Kile vs LyX
Kile
kile.sourceforge.ioLyX
lyx.orgSide by side
| Figure | Kile | LyX |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · LaTeX Editors | 8.0 (#11) | 8.0 (#12) |
| Platforms | The maker lists PC, Mac, BSD, Linux, and Microsoft Windows among supported architectures and operating systems. | The official site lists LyX for Linux, Windows, and Mac; its current Windows binaries support Windows 7 and later. |
| Support | Users can ask technical questions through the kile-devel mailing list and report problems through KDE's bug tracking system. | Users can ask usage questions on the lyx-users mailing list and consult its archives before posting. |
Plans
In their own words
Kile
Kile is a free, open-source desktop editor for TeX and LaTeX on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It can compile, convert, and view a document with one click, and provides completion for (La)TeX commands alongside advanced editing commands. Templates and wizards help start documents. Projects group related files and support inserting citations and references. Forward and inverse search connect the editor with a DVI viewer, while QuickPreview shows a selected document section. The maker describes Kile’s build system as flexible and smart for compiling LaTeX documents. The download page provides source code and lists 64-bit Windows binaries for version 3.0 beta 3; it also displays a SHA-256 hash for the 3.0 beta 4 source archive. For Linux, the maker recommends installing a matching distribution package through the package manager when available. Technical questions can be sent to the kile-devel mailing list, and problems can be reported through KDE’s bug tracking system.
LyX
LyX is a document processor for structured writing, combining TeX and LaTeX capabilities with a graphical interface. It suits work ranging from academic articles, theses, and books to letters, novels, plays, and film scripts. Its equation editor accepts point-and-click input or LaTeX commands and renders formulas on screen. For document organization, LyX includes labels, references, indexes, and bibliography tools, with advanced BibTeX support. Configurable converters handle imports and exports including LaTeX, PDF, PostScript, DVI, ASCII, HTML, OpenDocument, RTF, and MS Word. It supports multilingual documents, right-to-left writing, CJK writing systems, and Unicode. Basic links to Maple, Maxima, Octave, and Mathematica are available, while modules can add Noweb, Sweave, and LilyPond support. LyX works offline on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and supports track changes and external version control systems such as Git. It is free software under the GPL. Windows requires a TeX distribution; Mac installations require a TeX system such as MacTeX.