Overleaf
Online LaTeX editor for writing and co-authoring papers in the browser.
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About Overleaf
Overleaf is a web-based LaTeX editor that compiles documents on its servers, so you can write papers, theses and reports from any browser without installing TeX. Several people can edit the same project at once, and paid plans add track changes, full document history, longer compile times and more collaborators per project. It offers a code editor plus a visual editor mode, a large template gallery for journals and university theses, and integrations with reference managers and Git. Overleaf is widely used in universities and research labs. Pricing is freemium: the free plan works for solo writing with one collaborator per project, while individual, student and group plans unlock collaboration features, with academic discounts and institutional licences on offer. The core editor is also published as open-source Community Edition under the AGPL, which organisations can host on their own servers. The main trade-offs are that it needs an internet connection for the hosted service and free compiles have time limits on larger projects.
Best for: Researchers and students co-writing LaTeX papers with others.
Pros and cons
What works
- Nothing to install: LaTeX compiles in the browser
- Real-time co-editing with comments and history
- Large gallery of journal and thesis templates
- Open-source Community Edition can be self-hosted
Why people leave
- Free plan allows only one collaborator per project
- Hosted version needs an internet connection
- Compile time limits can bite on large free projects
Top Overleaf alternatives
See all 4- 1
TeXstudio66.5Free desktop LaTeX IDE that works fully offline with no collaborator limits.
- 2
Google Docs66.2Simpler real-time co-editing when the document doesn't need LaTeX typesetting.
- 3
Typst54.5Simpler markup and near-instant previews, with a cheaper collaborative web app and an open-source compiler.
- 4
Quarto50.3Write in Markdown with embedded code and render to PDF, Word or web from one source.
Why people left Overleaf
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Overleaf: common questions
Is Overleaf free?
Overleaf has a free plan and paid plans. Free plan: Yes, 1 collaborator per project (checked on Overleaf's own site).
Is Overleaf open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at overleaf/overleaf. You can also run it on your own server.
What platforms does Overleaf run on?
Overleaf is available for Web and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to Overleaf?
The highest-ranked Overleaf alternatives right now are TeXstudio, Google Docs and Typst. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.