\compare{vs-latex-online}
LaTeX-Online is a simple, open compilation endpoint — useful for quick experiments but missing the reliability and feature set production apps require. Here is how the two compare.
LaTeX-Online (latexonline.cc) is an open-source compilation service that accepts LaTeX source via a URL query parameter and returns a PDF. It requires no account, no API key, and is freely hosted. It is popular for embedding compiled PDFs into README files and simple demos.
However, it was not built for production use. It has no authentication, no rate-limit guarantees, no async compilation mode, and supports only a single engine (pdfLaTeX). Because it is a shared, community-hosted resource, availability and response times can vary unpredictably under load.
Its source code is open, meaning it can be self-hosted — but that trades the convenience of a managed service for the overhead of running and maintaining your own TeX Live infrastructure.
| Feature | FormaTeX | LaTeX-Online |
|---|---|---|
| REST API | Full (POST /compile, /async, /batch) | URL-based GET only |
| Authentication | API keys with scopes | |
| Rate limits | Defined per plan, documented | Unknown / shared resource |
| pdfLaTeX engine | ||
| XeLaTeX engine | ||
| LuaLaTeX engine | ||
| LaTeXmk engine | ||
| Async compilation | ||
| Webhooks | ||
| SLA / uptime guarantee | 99.9% on paid plans | |
| Browser editor | ||
| AI assistant | ||
| Support | Email + docs | Community only |
FormaTeX was built from the ground up for teams that need reliable, programmable LaTeX compilation in production.
Authenticated endpoints with documented rate limits, retry semantics, and versioned URLs. Build with confidence that the API contract will not change under you.
XeLaTeX for custom fonts, LuaLaTeX for advanced scripting, LaTeXmk for multi-pass documents. Choose the right engine for each document instead of being locked into pdfLaTeX.
Submit a job and get notified when the PDF is ready — no polling required. Ideal for pipelines that generate large or complex documents where compilation takes time.
99.9% SLA on paid plans, dedicated infrastructure, not a shared community service. Your compilation jobs are isolated and prioritised on their own resources.
Switching from LaTeX-Online to FormaTeX requires only two changes: replace the endpoint URL with https://api.formatex.io/api/v1/compile and add your API key as an Authorization: Bearer <key> header. The rest of your workflow stays the same.
Ready-to-use code snippets are available in the cURL guide and Python guide. Most integrations migrate in under ten minutes.
Free tier — 15 API compilations per month. No credit card required.
One quick thing
We track anonymous usage — page views, feature usage, compilation events — to understand what works and what doesn't. No ads, no personal data, no third-party sharing.