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WP QuickLaTeX

By advanpix

Content Management / Blog & Article Publishing

Reviewed by Abdul Hameid

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

WP QuickLaTeX Review - In-Depth Analysis

WP QuickLaTeX allows you to insert LaTeX formulas and graphics directly into your posts and comments. It supports custom preambles, TikZ, and provides high-quality SVG output.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.75/10

User Rating

4.6/5 (based on 31+ reviews)

Active Installations

4,000+

Update Frequency

Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

4.43 / 10 (Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

WP QuickLaTeX is an advanced LaTeX plugin designed for WordPress users. It enables the insertion of formulas and graphics using native LaTeX syntax directly in your posts and comments. With support for inline formulas and displayed equations, it offers automatic numbering, labeling, and referencing capabilities.

This plugin does not require any LaTeX installation and is easily customizable through a user interface. It supports SVG vector graphics, ensuring that your formulas remain crisp and clear regardless of scaling. The plugin also allows for the use of custom LaTeX document preambles, enabling the addition of packages and commands as needed.

Users can preview formulas in comments before publishing, and the plugin provides meaningful error messages for any mistakes in LaTeX code. With precise font property tuning and an administrative settings page, WP QuickLaTeX is both powerful and user-friendly.

Comparing to Alternatives

WP QuickLaTeX is a popular plugin for rendering LaTeX equations in WordPress, but it faces competition from several other plugins that offer similar functionality with varying features and support.

Top alternatives

Strengths

High user rating with majority 5-star reviews indicating strong user satisfaction.
Simple to use with shortcode support for embedding LaTeX content.
Good support from the author as noted by users resolving theme-related issues.
Efficient rendering of mathematical notation on web pages.

Weaknesses

Does not support all LaTeX environments, such as tables, limiting full LaTeX functionality.
Relies on external QuickLaTeX.com service which raises privacy concerns and dependency issues.
Last update was several years ago, leading to concerns about plugin maintenance and compatibility.
Known security vulnerabilities, including high severity stored XSS issues, with some lacking fixes.

User Sentiment Analysis

The plugin enjoys a high overall rating with 87% of users giving it 5 stars, reflecting strong satisfaction. However, a small minority of users report significant issues, particularly regarding outdated maintenance and performance problems.

Positive highlights

"Best plugin for Latex Equations" — arindam4u
"Excellent" — Philip Faster
"Simple and works well so far" — lynneinjapan
"Good but has privacy concern" — gqqnbig

Common complaints

Plugin is outdated and has not received updates for several years.
Performance issues including site lag and rendering failures.
Concerns about plugin discontinuation and lack of future support.

Weaknesses

Incomplete LaTeX environment support, missing features like tables.
Dependency on external service QuickLaTeX.com affects privacy and reliability.
Security vulnerabilities with some unpatched high severity issues.
Potential compatibility problems with newer WordPress versions due to lack of updates.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users needing a straightforward and effective plugin for rendering basic LaTeX equations who value simplicity and have minimal advanced LaTeX needs.

Not ideal for

Users requiring full LaTeX environment support, those concerned about privacy and security, or anyone needing a plugin with active maintenance and guaranteed compatibility with the latest WordPress versions.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers core LaTeX rendering capabilities sufficient for most basic mathematical notation needs.

Final Verdict

WP QuickLaTeX is a well-liked plugin for embedding LaTeX equations with a strong user base appreciating its simplicity and effectiveness. However, its lack of recent updates, incomplete LaTeX support, and reliance on an external rendering service raise concerns about long-term viability and privacy.

Users should weigh these factors against their needs and consider alternative plugins if they require comprehensive LaTeX features, active maintenance, or enhanced security. The plugin remains a solid choice for basic LaTeX rendering but may not suit all advanced or security-conscious users.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free WP QuickLaTeX plugin.

LaTeX plugin

Math expressions

TikZ support

Screenshots

FAQ

There are three possible ways:

Place [latexpage] somewhere on the page, post, or comment. Place LaTeX expression surrounded by $..$, \[..\] or a display environment \begin(equation}..\end{equation} (or align, gather, multiline, flalign, alignat).
Enable ‘Use LaTeX Syntax Sitewide’; then it is not necessary to place [latexpage].
Wrap formulas with [latex] ... [/latex] (this gives compatibility with previously-written “legacy” pages).

In any case plugin will do automatic/custom equation numbering based on LaTeX rules.
Check plugin home page for more information on features, examples, tips & tricks.