The tools Overleaf forgot

Free LaTeX utilities for researchers, in the browser

Free, in the browser, no installation

Open the live previewClean a .bib file

Abstract

latexci gathers the small tools a LaTeX writer reaches for between two compilations: a live preview that typesets as you type, a converter from Word, a BibTeX cleaner with DOI, arXiv, PubMed and ISBN lookups, a diff for advisor revisions, a table generator, a CV generator and 28 templates. Everything is free. Most tools need no account; PDF export and Word to LaTeX (after your first file) ask for a one-click Google sign-in.

\section{Gaussian integral}
The Gaussian integral:
\[
  \int_{-\infty}^{+\infty} e^{-x^2}\,dx
    = \sqrt{\pi}
\]

1 Gaussian integral

The Gaussian integral:

Figure 1. LaTeX source (left) and what the live preview shows (right), with no compilation.

1The tools

Each tool is a single page that works without installing anything. Table 1 lists them; the documents you write stay in your browser.

ToolWhat it doesAccess
Live preview and PDFPaste a .tex file and see it typeset as you type: equations, theorems, tables, references. Export a real PDF.PDF: Google sign-in
Word to LaTeXTurn a .docx into clean LaTeX: headings, lists, booktabs tables, footnotes and Word equations, with a quality report.Google sign-in
BibTeX toolsClean and deduplicate a .bib file; get an entry from a DOI, an arXiv ID, a PubMed ID or an ISBN.No account
LaTeX diffCompare two versions of a paper line by line or word by word, and download a patch for git apply.No account
Table generatorType or paste from Excel and copy a booktabs tabular, ready for the document body.No account
CV generatorFill a form, import publications from ORCID, get an academic or industry CV in LaTeX, in English or French.No account
Templates28 starting points: PhD thesis, NeurIPS, ICML, ACL, Beamer, CVs, school reports.No account
Symbol searchFind the command for any of 350+ symbols by name, by command or by pasting the character.No account

Table 1. The tools on latexci. All are free.

2When it helps

Three situations from real writing weeks, and the tool that settles each one:

  1. “Meeting in two hours. I just need to check this equation renders before I send the chapter.” Use the live preview.
  2. “My advisor sent back the draft with changes. I need to see exactly what was edited.” Use the diff.
  3. “A co-author left comments in a Word file. I need them back in LaTeX.” Use Word to LaTeX.

3Theses and school reports

Writing a thesis? The academics hub gathers PhD thesis templates, a guide to the twelve packages a long document needs, and the advisor revision workflow with the diff.

Students of Centrale Marseille and AMSE will find templates with the official layout: rapport de projet, rapport de stage and the AMSE working paper.

4Why another LaTeX site

Overleaf is an excellent editor. latexci does the things around it: converting a Word file with its equations, cleaning a bibliography, comparing two versions, finding a symbol. Use Overleaf to write and latexci for the rest. When a university licence ends at graduation, these tools stay free.

Appendix A Questions

What does latexci cost?
Nothing. Every tool is free: preview, PDF export, Word to LaTeX, BibTeX tools, diff, table and CV generators, symbols and all templates. There is no paid plan.
Does the preview support math equations?
Yes: inline math ($...$), display math (\[...\]), and block environments like align, gather, and equation all render via KaTeX, with automatic equation numbering, \ref cross-references, and bibliography rendering.
What file types does Word → LaTeX accept?
.docx (Word 2007+) converts directly in your browser: the file is never uploaded. Word equations (OMML) are converted to LaTeX math in place, inline or displayed. .odt and .rtf need local pandoc; the tool shows you the exact command.
Is my LaTeX source stored anywhere?
No. Preview, diff, table, symbol search, and Word → LaTeX all run entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded. PDF export sends only your LaTeX source to YToTech's compile server and downloads the result directly.
I have Overleaf through my university. Why use this?
latexci does things Overleaf doesn't: convert Word files with equation detection, clean and deduplicate .bib files, look up DOIs and arXiv IDs in one click, and diff two .tex files side by side. Use Overleaf as your editor, and latexci for the rest. When you graduate and lose institutional access, latexci is still here.
Do I need an account?
Only for PDF export and Word to LaTeX: one click with Google, free. Everything else works without an account, and documents you save stay in your browser.

Remark. Questions, template requests or a compilation error you cannot solve? Open an issue on GitHub; every one gets an answer.