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Productivity · head to head

Milanote vs Ulysses

Milanote logo

Milanote

Productivity

Board-based visual workspace for creative planning, free up to 100 items for the whole account

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 Milanote has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Milanote the free plan caps the entire account at 100 notes, images or links and 10 file uploads rather than capping per board, so one properly worked project exhausts it and the tool stops working rather than degrading gracefully.; Ulysses no free tier available
  • They diverge on capability: Milanote covers Infinite board canvas, Ulysses covers Distraction-free writing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Milanote and Ulysses actually diverge.

Attributes where Milanote and Ulysses differ
AttributeMilanoteUlysses
Starting priceFree$5.99/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebMacOS, IOS, IPadOS
FoundedUnknown2003

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

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 Milanote

  • Infinite board canvas
  • Mixed content
  • Nested boards
  • Templates
  • Web clipper
  • Shared boards with comments
  • Mobile apps
  • Free plan

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.

Milanote

  • Moodboards and visual references for a branding or design project, gathered from the web and arranged for a client review.not Ulysses
  • Storyboarding a video or planning a shoot, where the whole sequence needs to be visible at once.not Ulysses
  • Structuring a book, script or long article by physically moving sections around until the order works.not Ulysses
  • A shared board where a small creative team reacts to work in progress without the overhead of a project tool.not Ulysses

Ulysses

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

Where each one falls short

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

Milanote

  • The free plan caps the entire account at 100 notes, images or links and 10 file uploads rather than capping per board, so one properly worked project exhausts it and the tool stops working rather than degrading gracefully.
  • The value of a board is its arrangement, and arrangement is the one thing export does not carry, so a PDF gives you a picture and a text export gives you the words while nothing reconstitutes the board in another tool.
  • Pricing is per person and the tool spreads naturally to reviewers and clients who only look and comment, so a team plan ends up covering people who never create anything.
  • There is no database layer, no properties, no filtering and no dependency tracking, so a project that starts on a Milanote board has to be re-entered somewhere else the moment it acquires owners and dates.
  • Offline support is minimal, so a board full of references is effectively unavailable without a connection, which is a real problem for a tool aimed at people who work on location and in meetings away from a desk.

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

Milanote

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100 notes, images or links
    • 10 file uploads
    • Unlimited shared boards
  • Individual$9.99/month
    • Unlimited notes, images or links
    • Unlimited file uploads
    • Unlimited shared boards
  • Team$49/month
    • Unlimited notes, images or links
    • Unlimited file uploads
    • Unlimited shared boards

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 Milanote if

  • You need infinite board canvas.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want mixed content.
Milanote 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 Milanote or Ulysses better?
Neither clearly leads. Milanote 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, Milanote or Ulysses?
Milanote has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Milanote and $5.99/month for Ulysses.
Does Milanote or Ulysses run on more platforms?
Milanote runs on Web. Ulysses runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS.
Can I use Milanote for free?
Yes. Milanote has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ulysses starts at $5.99/month.
What is Milanote best used for?
Milanote is most often used for moodboards and visual references for a branding or design project, gathered from the web and arranged for a client review., storyboarding a video or planning a shoot, where the whole sequence needs to be visible at once., structuring a book, script or long article by physically moving sections around until the order works., a shared board where a small creative team reacts to work in progress without the overhead of a project tool.. Of those, moodboards and visual references for a branding or design project, gathered from the web and arranged for a client review. and storyboarding a video or planning a shoot, where the whole sequence needs to be visible at once. are not what Ulysses is typically brought in for.
What can Milanote do that Ulysses cannot?
Milanote covers Infinite board canvas, Mixed content, Nested boards, Templates. Ulysses covers Distraction-free writing, Markdown support, Syntax highlighting, Organization with sheets and groups.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Milanote: How long does the free plan last?

Indefinitely. It is limited by quantity rather than by time: 100 notes, images or links and 10 file uploads for the account as a whole, so it ends when you hit the cap rather than on a date.

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
Milanote: Can I export a board?

You can produce PDFs and images of a board and extract the text, but the spatial arrangement is not portable, so nothing you export reconstructs the board in another tool.

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
Milanote: Is it a project management tool?

No. There are no dates, dependencies or workload views. It suits the thinking phase, and the work has to be handed to a tracker once it becomes a plan.

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
Milanote: Do collaborators need paid accounts?

Shared boards are unlimited even on the free plan, and the paid question is about who creates rather than who looks. Confirm the current plan terms before rolling it out to a client's team.

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
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