TeXShop vs MacTeX
Side-by-side comparison for macOS
TeXShop
7.0LaTeX and TeX editor and previewer
MacTeX
7.0Full TeX Live distribution with GUI applications
| Metric | TeXShop | MacTeX |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
| AI Score | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 30-day Installs | 158 | 4.9K |
| 90-day Installs | 409 | 14.7K |
| 365-day Installs | 1.4K | 58.1K |
| Version | 5.57 | 2026.0324 |
| Auto-updates | Yes | No |
| Deprecated | No | No |
| GitHub Stars | 6 | 1 |
| GitHub Forks | 1 | - |
| Open Issues | 1 | - |
| License | — | — |
| Language | C | TeX |
| Last GitHub Commit | 4y ago | 7y ago |
| First Seen | Nov 8, 2013 | Oct 17, 2013 |
Reviews
TeXShop
TeXShop is a macOS application designed for editing and previewing LaTeX and TeX documents. It provides an integrated environment for writing, compiling, and viewing documents, making it ideal for users in academia and technical writing.
TeXShop allows users to edit LaTeX and TeX documents and preview the formatted output in real-time.
Pros
- + Purpose-built for LaTeX and TeX, offering a seamless writing and previewing experience.
- + Actively used with 132 installs in the last 30 days, suggesting ongoing relevance.
- + Integrated previewer enhances productivity for document creation.
Cons
- - Limited community support and GitHub activity may affect future updates and troubleshooting.
- - Unknown license status could be a concern for some users.
MacTeX
MacTeX is a comprehensive TeX distribution for macOS, offering a full TeX Live environment with graphical user interface applications. It is ideal for users needing professional typesetting capabilities, particularly for LaTeX documents.
Provides a complete TeX Live distribution with GUI applications for typesetting documents.
Pros
- + Comprehensive TeX Live distribution
- + Includes graphical user interface applications
- + Maintained by the TeX Users Group (TUG)
- + Essential for LaTeX users on macOS
Cons
- - No auto-update functionality
- - Limited community support and GitHub activity