Nebula Writer vs. Overleaf: compile LaTeX on your computer

If your thesis or long paper keeps hitting Overleaf's compile timeout, you can compile it on your own computer instead. Overleaf's free plan stops a compile after 10 seconds, and its paid plans allow 4 minutes. Nebula Writer is a desktop app that compiles LaTeX on your computer, with no compile limit tied to your plan, and it has an AI agent that can explain errors and edit the source.

Overleaf is still the better choice for live co-authoring and for working with no setup at all. This post covers both sides.

Plans and limits

Overleaf figures are from its plans page and its June 2025 announcement of the 10-second free limit, as of October 2026.

Nebula Writer stops any single build after 10 minutes, as a safety net for a build that hangs.

Try Overleaf's own fixes first

A timeout does not always mean you have to move. Overleaf's guide to compile timeouts suggests turning on Fast [draft] mode, which replaces images with boxes; using PDF instead of PNG for plots and JPEG for photos; turning on "Stop on first error"; and compiling large projects in stages. If those get you under the limit, you may not need anything else.

Move a project to your computer

1. In Overleaf, download the project source as a .zip file and unzip it. Nebula Writer opens folders, not .zip files.
2. Download Nebula Writer, sign in with Google, choose Open Folder and pick the unzipped folder.
3. Open the main .tex file and compile. If you open a chapter file instead, Nebula Writer compiles through the main file, so \input and \include work as they did on Overleaf.
4. If a package is missing, the error card offers Install missing TeX package and retry.

What compiles your document

Tectonic is built into the app and fetches the packages a document needs as it compiles. For closer compatibility with Overleaf projects, install TeX Live from Settings, Files & Export, LaTeX Engine (Recommended or Full). When TeX Live is available, Nebula Writer uses it through latexmk. It picks pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX from a % !TeX program = xelatex comment at the top of the file, uses LuaLaTeX when the document loads fontspec, and otherwise uses pdfLaTeX.

The LaTeX editor has Edit, Split and Preview views and an Auto Compile option, and SyncTeX lets you jump between the PDF and the source. Projects that run external programs during the build, such as minted, need you to trust the project first with Enable trusted shell escape. The LaTeX guide covers the details.

What the agent adds

The agent can compile the document, read the log, explain the first error and propose the smallest fix. It can insert citations using keys from your .bib file, add figures and booktabs tables, and look at the compiled page that a range of source lines produced. Each changed line can be accepted or rejected on its own, then you compile again.

Compile @thesis/main.tex. Explain the first error in the log and propose the
smallest fix. Keep labels, citation keys and commands as they are. Do not
edit anything until I approve.

You should see the explanation in the agent pane and no file changes. When you approve, a review bar appears on the .tex file with the changed lines.

In @chapters/background.tex, add a citation to smith2024deep at the end of
the sentence that starts "Earlier studies". Use the key from @references.bib.
Then compile and check that the citation renders.

You should see one changed line to accept or reject, and a fresh PDF.

Finding new papers and adding them to your .bib file uses academic search, which is a Pro feature.

Where Overleaf is the better choice

• Live co-authoring, with comments and tracked changes in the browser. Nebula Writer has no live co-editing; share through Git, a shared drive or a PDF.
• A rich-text view of LaTeX. Nebula Writer shows the source and the PDF, not a visual editor.
• A large template gallery to start from.
• No installation. Overleaf works on any computer with a browser, including ones where you can't install apps.

Limits to know

Nebula Writer needs to be installed and you sign in with a Google account. It runs on macOS (Apple silicon), Windows and Linux. The AI runs in the cloud. Your request and the parts of your documents the agent needs are sent to our servers and our AI provider. Your files stay in your folder.

If a coauthor works in Word, see how to convert LaTeX to Word for coauthors. The same agent also edits Word, Excel and PowerPoint files; see what it can do in each format or the AI presentation editor.

The editor and LaTeX compiling are free, with a monthly AI allowance. Pro is $15 a month for more AI. Compare plans.