Notes on your Mac, with tables, charts and math
Koi for Mac is an offline notes app with tables, 11 chart types, LaTeX, to-dos and flashcards. Export to Word or PDF, and start by typing or by talking.
How we picked
What makes a good notes app for LaTeX?
Plenty of Mac notes apps draw an equation from LaTeX now. The differences are in the details: how much of LaTeX the engine understands, whether equations can be numbered, what a page exports to, and whether the math sits next to the rest of your notes or in a writing tool of its own.
We make Koi, so it's first here because it's ours, not because it wins. For serious math writing it doesn't: Typora numbers equations and exports to LaTeX, and Koi does neither. We didn't run tests. Every fact about another app comes from its own site or help pages, with prices in USD, checked October 16, 2026.
The list
The best notes apps with LaTeX for Mac in 2026
1. Koi
Best for: Class and work notes with equations, charts and flashcards on one page
Type /equation, or type LaTeX between $$ and $$ as you write, and Koi draws the equation right in the page. Click it to change it. Next to it you can put a table, one of 11 chart types drawn from a small table of numbers, a to-do list or flashcards you study with spaced repetition. Pages export to Word or PDF, on A4, US Letter, A5 or US Legal paper.
You can talk a page into being as well: tap Fn + ⌥ and Koi types what you say, on your Mac, offline. More on Koi's dictation. And a PDF or slides you import can become study notes with flashcards, which our guide to making flashcards from a PDF walks through.
The catch: no equation numbering and no LaTeX export, and inline math uses $$ on both sides rather than a single $. Koi is Mac only, with no iPhone app and no sync, and there's no free plan: Pro is $20 a month after a 3-day trial, or Lifetime from $59 once. See the plans.
2. Typora
Best for: Numbered equations and LaTeX export, paid once
Typora is a Markdown editor that formats as you type, on local .md files. Its math is MathJax, with most extensions built in, including AMSmath and mhchem for chemistry, and equations can be numbered automatically with a setting. It exports to LaTeX, Word, OpenOffice, ePub and PDF with bookmarks, and draws Mermaid diagrams.
It's $14.99 once for up to 3 devices, after a 15-day free trial, on Mac, Windows and Linux. There's no phone app and no AI or voice. If your notes end up in a paper or a thesis, this is the one that beats Koi.
3. Bear
Best for: Cheap Markdown notes with math on Mac, iPhone and iPad
Bear renders LaTeX with MathJax: single $ for inline math, $$ for a block, or Format, Code, Math on the Mac, with a live preview as you edit. Since July 2026 it also draws Mermaid diagrams, pie and XY charts included, written as code.
Pro is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year after a 7-day trial, and adds iCloud sync and export to Word, PDF, HTML, ePub and more. Students get 30% off the first year. It's Apple only: Mac, iPhone and iPad. Bear has no AI or voice of its own.
4. Obsidian
Best for: Free, local Markdown files with MathJax and thousands of plugins
Obsidian keeps your notes as plain Markdown files in a folder on your Mac, and renders LaTeX with MathJax 4 since version 1.14. PDF export is built in; other formats need community plugins, and there are thousands of those.
The app is free. Sync is $5 a month, or $4 billed yearly, and there are apps for iPhone and Android. It takes some setting up, and its own forum has threads about the learning curve.
5. Notion
Best for: Equations in a shared workspace with databases
Notion renders math with KaTeX, which its help page says supports a large subset of LaTeX, so a few equations may not render. Type /math for a block equation, or put an expression between $$ and $$ for inline math.
It has a free plan, and Plus is $12 a month or $10 billed yearly. College students with a school email get its Education Plan free. Notion exports to PDF, Markdown and HTML, but not Word, and its offline mode works page by page in the apps.
6. Craft
Best for: Polished native docs with formulas, synced to iPhone and iPad
Craft supports LaTeX for block formulas (/formula) and inline ones between $$ and $$, and says formulas look the same in the editor and in exports. A document exports to PDF, Word, Markdown, TextBundle or an image.
It's native on Mac, iPad and iPhone, with Windows and web apps too. Free covers 1,500 blocks, and Plus is $8 a month or $6.40 billed yearly on its site.
7. Capacities
Best for: Linked notes with math blocks and LaTeX export
Capacities builds notes from typed objects, like people, books and meetings, with backlinks between them. It has math blocks and Mermaid, and exports to Markdown, PDF, Word, CSV and LaTeX.
Basic is free without AI. Pro is $11.99 a month or $9.99 billed yearly. It runs on the web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, and its docs say syncing to its server can't be turned off.
8. Ulysses
Best for: Long-form writing with LaTeX, then Word or PDF
Ulysses is a writing app rather than a notes app, made for essays, books and posts, which it can publish to WordPress, Ghost and Medium. It supports LaTeX and exports to Word and PDF.
It's $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year, and the App Store also lists a $199.99 one-time licence. Native on Mac, iPad and iPhone.
Comparison
LaTeX notes apps for Mac compared
From each app's own pages, checked October 16, 2026. “Not listed” means its docs don't mention it, not that it can't.
| Math | Numbering | Exports | Price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koi | Drawn in the page, $$ inline | No | Word, PDF | $20 a month, or Lifetime from $59 | Equations next to charts, tables and flashcards |
| Typora | MathJax | Yes, a setting | LaTeX, Word, PDF, ePub | $14.99 once | Papers and theses |
| Bear | MathJax | Not listed | Word, PDF, HTML, ePub (Pro) | Free; Pro $29.99 a year | Cheap notes on every Apple device |
| Obsidian | MathJax 4 | Not listed | PDF; more with plugins | Free | Local Markdown files |
| Notion | KaTeX | Not listed | PDF, Markdown, HTML | Free; Plus $10 a month, yearly | Shared workspaces |
| Craft | LaTeX formulas | Not listed | Word, PDF, Markdown | Free 1,500 blocks; Plus $6.40 a month, yearly | Polished docs on iPhone and iPad |
| Capacities | Math blocks | Not listed | LaTeX, Word, PDF, Markdown | Free; Pro $9.99 a month, yearly | Linked notes |
| Ulysses | LaTeX | Not listed | Word, PDF | $39.99 a year | Long-form writing |
Apple Notes
Does Apple Notes support LaTeX?
No. Apple Notes has Math Notes, which solves sums and variables you type, but it doesn't draw LaTeX, according to Apple's guide. It's great for working out a number and no help for writing down an integral. Notes also has no charts and exports to PDF and Markdown, but not Word.
Numbering
Equation numbering and LaTeX export
If you're writing something that will be cited, numbered equations matter, and so does getting your work out as LaTeX for a journal template or a thesis. Typora does both: auto-numbering is a setting, and LaTeX is one of its export formats. Capacities exports LaTeX too. We didn't find numbering in the other apps' docs.
Koi doesn't number equations and can't export LaTeX. It's built for notes you read and study, not documents you submit. If you'll hand in LaTeX, write in Typora or a proper LaTeX editor and keep your class notes wherever you like.
Syntax
Inline math: one dollar sign or two?
The apps don't agree. Bear uses a single $ for inline math and $$ for a block, the way most LaTeX writers expect. Koi, Notion and Craft use $$ on both sides of an inline equation and a command for a block: /equation in Koi, /math in Notion and /formula in Craft. Moving notes between them means a quick find and replace.
Charts
Math and charts in the same note
Koi's other trick is charts. Type /chart, pick bar, line, pie, scatter, heatmap or one of six more, and the chart is drawn from a small table under it. Change a number and the chart follows. Bear draws pie and XY charts too, and Typora draws Mermaid diagrams, but in both you write them as code. For a lab report or a budget with a formula in it, that difference is the reason to pick Koi.
Choosing
Which LaTeX notes app should you pick?
- Writing a paper or thesis, with numbered equations? Typora.
- Cheap, simple math notes on Mac, iPhone and iPad? Bear.
- Free, with your notes as plain files? Obsidian.
- Equations in a workspace you share with a team? Notion.
- Class notes with charts, tables and flashcards next to the math? Koi.
- Linked notes that export to LaTeX? Capacities.
Most of these are free or have a trial. Write one page of real notes in two of them and keep the one whose math you didn't have to fight. If you'd rather talk your notes than type them, see the best voice notes apps for Mac.
Keep exploring
An Apple Notes alternative for Mac, with charts, LaTeX and Word export
An Apple Notes alternative for Mac with charts drawn from a table, LaTeX, Word export and calls recorded into a note. Mac only, no sync, and not free. Compared.
How to make flashcards from a PDF on your Mac
Make flashcards from a PDF on a Mac: import it into Koi, choose Make study notes, and get a summary, key points, flashcards and a quiz you study with spacing.
An offline Notion alternative for your own docs, on one Mac
An offline Notion alternative for your own docs on one Mac: pages stored on the Mac, tables, charts, LaTeX and Word export. No databases, sync or iPhone app.
Support
Frequently asked questions
Typora, for serious math writing: MathJax with most extensions, automatic equation numbering, and export to LaTeX, Word and PDF, for $14.99 once.
No. Apple Notes has Math Notes, which solves sums you type, but it doesn't render LaTeX equations.
No to both. Koi draws LaTeX equations in the page and exports pages to Word and PDF. For numbering and LaTeX export, use Typora.
Obsidian is free and renders LaTeX with MathJax. Bear and Notion have free plans, and Typora has a 15-day trial before its $14.99 price.
Type /equation, or put LaTeX between $$ and $$ as you write. The equation is drawn in the page, and a click opens it to change.