Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

R Markdown VS Typst

Compare R Markdown VS Typst and see what are their differences

R Markdown logo R Markdown

Dynamic Documents for R

Typst logo Typst

Focus on your text and let Typst take care of layout and formatting. Join the wait list so you can be part of the beta phase.
  • R Markdown Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-19
  • Typst Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-08

R Markdown features and specs

  • Reproducibility
    R Markdown allows users to embed R code within a document, ensuring that analyses are reproducible. Changes to data or code will automatically update outputs in the document.
  • Interactivity
    Users can create interactive documents using Shiny components, enabling dynamic exploration and presentation of data directly from an R Markdown file.
  • Versatility
    R Markdown supports multiple output formats, including HTML, PDF, Word, and slides, making it versatile for different reporting needs.
  • Integration
    Seamlessly integrates with R and the RStudio IDE, allowing easy code execution, visualization, and document creation in a single environment.
  • Customization
    Supports extensive customization with themes, templates, and support for LaTeX, ensuring documents fit specific stylistic and formatting requirements.

Possible disadvantages of R Markdown

  • Learning Curve
    Beginners may find it challenging to learn R Markdown due to the need to understand both Markdown syntax and R code integration.
  • Complexity with Large Projects
    Managing large projects can become complex, especially when integrating multiple datasets, scripts, and output types.
  • Performance Limitations
    Rendering large documents with extensive computations can be slow and may require substantial computational resources.
  • Limited Native Support
    R Markdown's native support for certain advanced features is limited, and additional packages or configurations may be necessary.
  • Dependency Management
    Ensuring all required packages and their versions are correctly installed and managed across different environments can be challenging.

Typst features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Typst provides a user-friendly interface that makes it easier for users to create documents without dealing with the intricate syntax often associated with similar typesetting tools.
  • Real-time Collaboration
    The platform supports real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on a document simultaneously, which is beneficial for team projects and group assignments.
  • Fast Rendering
    Typst is known for its fast rendering capabilities, allowing users to quickly see the results of their formatting and content changes.
  • Template Availability
    It offers a variety of templates to help users start their projects quickly without needing to design from scratch.
  • Customizability
    Typst is highly customizable, allowing users to modify templates and styles to meet their specific needs.

Possible disadvantages of Typst

  • Limited Feature Set
    Compared to more established typesetting systems, Typst might lack some advanced features, which could be a limitation for complex document creation.
  • Dependency on Internet
    As a web-based application, Typst requires an internet connection, which might not be ideal for users who need offline access.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic features are easy to use, mastering advanced functionalities may still require a learning curve for new users.
  • Platform Limitations
    Being a relatively new tool, Typst might not have the same level of community support and third-party integrations as more established platforms like LaTeX.

R Markdown videos

R Markdown with RStudio for Beginners | Google Data Analytics Certificate

More videos:

  • Review - Making your R Markdown Pretty

Typst videos

Typst: The LaTeX alternative in Rust

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to R Markdown and Typst)
Text Editors
51 51%
49% 49
Document Management
0 0%
100% 100
CMS
100 100%
0% 0
Python IDE
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Typst should be more popular than R Markdown. It has been mentiond 35 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

R Markdown mentions (4)

  • Reinventing notebooks as reusable Python programs
    I am surprised they didn't mention RMarkdown (https://rmarkdown.rstudio.com/), which was developed in parallel to Jupyter Notebooks, with lots of convergent evolution. RMarkdown is essentially Markdown with executable code blocks. While it comes from an R background, code blocks can be written in any language (and you can mix multiple languages). The biggest difference (and, I would say, advantage) is that it... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Mdx – Execute Your Markdown Code Blocks, Now in Go
    Reminds me a lot of rmarkdown - which allows you to run many languages in a similar fashion https://rmarkdown.rstudio.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Pandoc
    I'm surprised to see no one has pointed out [RMarkdown + RStudio](https://rmarkdown.rstudio.com) as one way to immediately interface with Pandoc. I used to write papers and slides in LaTeX (using vim, because who needs render previews), then eventually switched to Pandoc (also vim). I eventually discovered RMarkdown+RStudio. I was looking for a nice way to format a simple table and discovered that rmarkdown had... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • 2023 Lookback
    Then, I worked on a Shiny project where I had to learn R Markdown. I was very excited about it because being paid to learn a new technology is something I have always preferred. I also worked with Highcharts graphs, which I didn’t do for years. It was also the first time I was being paid to design something. I didn’t enjoy that part as much as development, but I cannot say it was a bother either. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago

Typst mentions (35)

  • TeX Live 2025 Released
    The masochism of latex is becoming increasingly irrelevant with every typst [1] release. No going back once you experience realtime rendering of your document, and support in VS Code is stellar IMO. [1] http://typst.app. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Show HN: Transform Your Codebase into a Single Markdown Doc for Feeding into AI
    I've never used Quarto, but I might give it a go someday. I currently have a convoluted workflow for generating math-heavy documents that involves generating equations using SymPy in a notebook, accumulating them in a string, and ultimately dumping the string into a Markdown. I would love to simplify this sooner rather than later. I'm also keeping an eye on https://typst.app/ and hoping for a sane alternative to... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Markdown's Big Brother: Say Hello to AsciiDoc
    We could be using html based DSLs and powerful importable components instead of special characters. Monaco (VSCode editor framework) allows frontend devs to make special DSL editors with autocomplete for both desktop and web. Between Spectacle and Typst approaches, I would choose Spectacle. I read the 2003 book The art of Unix programming where the author praises plain text config and says hand editing xml is a... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Microsoft deletes official Windows 11 CPU/TPM bypass for unsupported PCs
    > No way I'll use LaTeX for all my writing, and anything Markdown-based just won't cut it formatting-wise. Have a look at Typst[0]. It's a lot easier to use than LaTeX, while still offering full formatting and layout. Or you could give macOS a go. UNIX with proper desktop versions of the Office apps. ;) [0]: https://typst.app/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • ArXiv LaTeX Cleaner: Clean the LaTeX code of your paper to submit to ArXiv
    I wish journals would start accepting Typst[0] files. It is definitely the format of the next decade in my opinion. It's both open source and highly performant. Sadly existing legacy structures prevent it from gaining the critical mass needed for it to thrive just yet. [0] https://typst.app/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing R Markdown and Typst, you can also consider the following products

Quarto - Open-source scientific and technical publishing system built on Pandoc.

Hokantan - Get top-notch web developers in 1 business day

Obsidian.md - A second brain, for you, forever. Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files.

Python - Python is a clear and powerful object-oriented programming language, comparable to Perl, Ruby, Scheme, or Java.

Medium - Welcome to Medium, a place to read, write, and interact with the stories that matter most to you.

A Dedicated Dev - Subscribe to monthly web development services.