VS Code LaTeX Workshop vs Thetapad: Which Should You Use?

The Editor Dilemma

You want to write LaTeX. Two popular options:

VS Code + LaTeX Workshop: A powerful code editor with LaTeX extension Thetapad: A dedicated LaTeX editor with web interface

Which is right for you?

VS Code + LaTeX Workshop

What It Is

Visual Studio Code is Microsoft's free code editor. LaTeX Workshop is an extension that adds LaTeX support.

Setup Requirements

1. Install VS Code
2. Install a TeX distribution (TeX Live, MiKTeX, or MacTeX)
3. Install LaTeX Workshop extension
4. Configure build recipes (optional)

Strengths

Power user features:

• Full IDE capabilities
• Extensive keyboard shortcuts
• Git integration built-in
• Multi-language support
• Thousands of extensions

Customization:

• Highly configurable
• Custom build recipes
• Snippet creation
• Theme options

Local first:

• All processing on your machine
• No internet required
• No compile limits
• Full privacy

Weaknesses

Setup complexity:

• TeX distribution installation (2-4 GB)
• Extension configuration
• PATH issues on some systems
• Troubleshooting can be difficult

Collaboration:

• No real-time collaboration (native)
• Requires Git or file sharing
• Coordination overhead

Learning curve:

• VS Code itself has complexity
• Settings can be overwhelming
• Many ways to do things

Thetapad

What It Is

A web-based LaTeX editor designed specifically for academic writing.

Setup Requirements

1. Open a web browser
2. Start writing

Strengths

Zero setup:

• No installation
• No configuration
• Works immediately
• Cross-platform (any browser)

Collaboration:

• Real-time editing
• See collaborator cursors
• Comments and review
• Share with a link

Purpose-built:

• Designed for LaTeX specifically
• Academic workflows considered
• Clean, focused interface
• Optimized for writing

Weaknesses

Less customization:

• Fewer configuration options
• Fixed feature set
• Can't add arbitrary extensions

Connectivity:

• Needs internet for full features
• (Offline mode available)

Power user limits:

• Not a general-purpose IDE
• Fewer keyboard shortcuts
• Less scriptable

Feature Comparison

| Feature | VS Code + LaTeX Workshop | Thetapad | |---------|-------------------------|----------| | Setup time | 30-60 minutes | Instant | | Offline work | Full | Supported | | Real-time collaboration | Via extensions | Built-in | | Compilation | Unlimited | Unlimited | | Git integration | Excellent | Good | | Keyboard customization | Extensive | Standard | | Extension ecosystem | Massive | Focused | | TeX distribution | Self-managed | Included | | Mobile/tablet | Limited | Full | | Price | Free | Free tier available |

Use Case Recommendations

Choose VS Code + LaTeX Workshop If:

• You already use VS Code for other programming
• You want maximum customization
• You need to switch between LaTeX and code frequently
• You prefer local-only processing
• You're comfortable with technical setup
• You work primarily solo

Choose Thetapad If:

• You want to start immediately
• Collaboration is important
• You use multiple devices/browsers
• You prefer a focused writing environment
• You don't want to manage TeX installations
• You work with non-technical collaborators

Choose Both If:

• You want local power editing + cloud collaboration
• You switch between solo and team work
• You want redundancy in your tooling

Setting Up VS Code for LaTeX

If you choose VS Code, here's the essential setup:

1. Install TeX Distribution

Windows: MiKTeX or TeX Live macOS: MacTeX Linux: sudo apt install texlive-full

2. Install LaTeX Workshop Extension

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search "LaTeX Workshop"
4. Install

3. Configure (settings.json)

{
  "latex-workshop.latex.autoBuild.run": "onSave",
  "latex-workshop.view.pdf.viewer": "tab",
  "latex-workshop.latex.recipes": [
    {
      "name": "latexmk",
      "tools": ["latexmk"]
    }
  ],
  "latex-workshop.latex.tools": [
    {
      "name": "latexmk",
      "command": "latexmk",
      "args": [
        "-pdf",
        "-interaction=nonstopmode",
        "-synctex=1",
        "%DOC%"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

4. Essential Shortcuts

| Action | Shortcut | |--------|----------| | Build | Ctrl+Alt+B | | View PDF | Ctrl+Alt+V | | Sync to source | Ctrl+Click in PDF | | Toggle word wrap | Alt+Z | | Command palette | Ctrl+Shift+P |

Migration Between Tools

From VS Code to Thetapad

Your .tex files work directly:

1. Upload project folder
2. Open in Thetapad
3. Continue working

From Thetapad to VS Code

Download your project:

1. Export project as ZIP
2. Extract locally
3. Open folder in VS Code
4. Compile

Your documents are portable—you're not locked in.

Workflow Integration

Using Both Together

Some researchers use both:

Intensive solo writing → VS Code (full IDE power)
                              ↓
Push to Git                   ↓
                              ↓
Collaboration phase → Thetapad (real-time editing)
                              ↓
Pull from shared             ↓
                              ↓
Final formatting → VS Code (precise control)

Git as Bridge

# Work in VS Code
git add .
git commit -m "Draft chapter 2"
git push
 
# Collaborator works in Thetapad
# (syncs via Git)
 
# Pull their changes
git pull

Conclusion

VS Code + LaTeX Workshop: Power and customization for technical users who want maximum control.

Thetapad: Simplicity and collaboration for anyone who wants to focus on writing.

Both are excellent choices. The right answer depends on your priorities:

• Priority: Power/Control → VS Code
• Priority: Simplicity/Collaboration → Thetapad
• Priority: Both → Use both, connected via Git

Try each for a week. The one you keep opening is the right one for you.

Thetapad and VS Code both support the same LaTeX—your documents work in either.