Competitive landscape
How TypeTeX stacks up against other writing platforms
Researchers choose TypeTeX for source-grounded AI, compliance-ready exports, and real-time collaboration. Explore how that compares to Overleaf, ShareLaTeX, Authorea, Notion, and Google Docs.
Quick summary
The right tool depends on the job
Use this overview to align your team. Click into each competitor page for deeper breakdowns, workflows, and migration guides.
Overleaf
Researchers and lecturers entrenched in LaTeX-first tooling.
Overleaf is the most widely adopted LaTeX editor for academic teams who are comfortable managing formatting, references, and version control by hand.
Where it excels
- Large gallery of LaTeX templates maintained by the community.
- Generous free tier for open-source and education users.
- Real-time co-authoring with live previews for LaTeX documents.
Why teams switch to TypeTeX
- AI assistant that cites uploaded sources and respects journal structure.
- Hybrid PDF, Word, and LaTeX exports with formatting guardrails.
- Unified reference library and compliance checks baked into the editor.
Crixet
Budget-conscious researchers wanting affordable LaTeX editing ($7/mo Pro).
Crixet is a newer browser-based LaTeX editor offering real-time collaboration and basic AI features. It targets users seeking a free Overleaf alternative but lacks source-grounded AI and Typst support.
Where it excels
- Free tier with unlimited projects and basic AI assistance.
- Clean, uncluttered interface focused on equations.
- Zotero integration for citation management.
Why teams switch to TypeTeX
- Source-grounded AI that understands your entire project context.
- Sub-second compilation with Typst (vs 8+ seconds on Crixet).
- Modern Typst support alongside LaTeX for faster workflows.
ShareLaTeX
Faculty maintaining legacy ShareLaTeX workflows or self-hosted instances.
ShareLaTeX lives on inside Overleaf’s infrastructure, focusing on solo LaTeX authors who prefer a classic editing experience without modern collaboration or AI tooling.
ShareLaTeX merged with Overleaf in 2017; most teams have migrated to modern Overleaf plans.
Where it excels
- Familiar interface for teams who have not upgraded since the Overleaf merger.
- Self-hosted option for institutions that forked the open-source edition.
- Lightweight editor with minimal distractions.
Why teams switch to TypeTeX
- Modern collaboration layer with presence, commenting, and task routing.
- Out-of-the-box AI assistance with full audit trails.
- Hosted, secure infrastructure with compliance support for universities.
Authorea
Open-science authors who collaborate with publishers and need HTML-first outputs.
Authorea targets researchers who need publisher-ready templates and embedded data visualizations, but it lacks AI drafting and advanced citation automation.
Where it excels
- Strong publisher integrations and HTML-first publishing outputs.
- Supports data blocks, charts, and interactive figures within manuscripts.
- Community for sharing preprints and notebooks.
Why teams switch to TypeTeX
- Publication-ready PDF/Word/LaTeX exports with compliance guardrails.
- AI-powered drafting that understands uploaded datasets and citations.
- Tight collaboration features for supervisors, co-authors, and reviewers.
Notion
Teams looking for lightweight project notes or ideation space rather than publication-ready writing.
Notion is a versatile workspace for notes and project management. It lacks academic formatting, structured references, and export fidelity for manuscripts.
Where it excels
- Flexible blocks for brainstorming and early-stage outlining.
- Robust integrations for tasks and project tracking.
- AI assistant for quick summaries and rewriting inside pages.
Why teams switch to TypeTeX
- Built-in reference manager with proper citation styles.
- Live PDF preview and submission-ready exports.
- Research-specific AI workflows that cite uploaded sources.
Google Docs
Cross-functional teams who already live in Google Workspace and need a quick drafting space.
Google Docs accelerates casual collaboration but struggles with citations, structured formatting, and enterprise research compliance.
Where it excels
- Familiar interface with real-time collaboration and commenting.
- Easy sharing across institutions with Google accounts.
- Extensible with add-ons for lightweight automation.
Why teams switch to TypeTeX
- Academic-first editor with structured templates and submission validations.
- Source-grounded AI drafting and literature management.
- Compliance-friendly audit logs, permissions, and export history.
Snapshot comparison
Core differences at a glance
Every team values different outcomes. Use this table as a quick reference when evaluating a switch.
| Platform | Best for | Missing pieces | TypeTeX advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overleaf | Researchers and lecturers entrenched in LaTeX-first tooling. | No source-grounded AI to accelerate drafting or peer review. | AI assistant that cites uploaded sources and respects journal structure. |
| Crixet | Budget-conscious researchers wanting affordable LaTeX editing ($7/mo Pro). | AI cannot autonomously edit—suggestions only with 40% success rate on errors. | Source-grounded AI that understands your entire project context. |
| ShareLaTeX | Faculty maintaining legacy ShareLaTeX workflows or self-hosted instances. | No real-time presence indicators or modern commenting tools. | Modern collaboration layer with presence, commenting, and task routing. |
| Authorea | Open-science authors who collaborate with publishers and need HTML-first outputs. | No source-grounded AI to accelerate drafting or peer feedback. | Publication-ready PDF/Word/LaTeX exports with compliance guardrails. |
| Notion | Teams looking for lightweight project notes or ideation space rather than publication-ready writing. | No academic citation workflow or bibliography tooling. | Built-in reference manager with proper citation styles. |
| Google Docs | Cross-functional teams who already live in Google Workspace and need a quick drafting space. | No built-in citation manager that supports academic styles. | Academic-first editor with structured templates and submission validations. |