FAQ

Quick answers to the questions people ask most. If yours isn’t here, contact support.

Plans and account

Is Luzbase free?

Yes. The Free plan is free for as long as you use it, with no credit card needed. Pro adds more storage, more collaborators, full version history and other features. See Plans and limits and the pricing page.

Is there a free trial of Pro?

There’s no trial, because you don’t need one: the Free plan never expires. Use it as long as you like and upgrade when you need more.

Does the Free plan keep all my versions?

No. The Free plan keeps a limited window of version history, set by the project owner’s plan. Older versions are hidden, and after an email notice their stored files are deleted. The latest version of every branch is always kept. See History.

Is there a student or education discount?

There is no separate student plan. If you have a promo code, you can redeem it in the Promo code section of the Billing page in your account.

Does Luzbase have single sign-on (SSO)?

Luzbase doesn’t offer SSO. You can sign in with email and password, Google or GitHub. For organisations, contact us.

Can I delete my account and get my data back later?

No. Deleting your account is immediate and permanent, together with every project you own. Transfer shared projects to a co-author first, and export anything you want to keep. See Delete your account.

Can I use Luzbase in my language?

The Luzbase interface is in English only. Your documents can be in any language LaTeX supports.

Writing and editing

Does Luzbase have track changes?

No. To propose changes for review, work on a branch and open a pull request. Your co-authors can see every change, comment and approve before it is merged.

Can I comment on a line of text?

Comments aren’t attached to lines. Instead, you can start a discussion about the project, comment on a saved version, or comment on a pull request.

Is there a chat?

There’s no chat. Use discussions to talk with your co-authors inside a project, and @mention someone to notify them.

Does Luzbase have spell check?

Yes, in visual mode only. It uses your browser’s built-in spell checker and checks your text, not commands or math. There is no spell check in code mode, no custom dictionary and no grammar check.

Which features doesn’t Luzbase have?

Luzbase has no AI writing assistant, word count, Vim or Emacs key bindings, custom shortcuts, or Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive sync. To review changes, use branches and pull requests. To talk with co-authors, use discussions. For the shortcuts that exist, see Keyboard shortcuts.

Can I search and replace across all files?

Find and replace works in the file that’s open. Open each file to search it.

Is there a dark mode?

Yes. Go to Account settings → Preferences and choose System, Light or Dark under Theme. The editor follows the same theme.

Can I work offline?

Not fully. If your connection drops, Luzbase keeps your edits in the open browser tab and sends them when you are back online. If you close the tab while offline, those edits are lost.

Compiling

Which TeX distribution does Luzbase use?

A recent TeX Live distribution, the same for every project. You cannot choose another TeX Live year. See Compilers and TeX Live.

How do I use XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX?

Add a magic comment on its own line near the top of your main file, for example % !TEX program = xelatex or % !TEX program = lualatex. Without it, Luzbase uses pdfLaTeX, or XeLaTeX if the main file loads fontspec, unicode-math or polyglossia.

How do I choose the main file?

There is no setting for it. Luzbase picks it automatically. The most reliable setup is a file called main.tex at the top level of the project. See The main file.

Can I install a package that is missing?

Compiles have no internet access, so packages cannot be downloaded. If a package or class is not part of TeX Live, upload its .sty or .cls file to your project.

Does `minted` or `--shell-escape` work?

Only the restricted shell escape that TeX Live allows by default is available, so packages that run external programs (such as minted, pythontex or sagetex) do not work. For code listings, use the listings package.

Is there a compile time limit?

Yes. One LaTeX run can take up to 55 seconds, on every plan. Large TikZ or pgfplots figures are the usual reason to hit it. See Compiling.

My compile failed. Where do I start?

Open the Output panel, fix the first error it lists, and compile again. See Common LaTeX errors.

Can I bring a project from another LaTeX editor?

Yes. Download or zip the project’s source files and import the .zip into Luzbase. See Import an existing project.

Can I duplicate a project?

There is no Duplicate button. As a workaround, click Save as template on the project page, then create a new project from that template. See Use a template.

Projects are private to their members. To give someone read access, invite them by email with the Viewer role. See Invite collaborators.

Can I recover a deleted project?

No. Deleting a project is permanent, and there is no trash. If you only want to put a project away, archive it instead: you can unarchive it at any time. See Archive and delete.

How do I download my project?

Download the PDF from the preview with Export PDF. To get the source files, open the project’s Settings, go to Export & templates and click Email me a .zip. Luzbase emails you a link to a .zip of the last saved version. See Download and export.

Does Luzbase work with Zotero and Mendeley?

Yes, on the Pro plan. You can sync a library or collection into a .bib file in your project. See Zotero and Mendeley.

FAQ