kitio.aiOverleaf vs Lightkey
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Overleaf starts at See pricing page and Lightkey starts at $49.95/yr. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Online LaTeX editor
- Visual and code editing modes
- Real-time collaboration
- LaTeX-aware AI Assistant
- Thousands of templates
- Version history
- Multi-word text prediction
- Real-time spelling suggestions
- 80+ languages offline
- Chrome and Edge extensions
- Team terminology predictions
| Feature | Overleaf | Lightkey |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Collaborative online LaTeX editor with a built-in AI assistant | On-device predictive text for Windows that learns your writing style |
| Category | Writing | Writing |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free trial |
| Starting price | See pricing page | $49.95/yr |
| Free plan | Yes | No, 30-day trial |
| Made by | Digital Science | Lightkey |
| Based in | United Kingdom | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Overleaf starts at See pricing page and Lightkey starts at $49.95/yr. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
5 plans
Free
Free
- 1 collaborator per project
- 5 AI uses per day
- Unlimited projects
Student
₹241/mo
- Discounted plan for students
Standard
₹650/mo
- 10 collaborators per project
- AI Assistant in the editor
- 24x longer compile time
Pro
₹1,175/mo
- Unlimited collaborators
- Full AI allowance
- 40% academic group discount
Organizations
Contact sales
- 20+ users
- SSO
- Global AI feature controls
- On-premises option
2 plans
Pro
$49.95/yr
- Per license
- Predicts up to 18 words
- 80+ languages offline
- Lifetime license $229.95
Business
$69.95/yr
- Per license
- Team terminology predictions
- Team analytics
- Site-wide deployment
Prices in USD, checked Nov 5, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Overleaf
- Nothing to install for LaTeX
- Real-time co-editing and comments
- Huge template library for journals
- Free plan allows one collaborator per project
- Long documents can hit compile time limits
- AI use is capped below the Pro plan
Lightkey
- Runs on device and offline
- Works across most Windows apps
- Lifetime license option
- Windows only, no Mac version
- No free plan after the 30-day trial
- Predictions need time to learn your style
Which one should you choose?
Choose Overleaf if you want:
- Nothing to install for LaTeX
- Real-time co-editing and comments
- Huge template library for journals
Watch out: free plan allows one collaborator per project.
Choose Lightkey if you want:
- Runs on device and offline
- Works across most Windows apps
- Lifetime license option
Watch out: windows only, no mac version.
Overleaf vs Lightkey FAQ
What is the difference between Overleaf and Lightkey?
Overleaf: Collaborative online LaTeX editor with a built-in AI assistant. Lightkey: On-device predictive text for Windows that learns your writing style. Both are writing tools.
Is Overleaf or Lightkey cheaper?
Overleaf starts at See pricing page and Lightkey starts at $49.95/yr. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Overleaf and Lightkey have free plans?
Overleaf: Yes. Lightkey: No, 30-day trial.
Who makes Overleaf?
Overleaf is made by Digital Science, based in United Kingdom.
Who makes Lightkey?
Lightkey is made by Lightkey.
Which should I choose, Overleaf or Lightkey?
Choose Overleaf if you value nothing to install for latex and real-time co-editing and comments. Choose Lightkey if you value runs on device and offline and works across most windows apps.