LyX

You write long and technical documents with a structural editor that LaTeX uses for final formatting.

Developer LyX

Version 2.5.3 · Open source · Windows · macOS · Linux

Looking for an alternative to LyX?Compare TeXstudio.Compare alternatives

In LyX you work with parts such as heads, lists, formulas and references. You indicate what a text part is, after which LaTeX takes care of the final setting. This is especially useful for reports, theses and documents with a lot of mathematics.

You don't always see the exact same page as in the final PDF. For export, you need a suitable TeX installation and any additional packages. Templates and document classes determine a large part of the format.

Which software suits you?

Compare LyX with alternatives

With LaTeX you can directly write or work source code via an interface that puts the document structure at the centre. Compare how you want to manage formulas, bibliographies and templates. An existing LaTeX template can be decisive if you write for a programme or publication.

Differences between LyX and TeXstudio
Software	What can it do?	Platform and licence
LyXYou are viewing this app	You write structured documents via a graphical interface that LaTeX uses for output. You need to work less directly with formatting commands.	Windows, macOS, LinuxOpen source
TeXstudioView this alternative	You edit LaTeX source code with addition, error messages and an integrated document view. You control the commands and the construction process.	Windows, macOS, LinuxOpen source

Choose an alternative to explore its features, system requirements and download options.

Who is it for?

You write long reports or technical texts and want to manage structure, formulas and references carefully.

Getting started

Install LyX and a suitable TeX distribution. First create a small document and check that PDF export is working.

Privacy

You can write locally and create PDFs. Extra TeX packages will be downloaded via your chosen TeX distribution.

Good to know

Available output depends on document classes, TeX packages and external tools on your computer.

Please note

When sharing a project, save used images, bibliography files and custom document classes.

Advantages

Strong in structured documents Formulas and references LaTeX format without typing everything as code

Things to consider

TeX installation required for a lot of output Display view is not the final page Special templates require additional knowledge

Download LyX

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Official download page

Provider’s website · www.lyx.org

Download LyX

Version history

2.5.3 17 Sep 2026

You get recovery for captions, document comparison and crashes in complex documents.

Captions in star variants of environments are working correctly again.
Navigate with the keyboard in the cross-reference window has been improved. Large documents with a lot of mathematical macrophysicists react more quickly in different places.
Crashes when closing complex multi-part documents and reloading have been fixed.

2.5.2 17 Aug 2026

You get an important security correction for opening and exporting documents.

LyX 2.5.2 closes a problem where a specially created .lyx document could perform unwanted shell commands during loading or exporting. In addition, window position and window size are stored correctly after regression in 2.5.1.

Report a new version

Our verdict

LyX is suitable if the structure of your document is more important than manually shifting each element. For long texts with formulas and references, this approach can avoid much recurring work. You write in an editor and leave the final setting to LaTeX.

You have to accept that not everything is visible directly as the end page. Therefore, regularly create a PDF while you write, especially if you use a mandatory template. For a brief letter, the TeX arrangement is often too much work. For a technical document that you maintain for a long time, the separation between content and work can give much clarity.