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TeXworks vs TeXShop: catalog facts
TeXworks	TeXShop
No screenshots available	No screenshots available
Best for: Beginners and casual users writing LaTeX documents on the desktop	Best for: Native macOS LaTeX editor bundled with MacTeX
Free Free and open source under the GPL.	Free The open-source application is available without a license fee.
Windows, macOS, Linux	macOS
Editor and PDF preview in a single window Simple interface aimed at TeX newcomers All 4 strengths for TeXworks Editor and PDF preview in a single window Simple interface aimed at TeX newcomers Available on Windows, macOS and Linux Steady yearly releases	Native Mac application with tight SyncTeX integration Included in MacTeX, so it is already there on most Mac TeX installs
Requires a separately installed TeX distribution Fewer project management features than larger LaTeX IDEs	macOS only Interface is dated compared with cross-platform editors
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0-or-later	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Offline features available	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for TeXworks tug.org/texworks Catalog checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for TeXShop pages.uoregon.edu/koch/texshop/texshop.html Catalog checked September 22, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.