LetX for universities and departments
By Shihab Shahriar Antor · Updated October 2026 · 6 min read
LetX Institution is for departments and universities with more than 50 people. Collaborators are free on every plan; an Institution plan gives Pro to the people who need it, lets anyone with a verified university email join automatically, and is set up with you on one invoice. A department can start this week with a self-serve Team of up to 50 seats.
What an Institution plan includes
- Pro for the people who need it: unlimited compiles, longer builds, full version history, a priority compile queue, GitHub import and export, a monthly Lexi allowance and connecting Claude or ChatGPT.
- Everyone else free: collaborators are free on every plan, so students, co-authors and examiners never need a seat to write together.
- Joining by university email: once we set up your email domain, anyone who signs up with a verified university address joins your organisation automatically.
- Members, roles and an activity log, as on Team.
- One invoice, set up with you.
Start with a Team
A lab, a research group or a course can start today with a self-serve Team: 2 to 50 people, $20 per seat a month or $200 a year, and seats you can move between people. Move to an Institution plan when more people need Pro. Teaching a course? See LaTeX for classes.
What procurement will ask, answered plainly
| Question | Where LetX stands |
|---|---|
| Single sign-on (SAML or OIDC) | Not available yet. People join with their university email. |
| Where data is stored | Amazon Web Services, Asia Pacific (Mumbai): the database, your files and the servers that run LetX. The web app is delivered through Cloudflare. |
| Encryption | HTTPS in transit; the database and stored files are encrypted at rest. |
| AI and your documents | Never used to train AI models. Text goes to the AI provider only when an AI feature runs. |
| Data processing agreement | No standard agreement yet. Contact us if your institution needs one. |
| Security questionnaire (such as HECVAT) | Not completed yet. Contact us if your procurement needs one answered. |
| Certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001) | None. |
| Accessibility | No independent audit yet, so we do not claim WCAG conformance. |
| Invoices | One invoice for an Institution plan. Team payments are invoiced by Lemon Squeezy, our merchant of record. |
The detail, with what each answer rests on, is on security and privacy at LetX.
Talk to us about an Institution plan.
Contact usThe problem with LaTeX in a research group
LaTeX is standard for theses and papers, but the classic workflow scales badly across a group: every student installs a different TeX distribution, files get emailed back and forth, and supervisors review stale drafts. Version mismatches cause “compiles for me, not for you” bugs right before deadlines.
What collaborative LaTeX changes
- Zero install across the lab: browser-based, so shared and student machines need no TeX setup.
- Supervisor co-editing: advisors edit and comment on the live draft, not an email attachment.
- One reproducible compile: everyone builds against the same server toolchain.
- Institutional templates: university thesis formats are ready to open.
Use cases across a department
| Group | Use | LetX fit |
|---|---|---|
| Grad students | Thesis + papers | Real-time co-write with advisor |
| Research labs | Joint papers, grants | Shared compile, no install |
| Courses | Problem sets, reports | Templates + browser access |
| Admin/staff | Formal docs, letters | Ready letter templates |
University templates built in
LetX ships university thesis templates (BUET, BRAC, IIT, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford and more), so students meet formatting rules without fighting margins. Pair them with real-time collaborative editing for a complete department workflow.
LetX is built by Shahriar Labs, with privacy as a default, documents are never used to train AI, which matters for unpublished research. Compare the options in best Overleaf alternatives in 2026.
Set up your lab on fast, private collaborative LaTeX.
Open LetX FreeFrequently asked questions
Does LetX support single sign-on for universities?
Not yet. On an Institution plan, anyone who signs up with a verified address on your university’s email domain joins your organisation automatically. SAML or OIDC single sign-on is not available.
Where does LetX store our data?
On Amazon Web Services in the Asia Pacific (Mumbai) region: the database, your files and the servers that run LetX. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest.
Can a department start small?
Yes. A lab, research group or course can start with a self-serve Team of 2 to 50 people at $20 per seat a month, and move to an Institution plan when more people need Pro.
Why do universities use LaTeX?
LaTeX produces consistent, professional typesetting for math, references, and long structured documents like theses and papers. It’s the standard in many STEM departments, and most journals and conferences provide LaTeX templates.
How do students collaborate on a LaTeX thesis?
With a real-time collaborative editor like LetX, a student and supervisor open the same document in a browser and edit live. Shared cursors, one compile, and no emailed files. Institutional thesis templates are built in.
Does LetX require installation on lab computers?
No. LetX runs in the browser, so shared lab machines and student laptops need no TeX distribution or local setup. Everyone compiles against the same server toolchain for reproducible builds.
Is student research kept private on LetX?
Yes. LetX never uses your documents to train AI, which matters for unpublished theses and research. See the privacy policy for details.
What is the best LaTeX setup for a research lab?
A browser-based, real-time editor with unlimited collaborators and a shared compile, so the whole lab co-writes papers without installing TeX or rationing seats. See the dedicated guide to the best LaTeX editor for research teams.
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Written by Shihab Shahriar Antor , AI Engineer & Founder of Shahriar Labs. Builder of LetX (collaborative LaTeX) and QuantumSketch (AI STEM video).