Overleaf: A Web-Based Collaborative LaTeX Editor (Now Open Source)
Intro
If you've ever wrestled with LaTeX installations, struggled with version control on a paper, or needed real-time collaboration for academic writing, Overleaf is a game-changer. Originally a hosted service, Overleaf is now open source, letting you self-host a full-featured LaTeX editor with cloud sync and collaboration built in.
For researchers, engineers, and technical writers, this means no more "final-final-v3.tex" email chains. For developers, it's a rare open-source example of a polished, production-grade collaborative editor.
What It Does
Overleaf is a real-time collaborative LaTeX editor that runs in your browser. Think Google Docs, but for LaTeX, with:
- Live previews of compiled PDFs
- Multi-user editing (with cursor presence)
- Template libraries for journals/conferences
- Version history and diffing
- Integrated compilation (no local TeX install needed)
The GitHub repo contains the full stack: frontend (React), backend (Node.js), and services for compiling LaTeX to PDF.
Why It’s Cool
- Collaboration First: Unlike offline LaTeX editors, Overleaf handles merge conflicts gracefully—no more "I’ll email you my changes."
- Self-Hostable: AGPL-licensed, so you can run it internally for labs/companies (great for sensitive research).
- Batteries Included: Comes with full TeXLive, so collaborators don’t need LaTeX installed locally.
- Proven Scale: The hosted version (overleaf.com) handles millions of users, so the architecture is battle-tested.
How to Try It
Quickest Option:
Use the free hosted version at overleaf.com (no install needed).
Self-Hosted:
For local deployment, the Overleaf Toolkit provides Docker-based setup:
git clone https://github.com/overleaf/toolkit.git ./overleaf-toolkit
cd ./overleaf-toolkit
bin/init
bin/start
(Requires Docker and ~5GB disk space for TeXLive.)
Final Thoughts
As a developer, I appreciate how Overleaf solves real pain points (LaTeX tooling, collaboration) without over-engineering. The open-source release is particularly valuable—it’s a great codebase to study if you’re building collaborative apps.
Downsides? The self-hosted setup isn’t lightweight (thanks to TeXLive), and real-time LaTeX compilation can be resource-heavy. But for academic teams or technical writing workflows, it’s hard to beat.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5 – loses a star for setup complexity, but gains respect for being open-source.)
Have you used Overleaf for a project? Hit reply (or open a GitHub issue) with your experience.