Kile vs TeXShop (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kile and TeXShop share a 2.6 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on whether you care more about platforms, where Kile grades higher, or ease of use, where TeXShop does.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Kile if
- Fits if you write LaTeX on Linux and want build and preview in one window
- Works for people who already run a TeX distribution
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a stable release: 3.0 is still beta on the download page
- Not for you if you use a Mac, since the download page lists no Mac build
- Tight if you do not compile software: without a distribution package you build from source
- Too light for co-authors: no collaboration features are listed
- Watch out: it needs a TeX distribution installed separately
Pick TeXShop if
- Fits if you write LaTeX papers on a Mac
- Works for people who already have TeX Live installed
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux: it runs on macOS only
- Not for you if you want the TeX tools included, because a distribution such as TeX Live is a separate install
- Too light for co-authors: no real-time collaboration
- Watch out: older macOS versions need an older TeXShop release
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAKileGood | 2.6GPATeXShopGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to download and run, against a category median of $9.75 a month. | AFree to download and run, against a category median of $9.75 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright: no paid tier, limit or trial. | AFree outright: no paid tier, limit or trial. |
| Features | COne-click build, completion, templates, projects, forward and inverse search and QuickPreview. It does the LaTeX editing job fully, which is a smaller job than a full writing tool. | CDoes TeX and LaTeX editing fully, with documentation and extras. A smaller job than a full writing tool, and it needs a TeX distribution installed separately. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. On Linux you may compile from source, and a TeX distribution has to be installed separately. | CNo store rating on record. You install TeX first and learn LaTeX. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA computer program only, on Linux and Windows per the download page. The site also mentions Mac and BSD, which the download page does not list. | DmacOS only, for Intel and Arm from High Sierra through Tahoe. No other system, web or phone version. |
| Best for | a free LaTeX editor on Linux | a free LaTeX editor on a Mac |
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: Kile and TeXShop. How we grade
Price against what you get
Kile has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TeXShop has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other writing tools on the chart, none scores higher than Kile for less, and none scores higher than TeXShop 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
- Kile also covers templates.
At a glance
| Kile | TeXShop | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | KDE | Richard Koch |
| Price read from | kile.sourceforge.io | pages.uoregon.edu |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Kile
- The newest release, 3.0, is still labeled beta on the download page.
- The site says it is available for Mac and BSD, but the download page lists only source and Windows builds.
- It needs a TeX distribution installed separately.
TeXShop
- It runs on macOS only.
- It needs a TeX distribution such as TeX Live installed separately.
- There is no built-in real-time collaboration.
Key features
Kile
- One-click build
- Compile, convert and view a document in a single action using a configurable build system.
- Completion and templates
- Auto-completion of LaTeX commands, with templates and wizards for new documents.
- Structure view and projects
- A list of chapters and sections lets you jump around; projects group related files and ease citations.
- Forward and inverse search
- Jump from the viewer to the matching source line and back.
- QuickPreview
- Preview a selected part of a document without building the whole thing.
TeXShop
- TeX and LaTeX editing
- A Mac editor for TeX documents that works with the TeX Live distribution maintained by TUG and MacTeX.
- Recent macOS support
- Version 5.57, released 10/03/2025, runs on Intel and Arm Macs from High Sierra through Tahoe.
- Older versions
- Versions 4.79 and 4.44 are kept for older macOS releases, and 2.47 for 10.4 to 10.6.
- Documentation and extras
- The site carries documentation, translations, history and an extras section.
Plans
Kile
Kile$0
Free to download; source code and Windows builds are offered.
TeXShop
TeXShop$0
Free under the GPLv2 license.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kile or TeXShop?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Kile and TeXShop are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Kile or TeXShop?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Kile and TeXShop have a free plan.
Which platforms do Kile and TeXShop run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Kile lists Windows and Linux apps and only TeXShop lists a macOS 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.