JianTeX vs Texpile

JianTeX is an academic writing tool with desktop, browser-based, and self-hosted options for Linux, macOS, and Windows. The desktop editor supports LaTeX and Typst, with syntax highlighting, code completion, and live preview; it also works offline and stores projects as local files. SyncTeX links the PDF preview and editor for navigation in both directions. The site lists 35+ templates, including NeurIPS, ICML, IEEE, Chinese theses, and résumés. In the online version, collaborators can work in real time and see one another’s cursors and selections. Automatic snapshots create a timeline from which users can restore earlier versions. Projects can be imported from Overleaf through a Git link or ZIP, and repositories can be cloned from Git URLs. Listed engines include Tectonic, Typst, LuaLaTeX, XeLaTeX, and pdflatex. Desktop use requires no registration; online sign-in supports GitHub and Google. Teams can self-host, keeping collaboration content within their intranet. The English homepage describes MIT-licensed code and offers version 0.1 alpha; it says code signing and notarization are rolling out per platform. The Free and open source plan is free.

Texpile is a free, open-source desktop editor for LaTeX, Typst, and Markdown on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It combines visual and source editing in the same file, with live previews for LaTeX and Typst as users type. Editing works offline and does not require a compiler. LaTeX compilation requires the user's own TeX distribution, while Typst compiling and preview use tinymist. A built-in shell can run latexmk or another compile command. The editor can save project versions, show changes, and restore earlier versions. For collaboration, users can share a folder for real-time editing, and guests can join by code without an account. Shared sessions are end-to-end encrypted; the documentation identifies them as the feature that uses the network. Texpile can search a Zotero library and insert citations when Zotero is running with Better BibTeX installed. An optional local MCP server lets Claude Code or Codex read editor state and control app actions. The software is licensed under AGPL-3.0.