Typst is the modern alternative to LaTeX. Kern runs the Typst compiler on your phone, so the preview updates as you type, fully offline, with no account.
The official Typst compiler runs on your phone, so there is no server and no upload. Packages from Typst Universe download once when a document imports them, then work offline.
Photograph a printed formula, pick an image or write it by hand, and Kern turns it into Typst math. Recognition and conversion run on your device; images are never uploaded.
Seventeen Typst templates: resumes, cover letter, homework, lecture notes, theses, papers, slides, an exam and a research poster.
A row of Typst characters sits above the keyboard, with your own quick-insert commands beside it. Autocomplete comes from the Typst compiler itself.
Moving from LaTeX? Kern Pro converts a .tex project or an Overleaf .zip into a new Typst project. Typst files open straight from your file manager.
Light, dark or system theme, font size, line numbers, word wrap, minimap and auto-closing brackets. The preview follows your typing; full compiles run on save or when you ask.
Everything you need to write, compile and sync is free. Kern Pro is a one-time purchase through Google Play that removes ads and adds Snap math, LaTeX import and premium templates. No subscription.
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited projects | ✓ | ✓ |
| Offline compiler | ✓ | ✓ |
| Live preview | ✓ | ✓ |
| Symbol keyboard bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Git & Google Drive sync | ✓ | ✓ |
| PDF & equation-image export | ✓ | ✓ |
| 7 essential templates | ✓ | ✓ |
| No ads | — | ✓ |
| Snap math: camera & handwriting | — | ✓ |
| Import LaTeX projects as Typst | — | ✓ |
| 10 premium templates | — | ✓ |
Kern has no account system, no analytics and no server that receives your documents. Compiling, Snap math and LaTeX import all run on your device.
Read the privacy policyTypst is a modern markup-based typesetting system and an alternative to LaTeX, with simpler syntax and fast, incremental compiles. Kern is an independent app that runs the open-source Typst compiler on Android; it is not affiliated with Typst GmbH.
Yes. The Typst compiler runs on your phone. Packages from Typst Universe download the first time a document imports them and are kept for offline use.
Yes. Writing, live preview, compiling, Git and Google Drive sync, PDF export and 7 templates are free, with ads. Kern Pro is a one-time purchase that removes ads and adds Snap math, LaTeX import and 10 premium templates.
Yes, with Kern Pro. Import a .tex file, a project folder or an Overleaf .zip and Kern converts it into a new Typst project on your device. Complex LaTeX may need some touch-up after conversion.
Yes. Search packages on the Insert screen and add the import in one tap; Kern offers the newest version that its bundled Typst compiler supports.
No. Your projects stay in the app's private storage, or in a folder you choose. They only leave your phone if you sync them to Git or Google Drive yourself.
Phones and tablets running Android 8.0 or newer with a 64-bit processor, plus Chromebooks with Google Play.
Typst, on your phone.
Get it onGoogle Play
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