event entry
    • 3-day weather forecast
  • Individual Premium$56.99/year
    • All free features
    • Task management with Todoist and Google Tasks
    • Unlimited calendar sets
  • Family Premium$89.99/year
    • All Individual Premium features
    • Up to 5 family members
    • Shared calendars

Ulysses

$5.99/month
  • Annual Subscription$39.99/year
    • Ulysses on all Macs, iPads, and iPhones
    • Full iCloud synchronization
    • Frequent improvements and updates
  • Monthly Subscription$5.99/month
    • Ulysses on all Macs, iPads, and iPhones
    • Full iCloud synchronization
    • Frequent improvements and updates

Which should you pick?

Choose Fantastical if

  • You need natural language input.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Windows.
  • You also want calendar sets.
Fantastical review

Choose Ulysses if

  • You need distraction-free writing.
  • You work on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.
  • You also want markdown support.
Ulysses review

Questions people ask

Is Fantastical or Ulysses better?
Neither clearly leads. Fantastical starts at Free and Ulysses at $5.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fantastical or Ulysses?
Fantastical has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fantastical and $5.99/month for Ulysses.
Does Fantastical or Ulysses run on more platforms?
Fantastical runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Windows. Ulysses runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.
Can I use Fantastical for free?
Yes. Fantastical has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ulysses starts at $5.99/month.
What is Fantastical best used for?
Fantastical is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management. Of those, scheduling and appointment booking are not what Ulysses is typically brought in for.
What can Fantastical do that Ulysses cannot?
Fantastical covers Natural language input, Calendar sets, Weather integration, Scheduling. Ulysses covers Distraction-free writing, Markdown support, Syntax highlighting, Organization with sheets and groups.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fantastical: Does Fantastical have a free plan?

Yes, Fantastical offers a free tier with basic calendar views (day, week, month, quarter, year), natural language event entry, and 3-day weather forecast. Premium features including task management integrations and family sharing require a paid subscription at $56.99/year or $6.99/month.

Source
Ulysses: What are Ulysses pricing options?

Ulysses costs $39.99 per year (annual) or $5.99 per month (monthly). Student discounts are available. Volume licensing is available for businesses through their licensing portal.

Source
Fantastical: Can I create events using natural language?

Yes, Fantastical's signature feature is natural language processing, allowing you to create events by typing or speaking in plain English. You can type things like 'dinner tomorrow at 7 pm with Sarah' and it automatically parses the date, time, and attendees.

Source
Ulysses: Does Ulysses include Family Sharing?

Yes, both annual and monthly Ulysses subscriptions include Apple Family Sharing, allowing up to five additional family members to use Ulysses on their devices at no extra cost.

Source
Fantastical: What calendar services does Fantastical support?

Fantastical integrates with Google Calendar, iCloud, Microsoft 365, Exchange, Office 365, and Fastmail. It supports multiple account types and syncs changes across all connected services.

Source
Ulysses: Can I get Ulysses through a subscription service?

Yes, Ulysses is available through the Setapp subscription service as an alternative to direct subscription. Volume licensing is also available for businesses and organizations through their licensing portal.

Source
Fantastical: What task management apps can I integrate with Fantastical?

Fantastical supports Todoist, Google Tasks, and Microsoft 365 tasks. Tasks sync bidirectionally, and changes made in Fantastical reflect back in your task service.

Source
Ulysses: Does Ulysses pricing vary by location?

Prices listed apply to the U.S., and local pricing may differ in other regions. Check your regional App Store for exact pricing.

Source
Fantastical: Does Fantastical work on Windows?

Fantastical for Windows was released in October 2024, though it is resource-heavy compared to the macOS and iOS versions. The app is feature-complete but less polished than the Apple platform versions.

Source
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