Are you up to creating some mathematical or scientific documents? Then you must be looking some best LaTeX editors for your Linux, MacOS or Windows operating system. Thus, here we are with a crisp and compact list of both offline and online LaTeX editors under a free or open source category.
What is a LaTeX editor?
LaTeX project is a programming language with which scientific and mathematical texts can be created. The full form of LaTeX here is Lamport TeX. In simple words, it is a document preparation system for high-quality typesetting but for special purposes where you need scientific and mathematical texts like scientific formulas for some academic books or PDF… Using packages or libraries, you can extend the scope of functions to create graphics and formulas.
Now, what exactly is the LaTex editor? In simple words, the editor that supports LaTeX programming to create documents is called LaTeX editors. Thus, it is not like our normal word editor where we get formatted text in WYSIWYG (“what you see is what you get”) such as OpenOffice, LibreOffice or Microsoft Office. LaTeX is totally opposite uses a command line interface to format text for books or documents need an extensive text system that is intended for books, scientific papers and articles. Particularly in the mathematical-technical area, the system offers itself because of the formulas contained.
You can simply install LaTeX on your system and then text can be entered in a simple editor and saved in a source text file, similar to a script. This text is supplemented by LaTeX commands, which, for example, identify chapters, sections, headings, and quotes. In addition, a LaTeX document can be spread over several files, so that each chapter is a separate file. However, there are a good number of best LaTeX backed editors are available for online to download with both open sources as well as a free license for Windows, Linux and MacOS. Thus, here we are with some best open source or free LaTeX editors but before installing them remember they are not simple text editors and to operate them, first, you must get familiar with the LaTeX commands…
What are Best LaTeX editors for Windows, Linux or MacOS?
Texmaker is a free, modern and cross-platform LaTeX editor for linux, macosx and windows systems that integrates many tools needed to develop documents with LaTeX, in just one application. Texmaker includes unicode support, spell checking, auto-completion, code folding and a built-in pdf viewer with synctex support and continuous view mode. Texmaker is easy to use and to configure. The Font Cache Bug in Mac OS X: Welcome to TeX! click on image Acknowledgments. Happy TeXing on Mac OS X! Donate MacTeX Installer Support. TUG home page; (via Google).
Remember, the top LaTeX editors list given below is not a comparison and arranged randomly… Note: You ought to install LaTeX before using LaTeX editors for proper functioning.
LaTeX Texmaker
License Type: OpenSource / Free. Available for Windows 10/8/7, Linux (Ubuntu & Debian) and MacOS
Texmaker is a popular best LaTeX editor which is cross-platform with graphical user interface developed using Qt toolkit. It has a wide range of features to easily handle all LaTex commands while getting a PDF view of what would have written on the command line side. As you can see in the above image one side is for command and other for the formatted view that will be going to see by the world.
You can save all open files and settings in one session. Such a session can then be resumed at a later date. In addition, you can specify a master document for a (sub) document. One-click or one-button compilation automatically compiles the master document instead of the open sub-document.
The editor provides syntax highlighting and autocompletion. Both help with the overview of the document source code and troubleshooting.
Other features it includes are Unicode editor, fast navigation, rotation of PDF viewer, bibliographic database management, jump view structure view, full asymptote support, spell checking, code folding, symbol selection, built-in LaTeX manual, column selection (useful when creating tables), and an unlimited number of snippets. Because of UTF-8 can be used with XeLaTeX and luaLaTeX.
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TeXworks
License Type: Open Source / Freeware, available for Windows 10/8/7, Linux (Ubuntu, openSUSE, Debian, Fedora, Arch Linux), and MacOS X. To provide it with an interface the Qt toolkit has been used.
TeXworks LaTex editor is a simple TeX front-end program comes with an integrated PDF viewer that removes the hassle of first writing document in a LaTeX language and then convert it PDF or any other rich viewable format. Side by side screen of Command Line and PDF output made it user to easily see how its text would look.
Furthermore, ti also supports forward search means jumping from the source to the viewer and vice versa. TeXworks is super easy even for novice quite unchallenging to operate. This also applies to the rather simple interface and the manageable range of functions.
Another thing which is worth to mention is its support to UTF-8 encoding which makes it ideally suited for working with XeLaTeX and luaLaTeX.
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LaTeX TexStudio
License Type-OpenSource cross-platform and one of the best LateX editor available for Windows, Linux (CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo, Scientific Linux, openSUSE), MacOS, and FreeBSD. It is also available as Appimage for all major Linux Distros.
TeXstudio editor has been forked from Texmaker. It is therefore often referred to as fork of Texmaker. Just like it, the Text studio also offered quite a wide range of features in a considerably expanded way as compared to Texmaker.
In TextStudio, the structure view of the program updated during typing plus while coding, the syntax checker checks it for error in real time. In addition, it can be extended via scripts and offers wizards for various tasks, such as table creation. Beside cross-platform, the portable version of TeX studio is also available.
It features multi-cursor, Auto-completion, More than 1000 mathematical symbols, Bookmarks, Link overlay, Assistants for images, tables, formulas; Drag & drop support for images and tooltip preview for included images, Table-formatting, Interactive grammar checker; automatic detection of MikTeX, TeX Live, Ghostscript and Standardlatex; built-in support for various LaTeX compilers, index, bibliography and glossary tools, Latexmk, and and more.
As other best open source LaTex editors mentioned above, it also gets its interface from Qt toolkit.
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Kile
License Type: OpenSource. It is available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux (Source code need to be compiled for Linux and MacOS).
In true sense it is a LaTeX editor for Linux, however, since the KDE framework is now also available for Windows, Kile can also be installed and used under Windows too.
Kile has everything a LaTeX editor needs. Special features are the live update of the PDF view, which causes a recompilation when changes in the code, Auto-completion of (La)TeX command and the integrated QuickPreview, with which you can limit the PDF view, Inverse and forward search and more.
Kile provides built-in access to Konsole Terminal, an interactive shell.
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LyX LaTeX editor
License Type: Open Source or Free. It is available for Windows, Linux (Ubuntu, Redhat, Debian) and MacOS.
Another popular editor in this best LaTex editors list is LyX. However, it is WYSIWYW document processor that has the power of TeX/LaTeX as its backend. Thus, being a WYSIWYS, it is less difficult to understand and operate than any other editors mentioned in this list.
The advantage of this is that the user is initially freed from learning LaTeX. The disadvantage is that after basic mathematical or Scientific problems which you want to show in a document, that are not easy to solve through the menus of LyX, the user not only has to learn LaTeX programming. The position of a word in the printed document is not the same as on the screen. LyX to MS Word exchange is horrible. This means that the user has a huge hurdle to overcome in case of problems.
LyX is an application of the Qt toolkit.
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Papeeria LaTeX editor online
License Type:Free. It can be used on any platform (Windows, Linux, MacOS, FreeBSD, Android…) the only thing which requires is a browser.
Papeeria is an online LaTeX editor which offers both Free and Paid online versions, needless to say, the free online LaTeX editor version has fewer features than one which costs you. Here are the features of free one: It offers unlimited public projects, public templates and collaborators per project.
For the free plan, it only offers one active private project which is 10 in Paid version however both plans supports archiving for unused projects. Furthermore, Full-text search (restricted to the current project files), Git sync (Full read-write access to public repositories), the File edit history of 24 hours and simple plot builder are also there.
It is not like other full-fledged LaTeX editors but enough for new students or LaTeX leaners on any system from anywhere using a browser and the internet connection.
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overleaf/ShareLaTeX online LaTex editors
License Type:Freemium, only need a browser to run.
Overleaf which another latex editor online that has merged the ShareLaTeX by joining it with. Now all the ShareLaTex users can access LaTex editor for overlead. The free version is good to work alone while if you have a team then Collaboration and Professional paid versions of overleaf are available.
It features sharing of the project by private invitation or by link sharing; real-time preview, real-time commenting and integrated chat; WYSIWYG and LateX support, free online template gallery and more…
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TeXShop
Licence Type: Free and open source LaTeX and TeX editor and previewer for only MacOS users.
Although there are many editors in this best list that support MacOS platform, however, those are looking for dedicated one then TeXShop should be in your disposal. It was developed by the American mathematician Richard Koch. TeXShop uses “pdftex” and “pdflatex” rather than “tex” and “latex” to typeset in its default configuration.
TeXShop is a TeX previewer for Mac OS X, written in Cocoa.
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[alert-success]Apart from these best LaTex editors you also look at:[/alert-success]
Eclipse with TeXclipse:
TeXclipse itself is not an editor but a LaTeX mode for the universal editor Eclipse, which is widely used by Java developers
emacs with AUCTeX : OpenSource for Linux, Windows, MacOS, Free BSD, Solaris and more
Emacs is a cross-platform universal editor. Together with AUCTeX, an advanced (La) TeX mode for Emacs, it becomes a powerful LaTeX development environment. AUCTeX also includes preview-latex. This makes a WYSIWYG preview of individual elements such as headings, mathematical environments, images etc. directly possible in the editor.
Upon entering the preview, Emacs will automatically return to input/source mode. When leaving, a rebuild of the preview element may take place. AUCTeX does not use classic project management. Instead, files can have a master file (used at compile time and evaluated for packages, etc.) and various settings set via so-called local variables.
Authorea online Latex editor (website): An online editor with multiple plans and one of them is free for Basic usage that offers 3 free private documents, unlimited collaborators, 100MB data hosting, One-click DOI publishing and Priority support.
TeXpen is a LaTeX editor that also developed and based on Qt/C++. It offers Themes/Background colours; English grammar improvement, spell-check, article outline to navigating quickly; document templates for beginners, one key inserting Figure/Table, One key build pdf and built-in Preview and Auto-complete.
Gummi: Another open source LaTeX editor uses GTK+ and able to run on Linux and Windows systems. It has a straight forward approach for document preparation and features Live preview, LaTeX snippets, Graphical insertion of tables and images, Templates and wizards, Project management, Bibliography management and SyncTeX integration. However, it lacks graphical mathematical symbols insertion and document structure summary.
For many more universal editors like Vim , Nedit , jEdit , notepad ++ etc. there are LaTeX adjustments. So if you are already familiar with an editor, look for such editorial customization for your editor. This saves you having to work in the editing of an editor and in LaTeX at the same time.
For beginners, if you talk about which LaTeX editor is the best then TeXworks, TeXmaker and TeXstudio would always make their place because of easy to use plus inbuilt PDF viewer along with many other features. Moreover, they are cross-platform and supports all major operating systems.
Other Resources to read:
LaTex or Lamport Tex is not a new term for those who are regular with writing journals of technical, mathematical, psychological or scientific fields. It is so as LaTex has become one of the most popular methods of document presentation and used for any form of publishing. Now the best latex editors available today can help in controlling the content on your own terms by
- Typesetting the articles or slide presentations.
- Allows control even over large documents through sectioning, cross-reference, tables, etc.
- Inclusion of artwork or color, etc.
And many more features tag along with best latex software, let’s see which of these settles right for you! Forget about spending huge time in formatting a publishing page and employ a good offline or online LaTex editor before anything.
Also Read: Top 10 Free E-Books Readers for Windows
Best LaTex Editors for Windows, Mac And Linux
1. LyX
Supported with numerous modern features at its back, LyX is an open-source editor. Interestingly, you can use it even for structuring your own novel or script apart from editing mathematical documents.
This best latex editor for Windows 10, Mac, Linux & Haiku contains advanced tools to access any algorithm, theorem, arrays of equations, etc. so that they can be dragged and dropped quickly. Moreover, the creation of bibliography (BibTex support), spell-checker, support to various graphs and tables make Lyx stand apart from many others.
Availability: Windows | Mac | Linux
2. TeXstudio
Easy to use interface, a decent level of customization, and multi-platform LaTex editor introduces itself as TeXstudio. What counts more with this one of the best latex editors is comfortable editing using multi-cursor, auto-completion, bookmarks, image assistance, table-formatting, and interactive spellchecker.
If you want to know more than you would love its advanced build system including bibliography, glossary tools, easy PDF viewing capacity, and more. Plus, its easy setup and a portable version for USB make it the best latex editor for Windows 10 as well as Mac.
Availability: Windows | Mac | Linux
3. Texmaker
How about another best free latex software for you that can manage cross-platform view, Unicode supportive editor, auto-completion, code folding and more features that make editing simpler than ever? It can be crowned as one of the best latex editors considering the integration of many tools in just one single application.
In fact, you can streamline your documents into different sections using ‘Structure View’. After this, insert tables, math formulas, pictures, references, or anything right into the documents.
Availability: Windows | Mac | Linux
4. Kile
As simple as it looks, the containing editor is quite powerful to note for. The best part is customization of anything or everything according to your wish at one side and very easy to use on the other. It helps in auto-completion of the documents, compile or convert them in one click, easy insertion of citations and references, and much more.
Besides this, maximize the editing space at your will, configure the build system, take help from LaTex library and use creative features for a perfect look of your journal to be published. By the end of your work, you would call it as best latex editor for Windows 10, for sure!
Availability: Mac | Linux
Also Read: Best E-Readers For Bibliophiles
5. Gummi
To make your documentation easier than ever, Gummi is here as one of your best LaTex editors. A two-panel window with Gummi helps in editing syntax and formatting errors at the same time. Easy, right? Gummi also saves a PDF copy automatically and contains smart features like image addition, citing tool, spell-checker, document viewer, etc.
Editor Latex For Mac Pro
Various types of templates, wizards, bibliography management, Live preview makes it user’s first choice very easily. Though you may not be able to find mathematical symbols and document summary here, its work efficiency makes people go for without another thought.
Availability: Linux
6. Overleaf (Online)
A smart online writing and collaboration tool, Overleaf, claims to have a large user base all around the world. It is perfect for people searching for templates of CV, Resume, assignments, letters, projects, presentations, and more than 500 others. Interestingly, you can enjoy real-time collaboration to find out each author’s contribution.
A good text mode, real-time preview, and compatibility with major browsers like Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc. make it an easy way to approach. Call it the best free latex editor by keeping in mind the free plan, apart from which two other plans are available for upgraded features.
7. Papeeria (Online)
No need to download any of the best latex software if you are super-comfortable with browser editing. Papeeria gives you an open-end option having an awesome auto-compilation feature to compile everything in the background. There can be discussions in the margin besides which spellchecker, instant math previewer, collaboration works simultaneously.
Moreover, it is absolutely workable on mobile phones and desktops are no necessity for editing. The template gallery is loaded with CV, presentation, journal, etc. for ease and saving time.
Also Read: Best EBook Reader Apps for Android
8. Authorea (Online)
Be it an article, a collaboration of data, multiple figures or any image, you can imply them all swiftly in your journal through this amazing publishing platform. It also allows users to write in both LaTex and Markdown language. Interestingly, you and your team can make changes in a document simultaneously and the comments posted become visible to everyone.
Export your LaTex documents in any format including Word, PDF, etc. yes, all the top browsers support it quite well and you can simply enjoy this best free latex editor to work smoothly.
9. Texpen
Another best latex editor is here for you which is based on C++/Qt. Writing, documentation and compiling them becomes interesting with features like document templates, auto-completion system and article outlining for navigation. There are various themes or background colors that help in protecting your eyes while you sit on the screen for a longer duration.
You might not be very happy to see the interface when compared to its competitors but Texpen would help you with grammar improvements and correcting expressions in your documents. In-built preview, one key building PDF and one key table insertion are some other additional features you would like to see.
Availability: Windows | Mac | Linux
10. TeXnicCenter
Developed for Windows users especially, TeXnicCenter is using Microsoft’s MiKTex typesetting distribution while also offering a quick setup wizard for the same. This latex editor is integrated with a suitable environment for Windows and contains powerful auto-completion features within it.
Moreover, you can find GUI editor, multiple UTF-8 character coding and a smart navigator to find your Latex documents. Bracket matching, spelling checker and syntax highlighting are some other features you definitely don’t wish to miss with this Latex equation editor.
Availability: Windows
11. VIM-LaTex
A powerful combination of Latex as intelligent typesetter and Vim as best editor comes together to form this amazing latex editor for you. These both are trying to bring the best set of tools to view, edit and compile LaTex documents. Vim-Latex is an extension for documentation and thankfully, the process is explained on the sourcepage.
You may say that this best latex editor is designed for programmers and it can function anyway the configuration is required. Visual editing, compiling, mode mapping, code folding, etc. are some key features with this amazing and simple latex editor.
Availability: Windows
12. RTextDoc
We believe that your search for latex editors will surely stop at this place. This editor is completely designed for editing the structured documents and typesetting professional research papers where images and mathematical expressions are also present. Writing notes, books, ebooks or slideshows? This latex editor is present for you!
Editor Latex Mac Os X
If you think why RTextDoc is so special, we have certain reasons behind it. It supports Latex and AsciiDoc plain text-markup language and has instant grammar checker besides. Moreover, there are dozens of dictionaries, in-built PDF viewers and more. You do not even need to install it and its portability on a USB flash drive is the most exciting thing to note for.
Availability: Windows | Linux
13. TeXworks
TeXworks is a cross-platform latex editor and based on open-source tools and libraries. It simply provides a proper environment for scientific analysis and data visualization. Moreover, data mining, analysis with arrays and histograms and mathematical calculations are also possible. Its 2-page mode, citation management, syntax highlighting and fastest rendering capacity are some things unique to look for.
Availability: Windows | Mac | Linux
14. LaTex Base (Online)
Without the need of installation or running internet connection, you can easily edit the documents using this Latex online editor. Add new files, import them from other sources like Google Drive or other resources and work on it fruitfully with this plain simple latex editor.
Once the work is done, you can even export your files to another system or download it in your system. Supported by images and other media files, you are ready to rock and roll on this best latex editor as soon as it appears in front.
15. Scribes
A minimalist text editor which combines simplicity with power is here for you. This best latex editor is intelligent enough to understand your design and focus exclusively on the tasks. Automatic correction, replacement and word completion are some things you definitely need to check. This open-source latex editor gives you amazing and customizable templates or snippets where quick insertion of tables, figures, listing, environment, etc. is absolutely possible.
Not to forget, bookmarks, smart navigation, document switching, automatic indentation, manipulation functions, text processing and powerful text procession are only some of the impeccable features which you shall not dare to miss.
Availability: Ubuntu | Fedora
Final Words!
So just find your genre of publishing the papers, pick any of the good latex editors and your work is done in no time! From downloading a latex editor for Mac or Windows 10 to finding the best latex editor online, you shall check each of it before reaching a goal. Include anything you like in them.
Moreover, don’t forget to checkout:
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Best Editor Latex For Mac
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