Is Overleaf bad now? Should everyone switch?

No. Overleaf remains a capable, widely used online LaTeX editor with a large template library, and for many researchers it is perfectly sufficient. The 2026 movement is about fit, not failure: some users want faster real-time collaboration, fewer compile-time limits on free plans, or AI assistance that Overleaf's base experience doesn't emphasize. Switching is a preference-driven decision, and because LaTeX is portable, trying an alternative carries almost no risk.

What are researchers switching to?

Mostly to other browser-based editors that lead with real-time collaboration and AI features — such as LetX — or, for offline-heavy workflows, to a local TeX Live install with VS Code and the LaTeX Workshop extension. The common thread is wanting either faster co-authoring or AI assistance for equations, citations, and error fixing. The right destination depends on whether your bottleneck is collaboration speed, cost, or AI tooling.

How hard is it to move my projects off Overleaf?

Easy. Export each project as a ZIP from Overleaf's Menu → Download → Source, then upload it to the new editor or a Git repository. Because a LaTeX project is just .tex, .bib, and image files, there is no proprietary format to convert and nothing is lost — your document class, bibliography, and custom commands all work unchanged. You can even keep using Overleaf in parallel while you trial an alternative.

Why Researchers Are Leaving Overleaf in 2026

In 2026, a growing number of researchers are leaving Overleaf for LaTeX editors with faster real-time collaboration and built-in AI assistance — but the move is about fit, not because Overleaf is bad. Overleaf is still capable and popular; what changed is researcher expectations around collaboration speed, free-plan limits, and AI tooling. Here is an honest look at the shift and how to decide.

1. What's driving the shift

Three pressures, in roughly this order:

Collaboration speed. Teams want instant, multi-cursor co-editing for deadline crunches — see Real-Time Collaboration in LaTeX.
AI assistance. The 2026 wave of AI LaTeX editors autocompletes equations, suggests citations, and explains errors inline.
Plan limits. Free-tier compile-time caps frustrate users with long documents.

2. This is a fit decision, not a verdict

Overleaf remains a solid online LaTeX editor with a large template gallery. If it works for you, there's no reason to move. The people switching have a specific bottleneck — usually collaboration or AI — that another tool addresses better. Frame the choice around your bottleneck, not hype.

3. Where they're going

| Bottleneck | Destination | |---|---| | Live co-authoring | Real-time editor like LetX | | AI for math/citations/errors | AI-native editor | | Offline, full control | Local TeX Live + VS Code | | Cost on long docs | Editor with no compile cap |

See the full landscape in Best Overleaf Alternatives in 2026 and the direct comparison in LetX vs Overleaf.

4. Switching is risk-free

A LaTeX project is portable plain text:

Overleaf → Menu → Download → Source (ZIP).
Upload to the new editor or a Git repo.
Select the same document class and compile.

Your bibliography, figures, and custom commands carry over unchanged — and you can run both tools in parallel during a trial.

5. The takeaway

The 2026 story isn't "Overleaf lost." It's that the category matured: researchers now expect fast collaboration and AI help as defaults, and they have low-risk options to get them.

→ Trial real-time collaborative LaTeX free, import your Overleaf ZIP in minutes, at LetX.

Written by Shihab Shahriar Antor — AI Engineer & Founder of Shahriar Labs, maker of LetX.