MathType has been the default equation editor for anyone typing scientific papers in Word or PowerPoint for two decades. It looks great, it exports clean, and the recent AI handwriting recognition is genuinely useful. What has changed is the pricing. MathType now runs on a subscription with a 500-equations-a-year free cap, and educators used to a perpetual $57 license feel squeezed. Here are seven MathType alternatives for desktop that keep the equation quality without the annual bill.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaTeX (TeXstudio) | Serious academic writing | Yes, unlimited | Free | Publication-grade output |
| LibreOffice Math | Office-style equations | Yes | Free | Ships with LibreOffice suite |
| Mathpix Snip | Converting handwritten or PDF equations | 20/mo free | $4.99/mo | OCR from screenshots and PDFs |
| LyX | LaTeX without the syntax | Yes | Free | Visual LaTeX editing |
| EqualX | Fast one-off equation clipping | Yes | Free | Lightweight LaTeX equation exporter |
| AxMath | Word-integrated Windows editor | Trial | $39.95 one-time | MathType-style Word ribbon |
| Word Equation Editor | Already-installed Office users | Yes | Free with Office | Native to Word since 2007 |
Why people leave MathType
The subscription model is the friction. MathType was a $57 one-time purchase for years, then Wiris moved to $49.95/year in 2018. The free tier now caps at 500 equations per year, which is nothing for a graduate student typing a thesis. Anyone who used to buy a license once and use it for a decade now weighs the ongoing cost.
The lock-in. MathType equations are stored in a proprietary MTF format inside Office documents. If a colleague opens your file without MathType installed, the equations still render but cannot be edited. LaTeX and native Office equations do not have this problem.
The limited platform support. MathType supports Word and PowerPoint on Windows, Google Docs (via web add-in), and Microsoft 365 on Mac. Anyone writing in LaTeX, Markdown, Jupyter, or Obsidian is outside MathType’s scope.
Finally, the copy-paste story. MathType equations are painful to move between apps. A LaTeX snippet copies as text and pastes anywhere. A MathType equation copies as an OLE object that needs MathType at both ends.
1. LaTeX (TeXstudio) — Best for serious academic writing
LaTeX with a modern editor like TeXstudio is the industry standard for anyone writing math-heavy papers. The output is publication-grade, the syntax is portable across every editor and platform, and the ecosystem of packages (amsmath, physics, tikz) covers any notation you could need. TeXstudio runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Where it falls short: The learning curve is real. New users spend weeks fighting compile errors and package conflicts. Not the right tool for one-off equations in a PowerPoint.
Pricing:
- Free (LaTeX is free software; TeXstudio is open source)
- vs MathType: same free tier, radically more capable, steeper learning curve
Migrating from MathType: MathType exports LaTeX from any equation. Copy the LaTeX, paste into your .tex file, done.
Download: texstudio.org plus a LaTeX distribution: MiKTeX (Windows), MacTeX, or apt install texlive-full on Debian
Bottom line: Pick LaTeX for any document over 20 pages of math. Skip it for slides and quick notes.
2. LibreOffice Math — Best for Office-style equations without the fee
LibreOffice Math is the equation editor bundled with LibreOffice (and standalone). Syntax is close to LaTeX but simplified, and equations paste into LibreOffice Writer or Impress as native objects. Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Where it falls short: The output is not quite MathType-quality. Type spacing is looser and default fonts feel less polished. Interoperability with Microsoft Word requires DOCX round-tripping that occasionally breaks equations.
Pricing:
- Free (MPL 2.0 license, LibreOffice)
- vs MathType: free forever, output slightly less polished
Migrating from MathType: Save your Word document as ODT via LibreOffice, and MathType equations convert to LibreOffice Math format on the way in. Some manual cleanup needed for complex notation.
Download: libreoffice.org
Bottom line: Pick LibreOffice Math if you have already moved off Microsoft Office. Skip it if you need pixel-perfect Word interop.
3. Mathpix Snip — Best for converting handwritten or PDF equations
Mathpix Snip takes a screenshot of any equation (a handwritten note, a PDF, a whiteboard photo) and converts it to LaTeX or MathML. Since 2023 it also does full-document PDF-to-LaTeX conversion. Apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux, plus a browser extension.
Where it falls short: Not a full editor. You still need LaTeX or MathType to compose from scratch. Free tier is 20 snips a month.
Pricing:
- Free: 20 snips a month
- Pro: $4.99/month
- vs MathType: complementary, not a replacement for from-scratch composition
Migrating from MathType: No migration needed. Mathpix is upstream of any editor.
Download: mathpix.com/snip
Bottom line: Pick Mathpix Snip for anyone re-typing equations from PDFs or lecture photos. Skip it if you already type LaTeX from scratch.
4. LyX — Best for LaTeX without the syntax
LyX is a WYSIWYM (what-you-see-is-what-you-mean) LaTeX editor. Instead of writing raw \frac{a}{b} and compiling, you build the equation visually and LyX generates the LaTeX for you. Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Where it falls short: Templates are LaTeX class-driven, which frustrates users who want visual formatting control. Some LaTeX packages are hard to enable through LyX’s UI.
Pricing:
- Free (GPL)
- vs MathType: free forever, LaTeX-based output, WYSIWYG editing
Migrating from MathType: LyX imports LaTeX. Convert MathType equations to LaTeX (MathType has a built-in export), then paste into LyX.
Download: lyx.org
Bottom line: Pick LyX if LaTeX intimidates you but you want LaTeX-quality output. Skip it if you already know raw LaTeX.
5. EqualX — Best for fast one-off equation clipping
EqualX is a lightweight LaTeX equation editor built for creating one-off equations to paste into slides, blog posts, or emails. Type LaTeX, see the preview, export as PNG or SVG. Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Where it falls short: No full-document editing. It is a snippet tool.
Pricing:
- Free (GPL)
- vs MathType: free forever, no Word integration but faster for one-off equations
Migrating from MathType: MathType exports LaTeX; paste into EqualX for rendering.
Download: equalx.sourceforge.io
Bottom line: Pick EqualX when you need equation images for slides or emails. Skip it for full papers.
6. AxMath — Best Word-integrated Windows editor
AxMath is the closest MathType clone in feel and workflow. It installs a Word ribbon, supports drag-and-drop templates, exports to LaTeX and MathML, and does not require a subscription. Windows only.
Where it falls short: Windows-only. Development is quieter than MathType or LaTeX-ecosystem tools. Less polished than MathType at the fine details.
Pricing:
- Trial: 30-day
- Standard: $39.95 one-time
- vs MathType: perpetual license, no annual fee
Migrating from MathType: AxMath imports MathType equations from DOCX. Fidelity is high but review complex equations.
Download: amyxun.com/en/axmath
Bottom line: Pick AxMath if you want MathType-style ribbon workflow with a one-time purchase. Skip it on Mac or Linux.
7. Word Equation Editor — Best if you already have Office
Word Equation Editor ships with every Word install since 2007. LaTeX input support was added in 2018, so you can type \frac{a}{b} and Word renders it live. Not as polished as MathType, but competent and free with Office.
Where it falls short: Templates and symbol palette are shallower than MathType. Copy-paste to other apps (LaTeX, LibreOffice) loses formatting.
Pricing:
- Free with any Microsoft 365 or Office 2019+ license
- vs MathType: no extra fee if you already have Office, weaker output for complex notation
Migrating from MathType: Word can convert MathType equations to native Office Math via the “Convert to Office Math” option. Fidelity is high for basic equations.
Download: included with Word, no separate download
Bottom line: Pick the Word Equation Editor if Office is already installed and your equations are undergraduate-level. Skip it for complex research notation.
How to choose
Pick LaTeX with TeXstudio or LyX if you write academic papers. LaTeX is the long-term win for anyone doing math seriously.
Pick LibreOffice Math to leave the Microsoft ecosystem entirely and keep equation editing free.
Pick Mathpix Snip if you spend time re-typing equations from PDFs or lecture photos.
Pick AxMath to replicate MathType’s Word ribbon with a one-time purchase, on Windows.
Pick the Word Equation Editor if Office is already there and equations are simple.
Use EqualX as a supplement for one-off equation images.
Stay on MathType if your workflow lives inside Word, your equations must survive collaborator round-trips, and the 500-equations free tier is enough. Otherwise the subscription rarely pays for itself.
FAQ
Is MathType free? MathType has a free tier capped at 500 equations per year. Beyond that, it costs $49.95/year for the individual subscription. There is no longer a perpetual-license option.
What is the best free MathType alternative? LaTeX for serious academic writing (via TeXstudio, LyX, or Overleaf). LibreOffice Math for Word-style equations. Word’s own Equation Editor if Office is already installed.
Can I convert MathType equations to LaTeX? Yes. MathType includes an “Export as LaTeX” function. Copy the LaTeX output and paste it into any LaTeX editor. Round-trip fidelity is high for standard notation.
Is LaTeX better than MathType? For long documents, papers, and anyone in physics or math, yes. For a slide deck with three equations or a one-page memo, MathType or the Word Equation Editor is faster.
What is Mathpix Snip? Mathpix Snip is an OCR tool that converts screenshots of equations (from PDFs, whiteboards, handwritten notes) into LaTeX or MathML. It is not an editor; it feeds equations into your editor of choice.
