LaTeX.to · LaTeX on mobile

LaTeX on iPad

The best ways to write and compile LaTeX on iPad in 2026, ranked by need: free in Safari, offline apps, and the Apple Pencil.

Free in Safari, no login, nothing to install

  1. LaTeX.to: A free online LaTeX editor that compiles to PDF in Safari on the iPad, with no login and no compile timeout. Projects stay in the browser: import one as a zip from the Files app or start from one of the templates, then compile with pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX, LuaLaTeX, ConTeXt and more, with BibTeX, biblatex and Biber. No real-time collaboration. Open LaTeX.to
  2. Overleaf: Works in Safari on an iPad, and Overleaf's own help page lists the limits: small touch targets, keyboard and zoom surprises, missing shortcuts and a restricted PDF viewer, so it recommends collapsing the file pane. The free plan's 10 second compile timeout applies on the iPad too. There is no Overleaf app.

Apps that typeset offline

  1. Texifier: The most complete native LaTeX editor for iPad and iPhone, formerly Texpad, $29.99 on the App Store. Its own typesetter runs offline and covers BibTeX, TikZ and Beamer, downloads packages as you need them, and hands the rare unsupported document to a free cloud typesetter. Needs iOS 17 or later.
  2. VerbTeX: Free, with an $8.99 one-time upgrade that lifts the free version's limit of two projects with two documents each. Local Mode compiles pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX and LuaLaTeX with BibTeX or Biber on the device, and syncs with iCloud, Dropbox, Box or Git. Needs iOS 18.6 or later.
  3. TeX Writer: $14.99 one-time. Compiles plain TeX and pdfLaTeX offline with BibTeX and MakeIndex, and syncs with iCloud Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and WebDAV. XeLaTeX and LuaLaTeX run online behind a $4.99 a year subscription, and the last update (TeX Live 2020) dates from 2020.
  4. a-Shell: A free terminal for iPad and iPhone that ships TeX Live 2026 with pdflatex, lualatex and TikZ, so you compile from the command line and open the PDF from the Files app. No editor of its own, so pair it with any text editor.
  5. TeX Go: $4.99. A small editor that compiles supported documents on the device and sends the rest to its own server. Updated in May 2026.
  6. LaTeX Editor Tex Pro: Free to install, with on-device compiling (pdfTeX and LuaTeX) since version 2.0 and the full feature set behind a monthly or yearly subscription.

Handwriting to LaTeX with the Apple Pencil

  1. Mathpix Snip: Draw a formula with the Pencil, or photograph one, and get the LaTeX back. A free plan, Pro from $4.99 a month, and the snips sync to the desktop app.
  2. MyScript Notes: The handwriting notebook formerly called Nebo, whose math solver converts written equations and matrices and copies them as LaTeX or as an image. A free limited version after the 7-day trial, paid plans per platform.

FAQ

Can you use Overleaf on an iPad?

Yes, in Safari, with the limits Overleaf documents itself: small touch targets, keyboard and zoom surprises, missing shortcuts and a restricted PDF viewer. There is no Overleaf app for iPad or iPhone.

Is there a free LaTeX editor for iPad?

LaTeX.to compiles in Safari with no login and no app, VerbTeX has a free version with two projects, and a-Shell is a free terminal with TeX Live inside.

Can I compile LaTeX offline on an iPad?

Yes, with Texifier, VerbTeX in Local Mode, TeX Writer or a-Shell, which all typeset on the device. LaTeX.to needs a connection to download what a document uses; its offline copy is tested on desktop browsers, not on iPadOS.

Does LaTeX.to work on an iPhone?

Yes, the same page in Safari, with a symbol row above the keyboard for the characters LaTeX needs. The compiler needs memory that an older phone may not have. More on LaTeX on mobile.

Can I write LaTeX with the Apple Pencil?

Not in an editor, but Mathpix Snip and MyScript Notes turn a handwritten formula into LaTeX that you paste into any editor on this page.

How do I get an Overleaf project onto the iPad?

In Overleaf, open Menu, then Download, then Source, and save the zip in the Files app. Import that zip into LaTeX.to or into a native app, and pick the compiler Overleaf used.

Last updated September 2026.

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