Writing tool Ulysses for macOS, iOS shifts to monthly $4.99 subscription model
Effective immediately, writing tool Ulysses is switching to a subscription model after having been a paid app for iOS and macOS since launch.
Rather than separate purchases offered for the last 14 years of the program's life, the Ulysses developers are offering a $4.99 per month, or $39.99 per year subscription for use of both the macOS app and iOS version. Students can use the apps for $11.99 for a six month period.
Previous purchasers of Ulysses get a lifetime discount on the yearly plan. While the developers are citing a 50 percent discount on the monthly plan, the plan for previous purchasers is $29.99 -- a 25 percent discount when compared to the annual plan.
Recent purchasers get a free-use period of 18 months, depending on purchase location, and when the title was bought. However, there is currently a back-and-forth with the developers, with the developer noting that recent purchasers can get either the free period, or the lifetime discount -- for now.
The previous single-purchase versions have been removed from sale. The last update to the app added High Sierra and iOS 11 compatibility -- but also now have a splash-screen ad at launch promoting the subscription version.
New features to the app will be added only to the subscription version. No guarantees are being made about long-term compatibility with future versions of Apple's operating systems.
In a post on Medium, developer Max Seelemann discussed the rationale behind the shift. Seelemann claims that the developer team has been considering the shift for two years, and it was the "hardest decision in our whole time as professional software developers."
Ulysses is included in MacPaw's Setapp subscription service. Setapp costs $9.99 per month -- twice what Ulysses costs alone on a month-to-month basis, but includes far more apps than just the writing tool. An update for the Setapp version is coming in the next few weeks to unlock the iOS version as well.
AppleInsider examined Ulysses in December, and found it to be better for lots of short writing, with competitive product Scrivener better for long-form books and other materials.
Rather than separate purchases offered for the last 14 years of the program's life, the Ulysses developers are offering a $4.99 per month, or $39.99 per year subscription for use of both the macOS app and iOS version. Students can use the apps for $11.99 for a six month period.
Previous purchasers of Ulysses get a lifetime discount on the yearly plan. While the developers are citing a 50 percent discount on the monthly plan, the plan for previous purchasers is $29.99 -- a 25 percent discount when compared to the annual plan.
Recent purchasers get a free-use period of 18 months, depending on purchase location, and when the title was bought. However, there is currently a back-and-forth with the developers, with the developer noting that recent purchasers can get either the free period, or the lifetime discount -- for now.
There's been some confusion about the free-use vs. lifetime discount for existing users. It's either one or the other for now.
-- Ulysses (@ulyssesapp)
The previous single-purchase versions have been removed from sale. The last update to the app added High Sierra and iOS 11 compatibility -- but also now have a splash-screen ad at launch promoting the subscription version.
New features to the app will be added only to the subscription version. No guarantees are being made about long-term compatibility with future versions of Apple's operating systems.
In a post on Medium, developer Max Seelemann discussed the rationale behind the shift. Seelemann claims that the developer team has been considering the shift for two years, and it was the "hardest decision in our whole time as professional software developers."
Ulysses is included in MacPaw's Setapp subscription service. Setapp costs $9.99 per month -- twice what Ulysses costs alone on a month-to-month basis, but includes far more apps than just the writing tool. An update for the Setapp version is coming in the next few weeks to unlock the iOS version as well.
AppleInsider examined Ulysses in December, and found it to be better for lots of short writing, with competitive product Scrivener better for long-form books and other materials.
Comments
In the long term subscriptions aren't going to work for every developer.
What I have a problem with is how it was handled in this case. If you dropped the $50 on your non-subscription app, you're now sitting through a time locked loading page where it exhorts you to pay for the subscription -- that is totally unacceptable.
As a developer myself I'd like to switch at least some users to a premium subscription, but I was planning on keeping to a freemium model.
I think its fairer and customer goodwill is easily lost.
Ulysses was a nice app to use, but not indispensable. Its syncing capabilities were great but I also have Scrivener and have been looking at Quiver. I can find an alternative that won't add to that ever increasing subscription bill every month.
I don't see anything in this app that warrants $40 a year when there are free alternatives out there that do the same thing.
I looked at Ulysses and thought does the app do more than the other apps, free or paid, that I currently use and came to the conclusion that it costs more than the ones I currently use and does less than them as well.
So to me Ulysses' subscription model is more of a money grab than something valuable.
What I want to know, as it's not really outlined in the article, is does this subscription have to be paid for iOS and macOS or does it cover both?
Ta-ta Ulysses.
I'm split. I'm still using an old version of OmniGraffle because the upgrade price is too high for my budget. The app keeps working ... a plus for the one-time purchase model ... but I don't get any updates or new features.
I'm also a SetApp subscriber, so one low monthly fee gets me access to dozens of apps. Stop paying and the apps cease to work (do they?... never tested that).
I think one subscription per app is too overwhelming... the SetApp approach is better, and I think there's room for that model to be refined. Imagine an "App Store Bundle"... one fee covering many apps.
Since you paid for them, you might as well get on that book project (or whatever) you originally paid for them for, at least give them a spin. For you, they'll continue to work for an indefinite period of time, free of any charge. If you failed to upgrade to the most recent-bar-one version, you'll have to upgrade to the current one (which throws up an ad but otherwise works fine).
You could have written on a different topic...
I'll need a subscription to NetFlix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Spotify, Apple music, Disney, Broadband etc, etc, etc. this crap adds up.
How many $4.99, $5.99, $9.99, $19.99 or even $179 (Altova Mission Kit (I was a software developer)) can your income justify?
We don't have bottomless wallets. We are being squeezed for cash on many fronts yet still more and more products are going to the monthly sucking of money from your bank model. Something has to break somewhere.
For me, I subscribe to CC and my Broadband/phone and that's it. Even there, I've cut my BB speeds and saved $90/year.
YMMV