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TeX Live Utility vs MacTeX

Side-by-side comparison for macOS

TeX Live Utility

8.0
Developer Tools

Graphical user interface for TeX Live Manager

MacTeX

6.5
Developer Tools

Full TeX Live distribution without GUI applications

Metric TeX Live Utility MacTeX
Category Developer Tools Developer Tools
AI Score 8.0 6.5
30-day Installs 78 2.5K
90-day Installs 289 6.3K
365-day Installs 1.1K 18.4K
Version 1.55 2026.0324
Auto-updates Yes No
Deprecated No No
GitHub Stars 318 1
GitHub Forks 17 -
Open Issues 17 -
License BSD-3-Clause
Language Objective-C TeX
Last GitHub Commit 2mo ago 7y ago
First Seen Aug 9, 2023 Aug 9, 2023

Reviews

TeX Live Utility

TeX Live Utility is a graphical user interface for managing TeX Live packages on macOS. It simplifies package installation, updates, and automation, making it ideal for LaTeX users who prefer a visual interface over command-line tools.

Provides a graphical interface for managing and updating TeX Live packages.

Pros

  • + User-friendly graphical interface for TeX Live management
  • + Automates package updates and installations
  • + Actively maintained with frequent updates

Cons

  • - Niche audience, primarily for LaTeX users
  • - Some reported issues with package updates

MacTeX

MacTeX provides a comprehensive TeX Live distribution without GUI applications, ideal for developers and users who prefer command-line tools. It includes essential LaTeX components for document creation, particularly useful in academic and technical fields.

Provides a full TeX Live distribution for LaTeX document creation without graphical user interfaces.

Pros

  • + Comprehensive TeX Live distribution for LaTeX needs
  • + Lightweight without GUI applications
  • + Free and essential for command-line users

Cons

  • - No auto-updates available
  • - Inactive project with unknown license