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Typst alternatives (2026)

Typst: Apache-2.0 typesetter. Free CLI forever; use when docs should compile fast and the cloud editor is optional.

Its Catch: typst.app collaborative cloud is a separate product with its own free/paid seats — the compiler CLI here is the OSS gem.

Below: 3 free or free-tier tools from the same category (document, PDF and typesetting tools), free and open source first, then the closest match by shared tags. Each keeps its own Catch.

  1. 1.Paperless-ngxGPL-3 document management — scan, OCR, tag, and full-text search

    Free / OSS · GPL-3.0 · 46.9k GitHub stars

    VerdictGPL-3 self-hosted DMS. Use for OCR + searchable archives; not an agent memory substitute.

    CatchVs Notion/Drive dumps: this is a document archive appliance, not a knowledge wiki or agent memory layer. GPL-3 copyleft for modifications; OCR/ML quality depends on language packs and scanner hygiene; public docs/demo endpoints may be WAF-gated from some networks — use the GitHub tree and Compose files as source of truth.

  2. 2.PPT MasterMIT agent skill that turns documents into natively editable PowerPoint decks — real shapes, charts and slide masters

    Free / OSS · OSS/MIT · 63.6k GitHub stars

    VerdictThe best free way to get an agent to produce PowerPoint people can actually edit — bring a strong model and skip the relay sponsors.

    CatchThe author says it outright: the model sets the ceiling and you will not get a finished deck in one shot — the recommendation is a long-context frontier model plus a paid image model, and cheaper models leave more cleanup. Long decks burn a lot of tokens on your own key. The README leads with sponsor blocks for third-party API relay resellers selling Claude/GPT/Gemini access "at a fraction of official rates"; use official provider keys. No SmartArt, by design. Vs hyperframes (HTML to video): this is for decks people will edit in PowerPoint.

  3. 3.GotenbergMIT Docker API that turns HTML and Office files into PDFs

    Free / OSS · OSS/MIT · 13.3k GitHub stars

    VerdictThe default way to add HTML or Office-to-PDF to any backend — keep it on your private network.

    CatchIt converts to PDF, not from it: it won't turn a PDF back into Word or text. It is a service you run next to your app, not a library you import, so you deploy, scale and secure the container yourself, and the bundled Chromium and LibreOffice make it a heavy image. Keep it off the public internet: its URL route fetches whatever address it is sent.

FAQ

What are the best free alternatives to Typst?
Paperless-ngx, PPT Master, Gotenberg. All are reviewed on Stack Gems in the same category (document, PDF and typesetting tools); 3 free or open source.
What is the catch with Typst?
typst.app collaborative cloud is a separate product with its own free/paid seats — the compiler CLI here is the OSS gem.
Is there an open-source alternative to Typst?
Yes: Paperless-ngx (GPL-3.0), PPT Master (OSS/MIT), Gotenberg (OSS/MIT).

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