TeXworks for MAC
Free, open-source TeX and LaTeX editor for Mac with a built-in PDF viewer, source and preview sync, and a simple interface made for newcomers.
TeXworks Overview
TeXworks is a free, open-source environment for writing TeX documents, including LaTeX and ConTeXt. It combines a Unicode-based, TeX-aware editor with an integrated PDF viewer in a clean, simple interface meant for casual and non-technical users. The project's aim is lowering the entry barrier to the TeX world, and it is modeled on Dick Koch's TeXShop for the Mac.
The usual workflow goes straight from marked-up text to a finished PDF, using pdfTeX or XeTeX as the typesetting engine, and you can control-click in the source to find the same place in the PDF, and the other way round. TeXworks is by Stefan Löffler, Jonathan Kew and Charlie Sharpsteen, and is licensed under GPL-2.0 or later. Version 0.6.11 now builds with Qt 6 by default and accepts several languages in its spell checker.
Some honest notes for Mac users. TeXworks is a front end: the TeX engines do the typesetting, so you need a TeX system such as TeX Live on your Mac as well. The Mac downloads of this version are Intel builds, which run on Apple Silicon through Rosetta 2. The regular build needs macOS 11 or later, and a legacy build covers macOS 10.13. Homebrew has disabled its cask because the app fails macOS's Gatekeeper check, so macOS may refuse to open it at first.
Key Features
TeXworks keeps writing in TeX simple.
- TeX-aware editor: a Unicode-based editor that understands TeX.
- Integrated PDF viewer: no need to switch to an external program.
- Source and preview sync: control-click to jump between text and PDF, using SyncTeX.
- PDF-centric: pdfTeX and XeTeX produce PDF as the default output.
- DVI path: can be configured if you prefer DVI.
- Spell checking: through Hunspell, with several languages at once.
- Scripting: a Scripts menu, with Lua in the ready-made builds.
- Cross-platform: also for Windows and Linux.
What’s New in Version 0.6.11
TeXworks 0.6.11 brings small improvements and fixes.
- Additional cleanup patterns for LaTeXmk, biblatex and minitoc
- Dictionary folders are listed in the "Settings & Resources" dialog
- The spell checker backend accepts multiple languages
- Builds with Qt 6 by default
- Fixes artifacts in the PDF preview
- Correctly detects PDF 2.x
TeXworks FAQ
Is TeXworks free?
Yes. TeXworks is free and open source under GPL-2.0 or later.
Which macOS version does it need?
The regular 0.6.11 Mac build needs macOS 11 or later. A legacy build is available for macOS 10.13.
Does it run on Apple Silicon Macs?
The Mac downloads of version 0.6.11 are Intel builds, so on Apple Silicon they run through Rosetta 2.
Do I need anything else to use TeXworks?
Yes. TeXworks is a front end, so you also need a TeX system such as TeX Live, which provides the typesetting engines.
Which typesetting engines does it use?
The normal workflow uses pdfTeX and XeTeX and generates PDF documents as the default output. A path based on DVI can be configured.
Do I need a separate PDF viewer?
No. TeXworks has an integrated PDF viewer based on the Poppler library.
How do I jump between the source and the PDF?
Control-click in the source text to find the matching place in the PDF, and the other way round. This uses the SyncTeX feature.
How does it relate to TeXShop?
TeXworks is deliberately modeled on Dick Koch's TeXShop for the Mac, with the aim of offering a similar experience on every major system.
Can I install it with Homebrew?
No longer. Homebrew has disabled the texworks cask because the app fails macOS's Gatekeeper check, so download it from the GitHub releases page.
Where does the TeXworks download on texworks.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to the official TeXworks releases page at https://github.com/TeXworks/texworks/releases/latest. texworks.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
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