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Head-to-head · LaTeX Editors

Texmaker vs TeXworks

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Texmaker #4 in LaTeX Editors 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Texmaker
TeXworks #6 in LaTeX Editors 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit TeXworks

Texmaker leads on 0 checks, TeXworks on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreTexmaker · 8.7/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresTexmaker · 1 of 4

Texmaker scores higher on our rubric for latex editors: 8.7 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #6.

Texmaker is the better fit for free traditional desktop LaTeX editing. TeXworks is the better fit for simple free cross-platform TeX editing.

  • Texmaker fits best

    Free traditional desktop LaTeX editing

  • TeXworks fits best

    Simple free cross-platform TeX editing

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Texmaker 8.7/10 Visit ↗ TeXworks 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 8.4
Ranking #4 in LaTeX Editors #6 in LaTeX Editors
Best for Free traditional desktop LaTeX editing Simple free cross-platform TeX editing
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Docs Email, Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business
Features Texmaker 1/4 · TeXworks 0/4
Real-time collaboration Not checked yet Not checked yet
Offline editing Not checked yet Not checked yet
Visual editor Not checked yet Not checked yet
Git integration ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Editor type Desktop Desktop
Supported platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux
Our review
Pros
  • Covers completion, spell checking, folding, and structure navigation
  • Integrated PDF viewing includes SyncTeX support and error navigation
  • Free, open-source editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Free and open source under the GNU GPL
  • Works across Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux
  • Integrated PDF viewing with SyncTeX source synchronization
Cons
  • Requires a separate LaTeX distribution for compilation
  • Desktop-focused rather than collaboration-oriented
  • Limited integrations beyond Git assistance
  • Requires a separate TeX distribution for typesetting
  • Desktop-only editor with no AI features
  • Focused on TeX authoring rather than broader collaboration workflows
Our verdict

Texmaker is a free, open-source desktop LaTeX editor for creating and compiling technical documents. It is suited to students, researchers, and other LaTeX users who want a traditional source-editing environment across Windows, macOS, or…

Read the review →

TeXworks is a free, open-source desktop environment for authoring TeX documents, including LaTeX and ConTeXt. It is aimed at casual and technical users who want a focused editor for writing source files, controlling typesetting, and…

Read the review →
  1. TexmakerLaTeX Editors 8.7Free plan
  2. TeXworksLaTeX Editors 8.4Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Texmaker — where it wins

    • Covers completion, spell checking, folding, and structure navigation
    • Integrated PDF viewing includes SyncTeX support and error navigation
    • Free, open-source editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires a separate LaTeX distribution for compilation
    • Desktop-focused rather than collaboration-oriented
    • Limited integrations beyond Git assistance

  • TeXworks — where it wins

    • Free and open source under the GNU GPL
    • Works across Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux
    • Integrated PDF viewing with SyncTeX source synchronization

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires a separate TeX distribution for typesetting
    • Desktop-only editor with no AI features
    • Focused on TeX authoring rather than broader collaboration workflows

More comparisons

All LaTeX editors comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update