MiKTeX Download and Setup Guide for Windows (2026)

MiKTeX is the most widely used LaTeX distribution for Windows: a free download that installs the pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX, and LuaLaTeX engines, the TeXworks editor, and a package manager that fetches missing packages automatically the first time a document needs them. To install it, download the 64-bit Basic Installer from miktex.org, run it for the current user, say Yes to "install missing packages on the fly", then open MiKTeX Console and click Check for updates.

This 2026 guide walks through the download, the installer choices, MiKTeX Console, pairing MiKTeX with an editor, the errors people hit most often, how MiKTeX compares with TeX Live, and how to uninstall it. It also covers the alternative: writing LaTeX in the browser with no installation at all.

MiKTeX Download and Install (Windows, macOS, Linux)

All official downloads are on miktex.org/download. Download only from there (or a CTAN mirror): third-party "MiKTeX download" sites often bundle adware or stale versions.

On every platform, packages are installed on the fly. Make sure it is switched on so a missing package never stops a compile: in MiKTeX Console go to Settings and choose "Always install missing packages on-the-fly", or run this once in a terminal:

1initexmf --set-config-value [MPM]AutoInstall=1
Copy

What MiKTeX Is (and Is Not)

MiKTeX is a distribution, not an editor. It provides the compilers (pdflatex, xelatex, lualatex, latexmk, bibtex, biber), the fonts, and roughly 4,000 packages from CTAN, together with a package manager and update tool. You write in an editor of your choice and that editor calls MiKTeX to turn .tex into PDF. MiKTeX bundles a simple editor, TeXworks, so a fresh installation is enough to compile your first document, but most people switch to a richer editor later.

MiKTeX runs on Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit), macOS, and Linux, but Windows is where it is dominant; on macOS and Linux, TeX Live (and MacTeX) is more common.

Downloading MiKTeX

1. Go to miktex.org and open the Download page.
2. Under Windows, download the Basic MiKTeX Installer (64-bit). It is about 250 MB and contains the core system; packages arrive on demand.
3. If you need a complete offline system, choose the MiKTeX Net Installer instead, which downloads the full package set (several gigabytes) in a second step.
4. A portable edition exists for USB sticks and locked-down machines; it needs no installation and writes nothing to the registry.

For almost everyone, the Basic Installer is the right choice. On-the-fly installation means you never install packages by hand, and a complete download that you will never fully use is a waste of disk and time.

Installing MiKTeX on Windows

Run the installer and work through the wizard:

• License. Accept.
• Scope. "Install MiKTeX only for me" is the default and avoids administrator rights. "Install MiKTeX for all users" needs an administrator account and installs under Program Files; choose it on a shared or lab computer.
• Install location. The default under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\MiKTeX is fine.
• Settings. Set "Install missing packages on-the-fly" to Yes, choose your paper size (Letter in the US, A4 almost everywhere else), and leave the rest.
• Install. The copying takes a few minutes. When it finishes, the wizard offers to open MiKTeX Console; accept.

A user-mode installation also adds the bin directory to your user PATH, so pdflatex --version works in a new terminal window straight away. Terminals that were already open need to be closed and reopened to pick up the new PATH.

MiKTeX Console

MiKTeX Console is the control centre and the first thing to open after installing. It has three main pages:

• Overview shows whether updates are available and whether you are in user mode or administrator mode. Click Check for updates now, then Update now; a fresh installer is usually some weeks behind the repository.
• Packages lists every package with its installed state. Search for a name, right-click, Install. This is how you pre-load packages for offline use or install something that on-the-fly installation missed, such as a font package pulled in indirectly.
• Settings holds the on-the-fly option ("Ask me first" is the default in recent versions; set it to "Always" so compilation never stops for a dialog), the paper size, and the directories.

Console can run in two modes. Start it normally for user mode; right-click and choose "Run as administrator" only if you installed for all users. Mixing the two, for instance installing for all users and then updating in user mode, produces a second, private set of packages that gets out of sync with the shared one, and is the source of many confusing "package not found" reports.

There are also command-line equivalents: miktex packages install <name>, miktex packages update, and miktex fndb refresh (the file-name database that MiKTeX uses to locate files).

Compile Your First Document

Open TeXworks from the Start menu, paste this, and press the green Typeset button (Ctrl + T) with pdfLaTeX selected:

1\documentclass{article}
2\usepackage{amsmath}
3\usepackage{booktabs}
4\begin{document}
5\section{Hello from MiKTeX}
6If \texttt{booktabs} was not installed, MiKTeX fetched it just now.
7\[ e^{i\pi} + 1 = 0 \]
8\end{document}
Copy

The first run pauses while MiKTeX downloads any package the document uses; later runs are fast. From a terminal the equivalent is pdflatex hello.tex, or latexmk -pdf hello.tex, which runs as many passes as the document needs for references and bibliographies.

Pairing MiKTeX with an Editor

VS Code with the LaTeX Workshop extension is the most common professional setup on Windows: it builds with latexmk on save, shows the PDF side by side with SyncTeX, and surfaces errors inline. If latexmk fails with a message about Perl, install Strawberry Perl; MiKTeX ships a minimal Perl for its own tools, but older setups sometimes need the full one.

If you want to skip the installation entirely, Octree compiles in the browser with a full TeX Live behind it, so there is nothing to download, update, or add to PATH, and the project is shared with a link. It is the practical option on a locked-down work laptop, a Chromebook, or a tablet.

MiKTeX vs TeX Live

Both are complete, free, and compile the same documents. The differences are in how they handle packages and updates.

Choose MiKTeX if you are on Windows, want a small install, and like packages arriving automatically. Choose TeX Live if you need identical builds across machines or operating systems, are on macOS or Linux, or want everything available offline from day one. Overleaf and Octree both run TeX Live on their servers, so a document that compiles there will compile on a full TeX Live install.

Common MiKTeX Errors and Fixes

The "Package installation" prompt or "required file not found". When a document loads a package you do not have, MiKTeX either shows a dialog asking to install it (on-the-fly set to "Ask me first") or, when the dialog is suppressed by your editor, stops with a missing-file error. Tick "Always show this dialog" off and click Install, or set on-the-fly to Always as shown above; then recompile.

"miktex-console is not recognized" or "command not found". On Windows, start MiKTeX Console from the Start menu rather than a terminal. On Linux and macOS, the setup puts the MiKTeX commands in ~/bin (user setup) or /usr/local/bin (shared setup); run miktexsetup finish if you have not, and make sure that folder is on your PATH, then open a new terminal.

"File xxx.sty not found". On-the-fly installation is off, set to "Ask me first" while the editor suppresses dialogs, or the package database is stale. Open Console, set the on-the-fly option to Always, click Check for updates, and run miktex fndb refresh. If the package name is unusual, search for it on the Packages page: the .sty file often lives in a package with a different name (for example multirow.sty is in multirow, but tikz.sty is in pgf).

Console keeps asking to update itself. When an update includes MiKTeX's own core, Console updates that first, then needs to be restarted to update the rest. Close Console completely, reopen it, and run Update now again. If it loops, run the update from a terminal with miktex packages update and restart.

"pdflatex is not recognized". PATH has not been refreshed. Close and reopen the terminal or editor; if that fails, add the MiKTeX bin folder (shown on Console's Settings page under Directories) to the user PATH in Windows Settings, System, About, Advanced system settings, Environment Variables.

Administrator versus user mode confusion. Errors mentioning "an administrator installation is in a different state" mean the shared and private installations have diverged. Open Console as administrator and update there, or uninstall and reinstall in a single mode.

Font errors after installing a font package. Run initexmf --mkmaps (or Console's Refresh font map files task) so pdfLaTeX finds the new font.

Editor cannot find MiKTeX after a reinstall. Check the editor's build settings point at the executable, or simply at pdflatex with PATH resolution, and that the bin directory matches a user or all-users installation.

Updating and Uninstalling

Update monthly: open Console, Check for updates, Update now. For an all-users installation, do it as administrator. To uninstall, use Windows Settings, Apps, MiKTeX, Uninstall, which removes the program and the installed packages; your .tex files are untouched. Leftover data in %LOCALAPPDATA%\MiKTeX and %APPDATA%\MiKTeX can be deleted by hand if you want a completely clean reinstall.

MiKTeX FAQ

What is MiKTeX?

MiKTeX is a free TeX/LaTeX distribution: the set of programs (pdflatex, xelatex, lualatex, bibtex, biber) and packages that turn a .tex file into a PDF. It is not an editor itself, though it includes TeXworks. Its main feature is installing missing packages automatically while you compile.

Where can I download MiKTeX?

From the official site, miktex.org/download. Choose the Basic MiKTeX Installer for Windows, the .dmg for macOS, or the package repository instructions for your Linux distribution.

Is MiKTeX available for Mac and Linux?

Yes. MiKTeX has a macOS disk image and packages for Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and openSUSE, plus a Docker image. On macOS most people use MacTeX (TeX Live) instead, but MiKTeX works the same way there as on Windows.

How do I install a missing package in MiKTeX?

Usually you do not have to: with on-the-fly installation set to Always, MiKTeX installs it during the compile. To install one manually, open MiKTeX Console, go to Packages, search for the name and click +, or run miktex packages install <name> in a terminal.

Is MiKTeX free?

Yes. MiKTeX is free and open source, maintained by Christian Schenk, and the packages it installs come from CTAN under their own free licences. There is no paid tier.

Which MiKTeX installer should I download?

The 64-bit Basic MiKTeX Installer. It is small, installs quickly, and fetches packages as your documents need them. Use the Net Installer only for an offline or shared machine where you want every package present up front.

MiKTeX or TeX Live for Windows?

MiKTeX for a personal machine where you want automatic packages and rolling updates; TeX Live if you need builds that match a macOS or Linux machine or a CI server, or if you prefer a complete offline install. Documents are portable between them.

Do I need an editor as well as MiKTeX?

MiKTeX includes TeXworks, which is enough to start. Most users move to TeXstudio or VS Code with LaTeX Workshop, or write in a browser editor such as Octree, which needs no distribution at all.

Why does MiKTeX say a package is missing when it is installed?

Usually a user-mode and administrator-mode mismatch, or a stale file-name database. Run miktex fndb refresh, and make sure you install and update in the same mode you installed with.

Skip the installer and write LaTeX in your browser with Octree, the AI LaTeX editor with instant compilation: https://www.useoctree.com