Do I need a specific LaTeX template for each journal?

Yes. Most journals mandate their own document class (IEEEtran, llncs, acmart, elsarticle, RevTeX, AASTeX). Using the correct class ensures the right margins, columns and reference style, and avoids desk-rejection for formatting.

What is the best LaTeX template for an IEEE paper?

Use IEEEtran, the official IEEE class. Our IEEE conference paper template is pre-configured with the two-column layout, author block and bibliography style IEEE expects.

How do I write a paper in LaTeX without installing it?

Open any paper template on LetX and click "Open as Template". It compiles to PDF in seconds in your browser, supports real-time collaboration, and exports submission-ready source.

Which template should I use for arXiv?

arXiv accepts any LaTeX class, so you can post your journal-formatted source directly, or use a clean preprint template like our elegant arXiv preprint for a venue-neutral look.

Can multiple authors edit the same LaTeX paper at once?

Yes. On LetX several co-authors edit the same source simultaneously in the browser, with fast compiles, and your work is never used to train AI.

Best LaTeX Research Paper Templates 2026

The right LaTeX paper template is the one your target venue publishes: IEEEtran for IEEE, llncs for Springer, acmart for ACM, RevTeX for Physical Review, and AASTeX for astronomy. Pick the matching class and the formatting is handled for you. Here are the best free ones.

Every template below is compile-tested and opens on LetX with fast compiles and real-time co-authoring, and your unpublished work is never used to train AI.

Match the publisher, not the field

A desk rejection on format happens before anyone reads the science, and it is the publisher whose rules decide it. Filter by publisher first. The second filter is the one worth knowing about: a submission is not one document. There is a cover letter to write, a response to reviewers later, and for some venues a registered report or a protocol before any of it.

Find the template your journal expects

All 52 are free and open in the browser.

Filter by publisher, by which part of the submission you are writing, and by field.

PublisherWho rejects you on format, so match this first

What you are writingA submission is more than the manuscript

FieldWhere the conventions differ by discipline

Showing 52 of 52 templates

Submitting to a conference instead

A conference is a different venue with different rules, not a kind of journal, and the thing it asks for is frequently not a paper. An extended abstract, a doctoral consortium submission, a workshop paper and a poster companion each have their own format, and each is a separate template. Filter by venue family first, then by what you were actually told to produce.

Find the template your conference expects

All 78 are free and open in the browser.

Filter by venue family and by what you are actually submitting: a full paper, a short paper, a workshop paper, an extended abstract or a poster.

VenueWho refuses you on format, so match this first

What you are submittingOften not a full paper

Showing 78 of 78 templates

The templates

IEEE Conference Template

IEEEtran, the standard two-column class for IEEE conferences and transactions.

Open in LetX →

Springer LNCS

Springer LNCS (llncs), required for many CS conference proceedings.

Open in LetX →

ACM Article Template

ACM acmart, the official class for ACM journals and conferences.

Open in LetX →

Elsevier Article (elsarticle)

Elsevier elsarticle, for Elsevier journals across science and engineering.

Open in LetX →

Nature Article Template

A Nature-style article layout for high-impact submissions and preprints.

Open in LetX →

REVTeX 4.2 Physics Paper

RevTeX 4.2, American Physical Society journals (PRD/PRL/PRX).

Open in LetX →

AASTeX Astronomy Paper

AASTeX 6.3.1, The Astrophysical Journal, AJ and other AAS journals.

Open in LetX →

MNRAS Journal Paper

MNRAS. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Open in LetX →

Elegant arXiv Preprint

A clean, elegant arXiv preprint layout for posting before peer review.

Open in LetX →

PRISMA Systematic Review

A PRISMA-compliant systematic review template with the flow diagram.

Open in LetX →

Clinical Case Report

A structured clinical case report for medical journals.

Open in LetX →

Elsevier CAS Double Column

Elsevier CAS double-column class for the newer Elsevier format.

Open in LetX →

Which one should you pick?

If you are submitting to...	Use
IEEE conference/journal	IEEE (IEEEtran)
Springer CS proceedings	Springer LNCS
ACM venue	ACM acmart
Physics (APS)	RevTeX 4.2
Astronomy (AAS/RAS)	AASTeX or MNRAS
Preprint server	arXiv preprint

Browse them all, plus 1000+ other free LaTeX templates, at letx.app/templates. Everything is MIT-licensed and compiles in your browser in seconds.

Best LaTeX Research Paper Templates (2026)

Match the publisher, not the field

Find the template your journal expects

Submitting to a conference instead

Find the template your conference expects

The templates

IEEE Conference Template

Springer LNCS

ACM Article Template

Elsevier Article (elsarticle)

Nature Article Template

REVTeX 4.2 Physics Paper

AASTeX Astronomy Paper

MNRAS Journal Paper

Elegant arXiv Preprint

PRISMA Systematic Review

Clinical Case Report

Elsevier CAS Double Column

Which one should you pick?

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

Ready to try LetX?