MacTeX vs Texpad

Struggling to choose between MacTeX and Texpad? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

MacTeX is a Office & Productivity solution with tags like tex, latex, typesetting, document-preparation.

It boasts features such as Complete TeX Live distribution, TeXShop editor, TeXworks editor, BibDesk reference manager, LaTeXiT equation editor, TeX Live Utility for managing the TeX distribution and pros including Easy installation and management of TeX on macOS, Includes major TeX editors and tools, Active development and support community.

On the other hand, Texpad is a Office & Productivity product tagged with latex, text-editor, equations, bibliography.

Its standout features include Syntax highlighting, Auto-completion of LaTeX commands, Real-time preview of equations and diagrams, BibTeX integration, Git support, iCloud sync between Mac and iOS, and it shines with pros like Clean and intuitive UI, Powerful LaTeX editing features, Seamless experience across macOS and iOS, Actively developed and maintained.

Feature	MacTeX	Texpad
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Office & Productivity	Office & Productivity

Product Overview

MacTeX

Description: MacTeX is a free, open source TeX/LaTeX distribution for macOS based on TeX Live. It includes TeX engines, macro packages, fonts, documentation, and GUI applications like TeXShop.

Texpad

Description: Texpad is a LaTeX text editor for macOS and iOS. It has an elegant user interface optimized for typing LaTeX documents, with features like auto-completion, syntax highlighting, equations rendering, and bibliography management.

Key Features Comparison

MacTeX Features

• Complete TeX Live distribution
• TeXShop editor
• TeXworks editor
• BibDesk reference manager
• LaTeXiT equation editor
• TeX Live Utility for managing the TeX distribution

Texpad Features

• Syntax highlighting
• Auto-completion of LaTeX commands
• Real-time preview of equations and diagrams
• BibTeX integration
• Git support
• iCloud sync between Mac and iOS

Pros & Cons Analysis

MacTeX

Pros

• Easy installation and management of TeX on macOS
• Includes major TeX editors and tools
• Active development and support community

Cons

• Large storage footprint
• Annual updates can sometimes cause compatibility issues
• Less customizable than manual TeX Live installation

Texpad

Pros

• Clean and intuitive UI
• Powerful LaTeX editing features
• Seamless experience across macOS and iOS
• Actively developed and maintained

Cons

• Costs money unlike some competitors
• Less customization options than Emacs+AucTeX
• iOS version has fewer features than desktop

Pricing Comparison

MacTeX

• Free
• Open Source

Texpad

• One-time Purchase