TeXShop vs TeXworks (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, TeXworks grades higher than TeXShop: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
TeXworks grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
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
Pick TeXworks if
- Fits if you write LaTeX on a laptop and want the preview beside the source
- Works for people with TeX Live or MiKTeX already installed
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a web or phone app
- Too light for co-authors: no cloud collaboration
- Watch out: it needs a TeX distribution, which is already included only with TeX Live and MiKTeX for Windows
- Skip it if you want frequent updates: the news lists one release a year, the latest in February 2026
How we grade them
| 2.6GPATeXShopGood | 2.8GPATeXworksGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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. | CIntegrated PDF viewer, source and preview sync and scripting. It does the one job of editing and previewing LaTeX, and that is a smaller job than a full writing tool. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You install TeX first and learn LaTeX. | CNo store rating on record. You need a TeX distribution and some LaTeX knowledge. |
| Platforms and integrations | DmacOS only, for Intel and Arm from High Sierra through Tahoe. No other system, web or phone version. | CA computer program only, on Windows, Mac and Linux. No web or phone version, and no integrations listed. |
| Best for | a free LaTeX editor on a Mac | a free LaTeX editor on any desktop |
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: TeXShop and TeXworks. How we grade
Price against what you get
TeXShop has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TeXworks has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
TeXworks scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other writing tools on the chart, none scores higher than TeXShop for less, and none scores higher than TeXworks 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
At a glance
| TeXShop | TeXworks | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Richard Koch | TeXworks project (TeX Users Group) |
| Price read from | pages.uoregon.edu | tug.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
TeXworks
- It needs a TeX distribution; TeX Live and MiKTeX for Windows already include it.
- It is a local app with no cloud collaboration.
Key features
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.
TeXworks
- Integrated PDF viewer
- A Poppler-based viewer shows the typeset result without an external program.
- Source and preview sync
- Control-click in the text to find the matching place in the PDF, and the reverse, using SyncTeX.
- Cross-platform Qt app
- Built on the Qt toolkit for Windows, GNU/Linux and macOS with a native look on each.
- Scripting
- Scripts can extend the editor; a scripting information page is linked for authors.
Plans
TeXShop
TeXShop$0
Free under the GPLv2 license.
TeXworks
TeXworks$0
Free; release 0.6.11 came out in February 2026.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, TeXShop or TeXworks?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both TeXShop and TeXworks are free to use.
Which has a free plan, TeXShop or TeXworks?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both TeXShop and TeXworks have a free plan.
Which platforms do TeXShop and TeXworks run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only TeXworks lists Windows and Linux apps. Both list 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.