TeXShop

Free plan Mac

What TeXShop is

TeXShop is a free macOS desktop front end for TeX and LaTeX, designed to preview documents and typeset them to PDF. Its default setup uses pdftex and pdflatex. TeXShop does not include the TeX distribution needed for typesetting, so users must obtain one separately; the official site recommends TeX Live as a complete distribution and describes BasicTeX as a smaller alternative. MacTeX bundles TeX Live, Ghostscript, TeXShop, and other TeX GUI utilities. The standard release, version 5.57, is universal for Intel and Arm Macs and is listed for High Sierra and later. The site also lists version 4.79 for Sierra or later and 4.44 for Yosemite or later. SyncTeX links source text with its location in PDF output. The Help menu includes a manual and a changes document, and the site explains using TeX binaries from Homebrew or MacPorts. TeXShop was founded in 2000 and is licensed under GPLv2.

Who it suits

TeXShop suits Mac users who work with TeX or LaTeX and want a desktop previewer with PDF typesetting. It requires a separately obtained TeX distribution.

What it does well

Free under GPLv2.
Version 5.57 supports Intel and Arm Macs.
SyncTeX links source text to PDF locations.
Manual and changes document are included in Help.

What to know first

A separate TeX distribution is required.
Listed platform is macOS only.

Limits

The free application does not include the TeX distribution required for typesetting. The listed standard release targets High Sierra and newer Macs, while older macOS versions require earlier releases.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
TeXShop	Free under GPLv2 · latest standard release supports Intel and Arm Macs running High Sierra through Tahoe	Free

As pages.uoregon.edu lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Open the TeXShop website
Install TeXShop on a supported macOS version
Obtain TeX Live, BasicTeX, MacTeX or another TeX distribution
Configure TeXShop to use the installed TeX binaries
Open a TeX or LaTeX document and typeset it to PDF

Verdict

TeXShop provides a free Mac interface for previewing and typesetting TeX and LaTeX documents. Plan on installing a TeX distribution separately.

Questions

Is TeXShop free?

Yes. TeXShop is offered free under the GPLv2 license.

Which operating systems does it support?

TeXShop is a macOS desktop application. Version 5.57 is listed for High Sierra and later, with earlier versions listed for Sierra and Yosemite.

Does TeXShop include TeX?

No. Typesetting requires a separately obtained TeX distribution. The site recommends TeX Live and describes BasicTeX and MacTeX options.

Does it support Apple silicon and Intel?

The standard release, version 5.57, is universal for Intel and Arm Macs.

Can I view source locations in a PDF?

Yes. TeXShop has used SyncTeX since version 2.18 to link source text with PDF positions.

Facts from TeXShop's own pages

Documentation: The Help menu includes the TeXShop Manual and a complete Changes document. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026
Founded: 2000 · pages.uoregon.edu, 28 Sept 2026
MacTeX bundle: The MacTeX package installs TeX Live, Ghostscript, TeXShop, and other TeX GUI utilities. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026
Other distribution integrations: The site documents configuring TeXShop to use TeX binaries from Homebrew or MacPorts. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026
Processor support: The current standard release, version 5.57, is universal for Intel and Arm Macs. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026
Purpose: TeXShop is a TeX previewer for Mac OS X, written in Cocoa. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026
Security and trust: The official pages reviewed identify the GPLv2 license but do not state security certifications or compliance claims. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026
Source code: Source code for version 5.57 is available and requires Xcode 14 or later. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026
Support: The site directs TeXShop bug reports to Richard Koch by email and TeX distribution bugs to the implicated tool's author. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026
SyncTeX: TeXShop has used SyncTeX since version 2.18 to link source text with positions in PDF output. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026
TeX distribution required: TeXShop is a front end to TeX and LaTeX; typesetting requires a separately obtained TeX distribution. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026
TeX Live: The official site recommends TeX Live for a complete TeX distribution and describes BasicTeX as a smaller subset. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026
Typesetting: Its default configuration uses pdftex and pdflatex to typeset documents to PDF. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026
Version requirements: The official site lists TeXShop 5.57 for High Sierra and higher, 4.79 for Sierra or higher, and 4.44 for Yosemite or higher. · pages.uoregon.edu, 9 Oct 2026

Where TeXShop stands on Freedom251

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