Overleaf

A self-hosted, browser-based LaTeX editor where several people write and compile the same paper at once, as an alternative to overleaf.com.

18.3k stars, 2.1k forks JavaScript On GitHub since February 2014

View on GitHub How to run it

What is Overleaf?

Overleaf is the code behind the overleaf.com service, released as a Community Edition you can run on your own server. Co-authors open a LaTeX project in the browser, edit it together in real time and compile it to PDF without installing TeX locally. The Docker image bundles TeX Live, and installation goes through the separate Overleaf Toolkit. Its menus and dialogs are available in 16 languages.

Good fit if

  • Your lab, school or company writes papers and theses in LaTeX and wants the documents on its own hardware.
  • All users of the instance are people you trust.

Look elsewhere if

  • You need real-time co-editing of plain text or Markdown rather than LaTeX: Etherpad or HedgeDoc.
  • You want a personal Markdown writing app for academic work: Zettlr.

Before you adopt it

The code is AGPL-3.0, and outside contributions require a signed CLA. The README warns that the Community Edition lacks sandboxed compiles, so anyone compiling a document can read and write the container's files, network and environment; do not expose it to untrusted users. SSO through LDAP or SAML, tracked changes and official support come only with the commercial Server Pro edition. The Docker setup runs alongside MongoDB and Redis.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 31 October 2026. Report a correction

Overleaf health: is it still maintained?

69 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    557 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 17 September 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    25 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 17% of them.
    19 / 20
  • Releases
    0 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v0.1.3, on 26 February 2015.
    1 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 41% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 17 hours.
    15 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 4 of 10.
    4 / 10

Read from GitHub on 1 November 2026. How the score works

Overleaf license: is it open source?

Overleaf uses AGPL-3.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI. Contributors sign a contributor license agreement, which lets the owner relicense their work later.

  1. February 2014First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayAGPL-3.0. A contributor license agreement is required.

How to run Overleaf yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
docker-compose.yml: 3 services (mongodb, redis)
Setup effort
2 of 5, judged from the compose file
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
16 languages

Install instructions: the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Overleaf

  • EtherpadEtherpad: A modern really-real-time collaborative document editor. 80 health · Apache-2.0 · 18.6k stars
  • MarkTextA simple and elegant markdown editor, available for Linux, macOS and Windows. 85 health · MIT · 63.4k stars
  • Docs (La Suite)Docs is an open-source text editor: web-native, made for real-time collaboration, cleanly structured… 80 health · MIT · 17k stars
  • OutlineThe fastest knowledge base for growing teams. Beautiful, realtime collaborative, feature packed, and… 79 health · Business Source License · 41.1k stars
  • DocmostDocmost is an open-source collaborative wiki and documentation software. It is an open-source alternative to… 72 health · AGPL-3.0 · 22.2k stars

All 34 projects in Notes & knowledge bases

Questions about Overleaf

Is Overleaf open source?

Yes. Overleaf is published under AGPL-3.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Overleaf still maintained?

Its health score is 69 of 100 (actively developed). It had 557 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 17 September 2026, and its latest release came out on 26 February 2015.

How do I run Overleaf?

You can run it with Docker. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to Overleaf?

Close alternatives in the Notes & knowledge bases category include Etherpad, MarkText, Docs (La Suite).