\compare{vs-reportlab}
ReportLab builds PDFs by placing objects at exact coordinates. FormaTeX lets TeX handle layout automatically — so you describe your document instead of micromanaging it.
ReportLab is a Python library for generating PDFs programmatically. You construct documents by placing text frames, tables, and graphics at explicit x/y coordinates on a canvas — a model borrowed from PostScript. Its commercial edition, ReportLab PLUS, adds flowable platypus components to reduce manual positioning.
ReportLab has no math typesetting, and building a table with professional typography requires carefully tuned column widths, padding values, and line styles written in Python code.
FormaTeX is a LaTeX compilation API. You write a .tex file describing your document's structure — sections, math, tables — and TeX handles all page layout automatically. You send the source to the API and get a publication-quality PDF back in seconds.
The 6,000+ packages on CTAN cover everything from chemistry diagrams to musical notation. No coordinate math required.
\section{Feature Comparison}
A detailed breakdown across output quality, math support, tables, and ecosystem depth.
| Feature | FormaTeX | ReportLab |
|---|---|---|
| Output quality | TeX typesetting | Programmatic layout |
| Math support | Yes | No |
| Complex tables | Yes | Manual coordinates |
| Template reuse | .tex template files | Python class inheritance |
| REST API | Yes | No |
| Package ecosystem | CTAN (6,000+ packages) | PyPI extensions |
| Typography quality | Professional (TeX kern) | Basic |
| Learning curve | LaTeX syntax | Python API |
\section{Code Comparison}
A quarterly report with a heading, a math formula, and a data table — written in ReportLab and FormaTeX side by side.
from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import letter
from reportlab.platypus import SimpleDocTemplate, Paragraph, Table
from reportlab.lib.styles import getSampleStyleSheet
doc = SimpleDocTemplate("report.pdf", pagesize=letter)
styles = getSampleStyleSheet()
# Manual coordinate-based table layout
data = [["Metric", "Q1", "Q2"], ["Revenue", "$1.2M", "$1.4M"]]
table = Table(data, colWidths=[200, 100, 100])
story = [
Paragraph("Quarterly Report", styles["Heading1"]),
Paragraph(
"Revenue grew 12% year-over-year.",
styles["BodyText"],
),
table,
]
doc.build(story)import requests
LATEX = r"""
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath, booktabs}
\begin{document}
\section*{Quarterly Report}
Revenue grew by 12\% year-over-year:
\[
\text{Growth} = \frac{Q_2 - Q_1}{Q_1} \approx 12\%
\]
\begin{tabular}{lrr}
\toprule
Metric & Q1 & Q2 \\
\midrule
Revenue & \$1.2M & \$1.4M \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{document}
"""
response = requests.post(
"https://api.formatex.io/v1/compile/sync",
headers={
"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY",
"Content-Type": "application/json",
},
json={"source": LATEX, "engine": "pdflatex"},
)
with open("report.pdf", "wb") as f:
f.write(response.content)Try the FormaTeX version live
Open the playground with the document pre-loaded — compile it in one click.
\section{Python Devs}
No ReportLab canvas setup, no flowable wiring, no platypus boilerplate. Post your LaTeX source and write the response to a file. The API handles the rest.
ReportLab has no native math support. Rendering equations requires ugly workarounds like pre-rendered PNG images. FormaTeX uses the same TeX math engine as Nature and arXiv.
A FormaTeX template is a plain .tex file you version-control alongside your Python code. Swap a class file and every generated document inherits the new design — no Python subclass refactor needed.
\end{vs-reportlab}
Sign up free — no credit card required. Compile your first LaTeX PDF from Python in under five minutes.
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.