Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Overleaf

Overleaf is an open-source, web-based LaTeX editor designed for writing, editing, and compiling LaTeX documents directly in the browser. It focuses on real-time collaboration so multiple users can work on the same project simultaneously.

Key Features

• Real-time collaborative editing for LaTeX projects
• In-browser LaTeX compilation with live PDF output
• Project-based workspace with file management for multi-file documents
• Change history and collaboration workflows (feature depth depends on edition)
• Containerized deployment options (community image and base image with TeX Live)

Use Cases

• Academic writing for papers, theses, and lab reports with co-authors
• Team authoring of technical documentation and internal reports using LaTeX
• Teaching LaTeX in classrooms where students need a browser-based editor

Limitations and Considerations

• Overleaf Community Edition is intended for trusted-user environments; without sandboxed compiles, LaTeX compilation can expose container resources to users
• Some enterprise-focused features (for example, advanced security and certain collaboration/admin capabilities) are offered in the supported commercial edition

Overleaf is a strong choice for organizations and teams that want a familiar, browser-based LaTeX workflow with collaborative editing. It is especially well suited to research and technical writing environments where LaTeX is the standard.