Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Clarity.
General
What is Clarity? Clarity is an AI-powered, collaborative scientific editor that supports LaTeX and Typst. Think of it as a modern, AI-enhanced alternative to Overleaf.
Is Clarity free? Yes! The free plan includes the full editor, cloud compilation, and one project. Upgrade to Supporter ($9/mo) for unlimited projects and faster builds.
Do I need to install anything? No. Clarity is entirely browser-based. It works on any device with a modern web browser.
Editor
Which LaTeX distribution does Clarity use? Clarity uses a full texlive installation running in Docker containers. All packages are pre-installed — no manual setup needed.
Can I upload my own .sty or .cls files? Yes. You can add custom style and class files to your project, and they'll be picked up during compilation.
Does Clarity support BibTeX? Yes. Add a .bib file to your project and reference it with \bibliography{} or \addbibresource{}.
Collaboration
How many people can collaborate on a project? There's no hard limit. Clarity's real-time engine scales to handle multiple concurrent editors.
Is my data secure? Yes. Share links use signed HMAC tokens with expiration. Collaboration uses authenticated WebSocket connections. All data is encrypted in transit.
Can I work offline? The editor requires an internet connection for compilation and collaboration sync. However, your local edits are preserved and will sync when you reconnect.
AI Assistant
Which AI models does Clarity support? Clarity supports models from Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI (GPT), and Google (Gemini). You can configure your preferred model in Settings.
Can the AI access my files? Only within the current project, and only when you interact with it. The AI cannot access other projects or external data.
Will the AI modify my files without permission? No. Every AI edit goes through a staged approval workflow. You see a diff preview and must approve before any changes are applied.