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Productivity · head to head

Ulysses vs WPS Office

Ulysses logo

Ulysses

Productivity

Distraction-free writing application for creative professionals

From
$5.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WPS Office logo

WPS Office

Productivity

Office suite from Kingsoft with Microsoft file compatibility, including maintained Linux builds

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only WPS Office has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ulysses no free tier available; WPS Office the free tier is funded by advertising, and the adverts and upgrade prompts appear inside the editing window rather than on a website, so the cost of not paying is charged in interruptions while you work.
  • They diverge on capability: Ulysses covers Distraction-free writing, WPS Office covers One application.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ulysses and WPS Office actually diverge.

Attributes where Ulysses and WPS Office differ
AttributeUlyssesWPS Office
Starting price$5.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsMacOS, IOS, IPadOSWeb
Founded2003Unknown

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 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

Only in WPS Office

  • One application
  • Microsoft format handling
  • PDF tools
  • Linux builds
  • WPS AI
  • Cloud storage
  • Mobile apps
  • Templates

What people use each for

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

Ulysses

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

WPS Office

  • A Linux desktop where the free alternatives keep breaking the layout of colleagues' DOCX and PPTX files.not Ulysses
  • A small business that edits and converts PDFs regularly and does not want an Acrobat subscription for each person.not Ulysses
  • Students and home users who need Microsoft-compatible documents without a Microsoft 365 subscription.not Ulysses
  • Older or low-specification Windows machines where the full Microsoft suite is slow to install and slow to run.not Ulysses

Where each one falls short

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

Ulysses

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

WPS Office

  • The free tier is funded by advertising, and the adverts and upgrade prompts appear inside the editing window rather than on a website, so the cost of not paying is charged in interruptions while you work.
  • Kingsoft is a Chinese company and cloud sync stores documents on its infrastructure by default, which is a procurement blocker for government, defence and many regulated buyers no matter how well the software performs.
  • Complex Microsoft files still drift, so heavily formatted documents with tracked changes, PowerPoint animations and workbooks using recent functions or VBA macros can open with differences that only become visible when the file goes back to a Microsoft user.
  • There is no tenant administration, so an organisation has no central console for licences, policy, retention or offboarding, and every installation has to be managed on the individual machine.
  • Cloud storage stops at 1 GB free and 20 GB per user when paid, so it works as sync for documents and stops being viable for anyone handling media, scans or large PDF archives.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

WPS Office

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the WPS Office review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Ulysses if

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

Choose WPS Office if

  • You need one application.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want microsoft format handling.
WPS Office review

Questions people ask

Is Ulysses or WPS Office better?
Neither clearly leads. Ulysses starts at $5.99/month and WPS Office at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ulysses or WPS Office?
WPS Office has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5.99/month for Ulysses and Free for WPS Office.
Does Ulysses or WPS Office run on more platforms?
Ulysses runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS. WPS Office runs on Web.
Can I use WPS Office for free?
Yes. WPS Office has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ulysses starts at $5.99/month.
What is Ulysses best used for?
Ulysses is most often used for writing and editing on apple devices, cross-device document synchronization, markdown-based writing. Of those, writing and editing on apple devices and cross-device document synchronization are not what WPS Office is typically brought in for.
What can Ulysses do that WPS Office cannot?
Ulysses covers Distraction-free writing, Markdown support, Syntax highlighting, Organization with sheets and groups. WPS Office covers One application, Microsoft format handling, PDF tools, Linux builds.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
WPS Office: Will it open and save Microsoft Office files properly?

It reads and writes DOCX, XLSX and PPTX natively and ordinary documents round-trip cleanly. Files with macros, tracked changes or complex animation can differ, so check anything going back to a Microsoft user.

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
WPS Office: Is the free version genuinely free?

Yes, and it is not time-limited. It shows adverts, caps cloud storage at 1 GB, and holds back PDF editing and conversion, text recognition and electronic signature for the paid 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
WPS Office: Does it run on Linux?

Yes, with maintained desktop builds, which is unusual for a commercial office suite. The Linux version can trail Windows on newer features.

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
WPS Office: Is it suitable for a regulated organisation?

Usually not without a review. The vendor is Chinese, cloud sync is on by default, and there is no administrative or compliance tooling of the kind a regulated buyer will be asked to evidence.

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