Free alternative to Mathpix
Home › Guides · Last checked 2026-11-03 · Facts verified from each project's docs unless marked tested
The closest free alternative to Mathpix is Marker, an open-source converter that turns PDFs, images, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, HTML and EPUB files into Markdown, JSON or HTML. It keeps tables, forms and equations, writes math as LaTeX and runs on your own GPU, CPU or Apple Silicon. Mathpix Snip's free plan allows 10 PDF pages and 10 images a month, and Pro is $4.99 a month or $49.90 a year for 1,000 PDF pages and 5,000 images a month. The catch: Marker is a command-line Python tool, not a screen-snipping app or phone app. Its code is Apache 2.0, but its model weights are free only for research, personal use and startups under $5M in funding or revenue.
| Mathpix Snip | Marker | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free 10 PDF pages + 10 images/mo; Pro $4.99/mo or $49.90/yr (Mathpix Snip pricing page) | $0 (Apache 2.0 code; weights free for personal use, research and startups under $5M) |
| Monthly limit | Pro: 1,000 PDF pages and 5,000 images, then pay per page | None beyond your hardware |
| Inputs | Screenshots, photos, handwriting, PDFs | PDF, images, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, HTML, EPUB |
| Outputs | LaTeX, Markdown, Word and more | Markdown, JSON, HTML, chunks; math as LaTeX |
| Where it runs | Mathpix apps and cloud | Your computer (NVIDIA GPU, CPU or Apple Silicon) |
| Ease of use | Snipping tool, desktop and phone apps | Command line or a simple local web app |
Get started free in 5 steps
- Install Python 3.10 or newer and PyTorch for your machine.
- Run
pip install marker-pdf(orpip install marker-pdf[full]for Word, PowerPoint, Excel, HTML and EPUB files). - Set up the OCR backend: Docker plus the NVIDIA Container Toolkit on an NVIDIA GPU, or llama.cpp's
llama-serveron CPU or Mac (brew install llama.cpp). - Convert a file with
marker_single /path/to/paper.pdf, adding--force_ocron CPU or Mac if you need inline math as LaTeX. - Open the Markdown it writes, or run
marker_guito try files in a browser window (Marker).
The catches
- No snipping app: no screen-snipping tool or phone app. You work with files.
- Setup: Python, PyTorch and a local inference server, which is more than installing an app.
- Weights license: companies over $5M in funding or revenue need a paid license for the models.
- CPU is the slow path: fast mode on CPU skips some OCR work unless you force it, so check math-heavy pages.
- Handwriting: Mathpix sells handwriting recognition. Marker's README doesn't mention handwriting, so test your own notes before you rely on it.
When Mathpix is still worth paying for
If you snip equations from your screen many times a day, or photograph handwritten notes on your phone, $4.99 a month buys a snipping tool and apps with nothing to set up. Marker wins when you convert whole PDFs, papers or textbooks in bulk and don't want a page cap or a monthly bill.
Related: Free ChatPDF alternative (AnythingLLM) · Free DeepL Pro alternative · All free writing tools
Sources: Marker README and GitHub license (Apache 2.0), Marker releases (Marker 2.1.0, October 29, 2026), marker-pdf on PyPI (2.1.0, Python 3.10+), Mathpix Snip pricing page (plans, usage and FAQ) (all checked 2026-11-03). We have no affiliate link with either.
FAQ
How much does Mathpix cost?
Mathpix's Snip pricing page (checked 2026-11-03) lists Free and Educational at $0 with 10 PDF pages and 10 images a month (double with a .edu email). Pro is $4.99 a month or $49.90 a year with 1,000 PDF pages and 5,000 images a month. Organization is $9.99 a month for 2 users. Extra usage costs $0.0035 per PDF page and $0.002 per image, and the FAQ says subscriptions are non-refundable.
Is Marker really free?
The code is Apache 2.0, free to use including commercially. The README says the model weights use a modified AI Pubs Open Rail-M license that is free for research, personal use and startups under $5M in funding or revenue. Bigger companies need a commercial license from Datalab, the company behind Marker.
Can Marker turn equations into LaTeX?
Yes. Its README says it formats equations and inline math, and inline math becomes LaTeX automatically in balanced mode, the default on a GPU. In fast mode, the default on CPU and Mac, add --force_ocr or --ocr_inline_math to get the same.
What do I need to run Marker?
Python 3.10 or newer and PyTorch, then pip install marker-pdf. Marker also starts a local inference server for its OCR model on first use: vLLM in Docker with the NVIDIA Container Toolkit on an NVIDIA GPU, or the llama-server binary from llama.cpp on CPU or Apple Silicon (brew install llama.cpp on a Mac).
Can I snip an equation from my screen like Mathpix Snip?
Not directly. Marker has no snipping tool. Save a screenshot and run marker_single on the image, or use its marker_gui app to try files in a browser window.
Does Marker need an AI API key?
No. It runs locally by default. An optional --use_llm mode adds an LLM for harder tables and math, and that does need a provider such as Gemini, Claude or an OpenAI-compatible API, or a local Ollama model.