CoCalc vs Typst (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Typst grades higher than CoCalc: 3.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Typst grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CoCalc
Shared online workspace for LaTeX, Jupyter notebooks and code
Typst
Markup-based typesetting system with a collaborative web app
Which one is for you
Pick CoCalc if
- Fits if you write LaTeX and run Jupyter notebooks in the same project
- Works for teachers who set up courses and student projects online
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you only want a LaTeX editor: it is a whole computing platform
- Tight if you stay free: shared resources and no network access
- Pricey if you need more power, as Pro is $150 a month and dedicated VMs cost extra
- Not for you if you want an app: only a browser version is listed
Pick Typst if
- Fits if you want an alternative to LaTeX for papers and theses
- Works for co-authors editing a technical document together in a browser, which the free plan allows
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to learn a markup language, because that's how every document is written
- Tight if you're staying free with big projects, as it's 200 MB of storage and 100 files per project, with no comments or folders
- Not for you if you want to host the web app yourself: it's closed source, and that needs the custom-priced On-Premises plan from 5 members
- Watch out: GitHub and GitLab sync and private packages are labeled experimental, and Zotero sync needs Pro
- Not for you if you want a phone app, as none is listed, and the free compiler on its own is command line
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACoCalcFair | 3.2GPATypstVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CBasic is $6 a month billed annually, $8 monthly. Standard is $18 and Pro $150, with dedicated VMs priced separately. | AThe compiler is a free download for Windows, macOS and Linux, and co-editing in the web app is free as well, so plenty of people never pay at all. Pro is $7.99 a month, or $79.99 for the year, which is still under this category's $8.33 middle. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree membership gives basic shared resources, enough to explore the platform and do basic work. Network access needs a paid plan. | AThe web app's Free plan lets you create, share and co-edit projects with community templates, 200 MB of storage and up to 100 files per project, and the compiler itself is free outright. Comments, folders and Zotero sync are the Pro parts. |
| Features | COnline LaTeX, Jupyter, a terminal, course tools and AI. The listing says LaTeX is one of many tools, so it is a broad computing platform rather than a writing tool. | BIt covers the whole job: markup that lays itself out into a PDF, math built in, tables filled from CSV or JSON, citations formatted automatically, and loops and functions that can turn a JSON file into a batch of invoices. GitHub and GitLab sync and private packages are labelled experimental. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A workspace this broad has a learning curve. | CNo store rating on record, and every document is written in Typst's own markup language, which you have to learn first. The web app softens that with autocomplete, a live preview and conversion from LaTeX, Word and Markdown, and the free compiler on its own is command line. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no integrations listed. CoCalc Plus and Star are separate customer-run versions. | BA web app, plus a compiler for Windows, macOS and Linux, with Zotero, Mendeley, GitHub and GitLab sync on Pro, which is a real list of things to connect. The Git sync is labelled experimental, and the listing shows no phone apps. |
| Best for | LaTeX and notebooks in one online workspace | typesetting papers without LaTeX |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CoCalc and Typst. How we grade
Price against what you get
CoCalc starts at $6 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Typst starts at $7.99 a month and scores 2.7.
Typst scores higher, and starts $1.99 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other writing tools on the chart, 27 score higher than CoCalc for less, and 10 score higher than Typst for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Typst is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- CoCalc also covers whiteboard, AI agents and documents.
- Typst also covers templates, citations, long-form writing and presentations.
At a glance
| CoCalc | Typst | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $6 per month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly) | $7.99 per month, billed monthly ($79.99 billed yearly) |
| Free plan | Free membership with basic shared resources, enough to explore the platform and do basic work. | Free web app plan: create, share and co-edit projects, community packages and templates, and file conversion, with 200 MB of storage and up to 100 files per project. The compiler itself is free. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | SageMath, Inc. | Typst GmbH |
| Price read from | cocalc.ai | typst.app |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CoCalc
- It is a general computing platform, so LaTeX writing is one of many tools in it.
- Network access and larger resources need paid memberships; dedicated VMs are priced separately.
- CoCalc Plus and CoCalc Star are customer-operated versions; the pricing page says Star is free.
Typst
- The Free plan is limited to 200 MB of storage and 100 files per project, and leaves out comments, folders and reference-manager sync.
- Only the compiler is open source; the web app is closed source, and hosting it yourself needs the custom-priced On-Premises plan.
- Documents use Typst's own markup language. The web app converts files from LaTeX, Word and Markdown.
- GitHub and GitLab sync and private packages are labeled experimental on the pricing page.
Key features
CoCalc
- Online LaTeX editor
- Write LaTeX with collaboration, PDF preview, source synchronization, anchored discussions and edit history.
- Jupyter notebooks
- Collaborative notebooks with cell chat, TimeTravel history and local or remote kernels.
- AI agents in projects
- An integrated Codex agent works with project files, and Claude Code where a site enables it.
- Linux terminal and software
- Each project has a terminal, project storage and installed software such as Python, R, Julia and SageMath.
- Course tools
- Distribute assignments, collect work and grade notebooks or other project files.
Typst
- Markup with automatic formatting
- Documents are written as structured markup and laid out automatically, then exported as a PDF, an image or, in preview, a website.
- Collaborative web app
- The browser editor adds shared editing, autocomplete and a live preview. Sharing and collaboration are part of the Free plan; comment threads need Pro.
- Templates and packages
- Projects can start from community templates and import community packages. Pro adds private packages and templates limited to a workspace.
- Math, tables and bibliographies
- Equations are built into the markup, tables can be filled from CSV or JSON, and citations are formatted automatically, with Zotero and Mendeley sync on Pro.
- Scripting and data loading
- Conditionals, loops and functions are embedded in the language, so a document or a batch of invoices can be generated from a JSON file.
- Open-source compiler
- The command-line compiler is a free download for Windows, macOS and Linux, can run on a server, and can be embedded in other apps as a library.
Plans
CoCalc
Free$0
Basic shared resources to explore the platform.
Basic$6
per month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly)
More shared resources and better shared hosts; for occasional light use.
Standard$18
per month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly)
Higher priority, more backups, snapshots, projects and collaborators.
Pro$150
per month, billed annually ($200 billed monthly)
Best shared resources, many projects running at once; for advanced users and researchers.
Typst
Free$0
Create, share and collaborate on projects with community packages and templates, 200 MB of storage and up to 100 files per project.
Pro$7.99
per month, billed monthly; $79.99 per year billed yearly
Adds comments, private packages and templates, GitHub and GitLab sync, Zotero and Mendeley sync, slide presenting, folders and 2 GB of storage.
On-PremisesCustom
The web app run in your own data center with LDAP access control and priority support. Starts at 5 organization members.
Ways to pay less
CoCalc
- Annual discount
Save 25% with annual billing
The pricing page states a 25% saving on Basic, Standard and Pro when billed annually.
Typst
- Annual discount
Lower price with yearly payment
The pricing page marks yearly payment as 14% off. In US dollars Pro is $79.99 for a year against $7.99 a month, which is $95.88 over twelve months.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CoCalc or Typst?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CoCalc is cheaper to start with: $6 a month, against $7.99 a month for Typst. CoCalc starts at $6 per month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly), and Typst starts at $7.99 per month, billed monthly ($79.99 billed yearly).
Which has a free plan, CoCalc or Typst?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both CoCalc and Typst have a free plan.
Which platforms do CoCalc and Typst run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Typst lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.