Overleaf vs yWriter
Overleaf
overleaf.comyWriter
spacejock.comSide by side
| Figure | Overleaf | yWriter |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $8.20/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 9 | 11 |
| Spec score · Writing Apps | 9.5 (#2) | 8.8 (#26) |
| Documentation | The official documentation covers getting started, editing, projects, collaboration, integrations, security, on-premises administration, troubleshooting and LaTeX tutorials. | The maker provides a comprehensive online help index, FAQ and a downloadable quickstart guide. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Overleaf documentation lists Git and GitHub synchronization, Dropbox, ReadCube, Zotero, Mendeley, R code (knitr), Grammarly, and Google Drive import among its integrations and add-ons. | Mobile editions use Dropbox to edit desktop projects, while the desktop program can back up to FTP when server credentials are supplied. |
| Notable news | Overleaf announced a redesigned editor in November 2025 and said all users would move to it permanently during 2026. | The maker's news page records yWriter Android's public release on 6 July 2017 and a MacOS project announcement on 9 July 2019. |
| Purpose | Overleaf is an online platform for collaborating in LaTeX, compiling documents, and refining them. | yWriter is novel-writing software that organizes a novel into chapters and scenes and does not generate plot ideas or perform creative tasks. |
| Support | The Organizations plan includes personalized support, personalized onboarding, and a dedicated account manager. | Support channels include a Google Group, Facebook page, email and an Android user forum. |
| What it does | Overleaf is a browser-based collaborative LaTeX editor that compiles documents to formatted output while people write together. | yWriter is a novel-writing word processor that structures projects as chapters and scenes. |
Plans
Overleaf
- FreeFree
- Student$8.25 a month
- Standard$16.75 a month
- Pro$33.25 a month
- FreeFree
- Student$8.20 a month
- Standard$16.60 a month
- Pro$33.25 a month
- OrganizationsPriced on request
yWriter
- DesktopPrice not published
- AndroidPrice not published
- iOSPrice not published
- Mac betaFree
- Windows desktopFree
- yWriter7 for WindowsFree
- yWriter for MacOS betaFree
- Android app$5.49, paid once
- iPhone/iPad app$14.99, paid once
- yWriter for AndroidPrice not published
In their own words
Overleaf
Overleaf is an online platform for writing, compiling, and revising LaTeX documents with collaborators. Writers can choose a Visual Editor or a Code Editor, while shared documents support simultaneous editing and comments, plus in-document chat. Free templates and example projects cover journal articles, theses, and CVs. Listed connections and add-ons include Git and GitHub synchronization, Dropbox, ReadCube, Zotero, Mendeley, knitr for R code, and Grammarly. Google Drive content can be imported into projects, but Overleaf does not sync directly with Drive. The free plan costs nothing and allows unlimited projects with one collaborator per project. Student and Standard permit 10 collaborators per project, and Pro permits unlimited collaborators; no prices are listed for those tiers. An Organizations plan is described for 20+ users. A seven-day trial gives access to the selected plan, with the card charged afterward unless canceled. Overleaf was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Listed platforms are extension, self-hosted, and web.
yWriter
yWriter is novel-writing software that organizes a manuscript into chapters and scenes; it does not generate plot ideas or perform creative tasks. Scenes can be moved between chapters by drag and drop, and unused scenes can be left out of word counts and exports without being deleted. Each scene can record a viewpoint character, goal, conflict, and outcome, and can include multiple characters. The program tracks word counts per file and for the project, and keeps a daily log of words written. Automatic backups can run at user-set intervals, and the editor can save timed scene snapshots. yWriter is available for Windows, with Linux use tested through Wine, as well as Android and iOS apps. The Windows application stores data on the user's computer and needs no internet connection for ordinary use. The site says mobile versions are intended for editing PC projects on the go using Dropbox. The Windows version is free to use and supports Windows 7 SP1 or newer; the macOS beta is temporarily free but unstable. Mobile apps are described as available for a small charge, with no amount listed.