Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

VS Code VS Ulysses.app

Compare VS Code VS Ulysses.app and see what are their differences

VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Ulysses.app logo Ulysses.app

A powerful writing tool for Mac, iPad, and iPhone
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • Ulysses.app Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-24

VS Code features and specs

  • Cross-platform
    VS Code works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing a consistent development experience across different operating systems.
  • Extensibility
    A vast library of extensions allows users to add functionalities like debuggers, linters, and themes, making it highly customizable.
  • Integrated Git
    Built-in Git integration makes it easy to manage version control tasks directly within the editor.
  • Performance
    Lightweight compared to full-fledged IDEs, ensuring good performance even on systems with limited resources.
  • IntelliSense
    Advanced code completion and refactoring tools help improve coding efficiency and reduce errors.
  • Community Support
    A strong and active community provides extensive support, tutorials, and third-party extensions.
  • Debugging
    Robust debugging tools for various languages and frameworks are available out of the box.
  • Free and Open-Source
    VS Code is completely free to use and open-source, which is beneficial for both individual developers and organizations.

Possible disadvantages of VS Code

  • Limited IDE Features
    While extensible, it may lack some advanced features found in dedicated IDEs out of the box.
  • Extension Management
    Managing and configuring a large number of extensions can become cumbersome and sometimes lead to performance issues.
  • Learning Curve
    Although user-friendly, it has a steeper learning curve for beginners due to its numerous features and customization options.
  • Memory Usage
    Despite being lightweight, it can consume a significant amount of memory when multiple extensions are installed.
  • Update Frequency
    Frequent updates may sometimes introduce bugs or require users to adapt to new changes quickly.
  • Internet Dependency
    Some features and extensions may require an internet connection to function optimally.
  • Telemetry
    By default, VS Code collects usage data, which might be a concern for users sensitive about data privacy. However, this can be disabled.

Ulysses.app features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Ulysses offers a clean and intuitive interface that is easy to navigate, even for beginners. The focus mode helps writers avoid distractions and concentrate on their work.
  • Sync Across Devices
    With iCloud integration, Ulysses allows users to seamlessly sync their work across all their Apple devices, ensuring you always have access to your documents.
  • Powerful Organizational Tools
    Ulysses provides robust organizational features like folders, tags, and filters which help in managing large projects efficiently. Users can keep everything from notes to book chapters in one place.
  • Markdown Support
    The app uses Markdown XL, an extended version of Markdown, which makes it easy to format text and export to various formats like PDF, ePub, and Word documents.
  • Distraction-Free Writing
    Ulysses offers a distraction-free writing environment by allowing users to work in full-screen mode, minimizing other on-screen elements.

Possible disadvantages of Ulysses.app

  • Apple Ecosystem Limitation
    Ulysses is exclusively available for macOS and iOS, limiting its use to Apple's ecosystem. Users on other platforms like Windows or Android are unable to use the app.
  • Subscription Model
    Ulysses uses a subscription pricing model, which might be a drawback for users who prefer one-time purchases. The ongoing cost could add up over time.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic interface is user-friendly, mastering the advanced features and getting the most out of the app can require a learning curve.
  • Limited Collaboration Features
    Ulysses lacks robust real-time collaboration features found in other writing apps like Google Docs, making it less suitable for collaborative projects.
  • Export Customization
    Although Ulysses supports multiple export formats, customizing these exports can be somewhat limited compared to specialized software designed for specific formats.

Analysis of VS Code

Overall verdict

  • Yes, VS Code is generally considered a good choice for developers due to its flexibility, efficiency, and strong community support. It is lightweight, fast, and user-friendly, catering to both novice and experienced developers.

Why this product is good

  • VS Code, developed by Microsoft, is a widely popular and versatile code editor. It offers a robust extension ecosystem, which allows developers to customize their workflow and coding environment extensively. Additionally, VS Code supports numerous programming languages right out of the box and provides features like IntelliSense, debugging, Git integration, and a built-in terminal, making it a powerful tool for developers.

Recommended for

  • Web developers looking for a comprehensive yet lightweight coding environment.
  • Software developers who need an editor with extensive language support and customization options.
  • Beginner programmers who would benefit from a feature-rich editor that can grow with their skills.
  • Developers interested in an open-source tool with continuous updates and community-driven enhancements.

Analysis of Ulysses.app

Overall verdict

  • Ulysses.app is highly regarded as a writing application, particularly for Apple users who appreciate a clean design, minimalistic interface, and robust features tailored for writing.

Why this product is good

  • Ulysses provides a distraction-free writing environment that helps writers stay focused on their tasks.
  • The app supports Markdown, allowing for easy text formatting without disrupting the writing flow.
  • It offers seamless synchronization across Apple devices via iCloud, making it convenient for users who switch between Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
  • Ulysses includes organizational tools such as folders, tags, and filters which help in managing large writing projects efficiently.
  • It also features a comprehensive export function that supports various formats such as PDF, ePub, and Word, suitable for different publishing needs.

Recommended for

  • Writers who prioritize a streamlined and clutter-free writing interface.
  • Users who are deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem and require seamless cross-device synchronization.
  • Individuals who need powerful organizational tools to manage complex writing projects.
  • Anyone who frequently exports their writing to different formats for publishing.

VS Code videos

My New Favorite Text Editor - Visual Studio Code

More videos:

  • Review - 7 reasons why I switched to Visual Studio Code from Sublime Text

Ulysses.app videos

No Ulysses.app videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and Ulysses.app)
Text Editors
97 97%
3% 3
Writing Tools
0 0%
100% 100
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
Markdown Editor
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using VS Code and Ulysses.app. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare VS Code and Ulysses.app

VS Code Reviews

  1. dksinden
    ยท Working at SpeechKit ยท

Boost Your Productivity with These Top Text Editors and IDEs
Visual Studio Code, commonly known as VS Code, is a powerful and extensible code editor developed by Microsoft. With its rich ecosystem of extensions and features like IntelliSense, debugging, and Git integration, VS Code enhances your coding productivity.
Source: convesio.com
13 Best Text Editors to Speed up Your Workflow
Finally, the Visual Studio Code website has numerous tabs for you to learn about the software. The documentation page walks you through steps like the setup and working with different languages. Youโ€™re also able to check out some tips and tricks and learn all of the Visual Studio Code keyboard shortcuts. Along with a blog, updates page, extensions library and API...
Source: kinsta.com
Jupyter Notebook & 10 Alternatives: Data Notebook Review [2023]
Previously, VS Code was more suited to developers or engineers due to its lack of data analysis capabilities, but since 2020, the VS Code team has collaborated with the Jupyter team to create an integrated notebook within VS Code. The end result is a fantastic IDE workbook for data analysis.
Source: lakefs.io
The Best IDEs for Java Development: A Comparative Analysis
Overview: Although not a traditional IDE, VS Code has gained popularity as a lightweight code editor.
Source: dev.to
20 Best Diff Tools to Compare File Contents on Linux
Visual studio code is a code editor made by Microsoft. It supports several development operations like debugging, task running, and version control. It works on Linux, macOS and Windows operating systems.
Source: linuxopsys.com

Ulysses.app Reviews

7 minimalist alternatives to CherryTree
Write with confidence: Ulyssesโ€™ built-in grammar and style check helps you avoid mistakes and meet the right tone. Available for over 20 languages, it offers suggestions for capitalization, punctuation, semantics, redundancy, style and more.
Source: papereditor.app
11 Best Scrivener Alternatives
iA Writer is often compared to Ulysses because of its similarities in features such as the Markdown for formatting, but it has a simpler interface compared to Scrivener and Ulysses.
9 Scrivener Alternative Tools: Overview, Pros, And Cons
No direct import from Scrivener: Ulysses doesnโ€™t handle Scrivener files, at least not directly. You have to export your content as MultiMarkdown files in Scrivener first, click Save, and drag the .mmd file into Ulyssesโ€™ library.
11 Best Note-Taking Apps to Help You Stay Organized at Productive in 2021
Ulysses is a digital workspace for writing prose and organizing your notes. Many of its features are geared toward longer forms of writing. For example, you can set daily writing goals or deadlines, and track your progress. It lets you tag keywords as well. Ulysses also gives you the ability to publish your drafts directly to WordPress or Medium from inside the app. Like...
Source: builtin.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be a lot more popular than Ulysses.app. While we know about 1214 links to VS Code, we've tracked only 23 mentions of Ulysses.app. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

VS Code mentions (1214)

  • How to Get Your First Tool Online
    The step up from there is an editor with a built-in agent like Cursor, Google Antigravity, Windsurf, or VS Code with a coding extension. These are code editors with an AI agent living inside them, and the difference is the responsible party for getting things from place to place. Instead of the software creator shuttling code between windows, the AI agent edits the project files directly and runs the GitHub and... - Source: dev.to / 10 days ago
  • Agentic Engineering: What Does AI Coding Really Cost?
    For IDE-heavy teams, BYOK (bring your own key) can be interesting, no matter whether you live in WebStorm or VS Code. On the JetBrains side, the JetBrains AI plans and Junie BYOK docs allow it, and most VS Code AI extensions offer the same idea: keep the IDE, connect provider keys, pay the provider. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Best Markdown Editors for Developers
    Option 1: Raw editing in IDE. You open the .md file in VS Code or whatever you use. Syntax highlighting shows you the structure. Maybe you toggle a preview pane. This works for quick edits but becomes painful for anything involving tables, diagrams, or complex formatting. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Document Generation for Developers: Security, Compliance, and Build-vs-Buy Decisions for the Template-Plus-Data Pipeline
    You'll need Python 3.8+ and pip for the quickstart, with venv recommended for isolation. Install the requests library for HTTP calls. VS Code with the Python extension works well as an editor, though PyCharm or Sublime Text work equally well. You'll also need a free Foxit developer account. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Notes + Local AI: Simpler Than You Think
    For viewing and navigating, Obsidian handles large markdown libraries well: graph view, tag search, template plugins. VSCode works too if you'd rather stay in your dev environment. Both read the same folder with no conversion needed. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
View more

Ulysses.app mentions (23)

  • Show HN: I'm building an app to replace Overleaf and Notion
    While I havenโ€™t had a need to use it, this sounds like what Ulysses[0] was built for. I saw a writer talking about it years ago, and how they liked it because it allowed them to organize and keep their research right alongside their document in the same app. [0] https://ulysses.app. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Using GitHub as a Free Content Management System
    It worked nice, but I always disliked having to go from my writing tool Ulysses to a content management system, upload it, format it and publish to my website. On the contrary I didnโ€™t really vibe with the idea of having my markdown files in the same repository as my website itself for some reason. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • A collection of useful Mac Apps
    Ulysses - Price: $5.99/month or $49.99/year (subscription) Writing app for Mac, iPad, and iPhone that offers a distraction-free writing environment and advanced features for writers. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • What if Obsidian disappears? 2023
    I just created a markdown/text file and wrote. You can open that anywhere. For example ulysses used to be my favorite before I realised I could used my code editor (any editor, they will always be free). Source: about 3 years ago
  • App to Increase Writing Productivity?
    If you can appreciate quality apps, Ulysses would be the best one for such a thing. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and Ulysses.app, you can also consider the following products

Sublime Text - Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.

iA Writer - Minimal Design, Maximum Focus

Vim - Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

Scrivener - Scrivener is a content-generation tool for composing and structuring documents.

Node.js - Node.js is a platform built on Chrome's JavaScript runtime for easily building fast, scalable network applications

Typora - A minimal Markdown reading & writing app.