Typst: a possible LaTeX replacement By Lee Phillips, September 17, 2025 Typst is a free, open-source document typesetting program written in Rust and licensed under Apache-2.0. It targets technical material with math, tables, and floating figures, producing high-quality output comparable to LaTeX but with simpler markup, easier customization, and faster compilation. --- Background: Desire for a LaTeX Replacement LaTeX, built on TeX by Donald Knuth, is the gold standard for scholarly document preparation in math, CS, physics, and related fields. Despite its high-quality output and longevity, many users complain about: Large installation size Slow compilation for big documents Cryptic error messages Complex macro programming for customization Due to LaTeX's vast package ecosystem and entrenched usage, efforts to replace it have long seemed impractical. --- Introducing Typst Created in 2019 by Laurenz Mädje and Martin Haug "just for fun". Mädje wrote his CS master's thesis on Typst in 2022. Public beta launched in March 2023; current version 0.13.1 as of 2025, with 365 GitHub contributors. Early enthusiasm and journal acceptance of Typst manuscripts sparked renewed interest. Available as source and binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows. --- Using Typst Command typst supports subcommands: fonts - lists system and built-in fonts. compile - outputs PDF (default), SVG, PNG; HTML support in progress. watch - interactive mode with incremental, live PDF preview. Typst can use standard system fonts and includes a built-in font set. Live preview responsiveness is praised, even on large documents, benefiting long works like doctoral theses. --- Improvements over LaTeX Employs Knuth and Plass’s proven line-breaking algorithm for excellent paragraph layout. Math typesetting closely follows TeX’s algorithms, producing nearly indistinguishable quality. Single executable typst replaces LaTeX’s multiple engines (pdflatex, xelatex, etc.). Markup syntax is more readable and less verbose: Markdown-style headings (= signs) Simple list syntax (+ for numbered, - for bullet) Inline styling shortcuts and function calls (#underline[Text]) Programming fully integrated with document layout, unlike LaTeX’s macro language or LuaLaTeX’s added Lua. Programming style inspired by Rust, with mostly pure functions minimizing side effects and easing debugging. Typst’s page layout model better handles floating elements and page breaks (splitting large tables across pages). Faster incremental compilation enables real-time previews. Example: Shopping List Markup Equivalent LaTeX requires far more boilerplate and verbosity. --- Drawbacks and Limitations Page layout not as finely tunable as LaTeX; e.g., worse widow/orphan control. Smaller package ecosystem (800+ packages so far vs. decades for LaTeX). Limited journal support; manuscripts often must be converted to LaTeX for submission (Pandoc supports Typst-to-LaTeX conversion). Documentation is still evolving and can be confusing or incomplete. Cannot embed PDFs or easily replicate some LaTeX-specific features (parshape), though packages like Meander are addressing some gaps. Potential for breaking changes as project is young and rapidly developing. Typst is Turing-complete, which may impact strict forward compatibility guarantees, but with simpler language semantics than TeX macros. --- Community and Ecosystem Supportive and active community with a forum and open development. Rapid emergence of packages and tooling. Several commenters noted parallels to past typesetting projects (e.g., Lout) and comparisons with alternatives like SILE. Discussions around forward