Best Online LaTeX Editors that You Can Use in Your Browser

Online LaTeX editors are essentially apps or websites that allow you to write, edit, and publish papers in LaTeX online. With the help of such an editor, you can define the formatting of the text in advance through markup-level directions and finally export the document in multiple formats such as .docx, .pdf, and LaTeX itself. These editors are especially useful if you need to edit mathematical equations.

Online LaTeX editors are highly convenient and efficient in nature. I have listed the ten best online LaTeX editors presently available in this article. If you are looking for offline LaTeX editors, please see this article on the best LaTeX editors for Windows and Mac.

Best Online LaTeX Editors

Let us now go through my picks for the ten best online LaTeX editors that you can choose from.

Table of Contents

Overleaf

Trusted by more than 200,000 professionals worldwide, Overleaf is one of the most popular online LaTeX editing tools available. It comes with various useful features, including hundreds of templates ranging from formal letters to lab reports and theses. It also allows you to collaborate with your team members on academic documents or technical papers.

Moreover, Overleaf offers a real-time preview of your text as you enter it. By its error control and notation support, co-authors familiar with WYSIWYG editors will be able to take up to it easily.

Using your custom-generated link, you can share your final document easily to various social networks and your Git account.

Note that Overleaf has acquired ShareLaTeX, one of my favorites, and added it to the larger product, which is Overleaf.

Papeeria

Papeeria is another great online LaTeX editor with advanced features and tools. For example, it has a vast library of templates including but not limited to scientific magazines. You can also collaborate with other members on a LaTeX document and sync all changes on Dropbox, Github, or Google Drive.

You can use its Plot Builder feature to construct complex plots visually. Today, Papeeria is widely trusted by numerous scientists and academicians across the globe.

CoCalc

CoCalc is a fully web-based editor that makes it easier than ever for you to work with LaTeX. Using its forward and inverse search features, you will be able to navigate your way around in large documents conveniently. It also offers a side-by-side chat feature for each LaTeX file that lets you collaborate online with your colleagues and give feedback to your students on assignments.

CoCalc also provides support for Knitr documents, allowing you to embed arbitrary R software commands and plots in your LaTeX file. Other notable features of this editor include:

Embedded calculations are run within you document
Multi-file support that automatically discovers included files
Automatic compilation upon saving and marking errors in the source file
TimeTravel feature to revert recent changes
Pre-installed packs and utilities such as TikZ and PGF
A fully computational environment
Periodic backups of all your files

LaTeX Base

LaTeX Base is widely considered to be one of the best online LaTeX editors around. You can create new files or import existing ones from other sources such as Google Drive and work on them conveniently. It offers a live preview of the editing and allows you to seamlessly share your work with others. It compiles the code as you write on the document and supports the single share publishing option as well.

Once you are finished, you can export your files to another system or download them on your system. The editor readily supports images and other media files and offers a handy syntax highlighting feature as well.

Codecogs

Codecogs is primarily aimed at the technical computing market; it offers powerful tools to furnish high-end numerical codes. It features the efficient LaTeX Equation Editor that you can use to design mathematical equations in either LaTeX or MathML. To help you compile both simple and complex equations easily, it has nearly all LaTeX mathematical symbols (such as summation, root, integration, Greek letters, matrices, and arrows) predefined.

Apart from predefined signs, you can also paste or type a LaTeX equation by yourself. You can download the output in standard image/document formats such as .gif, .png, and .pdf. You can also alter the equation font, color, and size. There’s also another version of Codecogs that can be integrated online, like in a website or app.

Stackedit

Stackedit is essentially a markdown editor with complete support for LaTeX equations if you are writing for academic projects.

Additionally, Stackedit offers handy options such as bullets, font editing, blockquotes, pictures, and so on. It features a user-friendly interface and lets you easily share, import, upload, publish, and save LaTeX documents.

Here are some Stackedit alternatives that you can try online:

Notion – has LaTeX support.
Upmath
Papeeria – already listed above
Pandao @ Github – open-source, simple and great at the same time.

BlueLaTeX

Update: As of December 2023, this product is now dead and no longer exists.

BlueLaTeX is a free-to-use editor that allows you to create technical papers online in LaTeX format. You can choose from a wide variety of pre-coded templates, do the editing, add a title, and enter your content. However, you will have to type codes by yourself because LaTeX symbols are unavailable here.

The compiler will readily bring up any error that turns up. Then, after you’ve added your content, you just need to click the Compile button on press Ctrl+S to preview your paper. You can then download it in PDF format later.

QuickLaTeX

QuickLaTeX is a free service that renders LaTeX equations in the form of images. With its help, you can easily render mathematical equations, formulae, signs, and relations. In addition, it features a tidy user interface with an input space, an output window, and a handful of customization settings.

You simply need to type the LaTeX code, select the font size and color and background color, and click the Render button. After that, you can save the rendered LaTeX images to your device.

Arachnoid

Arachnoid is a website that mainly publishes scientific and technical content. However, it features a robust and free-to-use online LaTeX editor that comes with preloaded LaTeX symbols and Greek letters. You can choose equation templates from “LaTeX examples” as well.

The editor renders the equation in three different types; you can choose any or all of the modes to render a LaTeX equation. After the rendering is finished, you can save the equation as an image file.

Conclusion

What is an online LaTeX editor?

An online LaTeX editor is a web-based tool that allows you to create, edit, and compile LaTeX documents without installing any additional software on your computer. These editors provide a convenient and user-friendly interface for working with LaTeX, often including features such as real-time collaboration, version control, syntax highlighting, and access to a library of templates.

Can I collaborate with others on a LaTeX document using online editors?

Yes, many online LaTeX editors, such as Overleaf, Papeeria, and Authorea, offer real-time collaboration features. This allows multiple users to work on the same LaTeX document simultaneously, making it easier to collaborate on projects and keep track of changes.

Are online LaTeX editors free to use?

Many online LaTeX editors offer free plans with basic features, usually sufficient for individual users or small projects. However, some editors also provide paid plans with additional features, such as faster compilation times, increased storage, priority support, and advanced collaboration tools. Examples of such editors include Overleaf, Papeeria, and Authorea.

How do I choose the best online LaTeX editor for my needs?

When selecting an online LaTeX editor, consider factors such as ease of use, collaboration capabilities, template availability, and platform compatibility. You should also evaluate the specific features offered by each editor, such as syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and version control. Your choice may also depend on whether you need a free or paid plan, based on the scope of your projects and the features you require.

Can I use online LaTeX editors offline?

Online LaTeX editors typically require an internet connection to access and use their features. However, some editors, like TeXstudio, offer LaTeX desktop applications you can download and install on your computer, allowing you to work on LaTeX documents offline. Note that TeXstudio is not an online editor but rather a cross-platform, open-source LaTeX editor with a desktop application. (Which I wholeheartedly recommend.)

The list above describes the ten best online LaTeX editors presently available in the market. Each of them is proficient at its job and comes with a number of valuable features.

I hope this article helps you choose a good editor that allows you to work with LaTeX with greater efficiency and ease. See you in another article. :)