Texpile

What Texpile is

Texpile is a free desktop editor for LaTeX, Typst, and Markdown on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It combines visual and source editing in the same file, with live previews for LaTeX and Typst documents as you type. Editing works offline and does not require a TeX distribution or tinymist; those tools are needed for LaTeX compilation and Typst compiling and preview, respectively. A built-in shell can run latexmk or another compile command, and project versioning lets users review changes and restore an earlier version. For collaboration, users can share a folder for real-time editing, while guests join by code without an account. Shared sessions are end-to-end encrypted; the documentation identifies these sessions as the feature that uses the network. Texpile can search a Zotero library and insert citations when Zotero is running with Better BibTeX installed. An optional local MCP server lets Claude Code or Codex read editor state and control app actions. It is open source under AGPL-3.0, and its site links to a Discord community.

Who it suits

Texpile may suit people writing LaTeX, Typst, or Markdown who want a desktop editor with source and visual editing. It also supports folder-based collaboration and Zotero citation insertion with the required Zotero setup.

Getting started

1. Visit https://texpile.com/.
2. Choose the desktop version for Windows, macOS, or Linux.
3. Install a TeX distribution if you plan to compile LaTeX documents.
4. Install tinymist if you plan to compile or preview Typst documents.

Verdict

Texpile brings document editing, previews, version history, and folder sharing into a desktop app. Editing itself works without compilation tools, but compiling and Zotero citation insertion have specific requirements.