# Elemental — user reviews > 79 indexed App Store user reviews of Elemental by Dotmatics Limited, rated 2.20/5 from 18 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental/id518655328/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental/id518655328.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 2 · 4★ 3 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 5 · 1★ 8 ## Newest reviews (13 of 79) ### 2/5 — Needs improvement but has potential *2020-07-23, version 2.1* The functions in the app are relatively straightforward to use but it is glitchy and somehow responds poorly to touch. It is very hard to tap and select what you want and using an Apple Pencil is worse than your bare fingers. ### 2/5 — Great Potential App *2018-12-19, version 2.1* If this app can faster with options like the chem draw, i would buy it. but this is too slow and lousy for now. i hope for a good update. ### 2/5 — Not responsive/slow *2018-06-26, version 2.1* This app has so much potential it just doesn’t respond to touch very well. I had to tap on the same thing so many times in the menu just to be able to select it and then sometimes I would tap too much and place something where I didn’t want to so I had to waste more time going back to the menu to select the erase button. ### 4/5 — decent app (and suggestion) *2018-04-01, version 2.1* This application does what it advertises. One suggestion that would be helpful is to allow the generation of IUPAC names and vice versa, generation of structures from SMILES or IUPAC name. ### 4/5 — Some utility but needs some work *2017-09-01, version 2.1* Wanted to have something for my organic 1 semester nursing students to use. It is fine except it is not always responsive to every screen touch. It often selects items as if to copy text rather than selecting function. Also, most chem sketch types of programs allow one to clean up length and angle of bonds. I can't find this function. ### 4/5 — We're is the "periodic table" button on iPhone *2017-08-17, version 2.1* Were is it? I looked for the button an it wasn't there, can you update it so i can click on the button I was looking for ### 2/5 — Frustrating *2016-04-30, version 1.8* Let me start with the positive: only free app and it can draw some basic molecules ok. Manipulating parts is frustrating. The drop down menus are very unresponsive. I would like to see a polymer chain capability and also ability to show C in some bonds (e.g. the isocyanate group). I can use with some patience. ### 4/5 — Mechanisms *2014-12-30, version 1.8* This app is already quite good but it would be even better if you could draw chemical mechanisms with curly arrows and a better representation of lone pairs of electrons. ### 5/5 — An Amazing Sketch Utility *2014-05-17, version 1.8* What an extraordinary surprise! Hoping to find an app that would allow one to "sketch" molecular structures, I stumbled upon Elemental. After watching the short video tutorial I was able to easily start using the app and learning the ins and outs of its functionality. It didn't take long before I was able to sketch a decent looking triglyceride structure having sixty-three atoms . . . on my iPhone! There are built in functional groups including a variety of carbon rings having straight carbon, or carbon-nitrogen or carbon-oxygen atoms. You can easily replace any atom using a common atom set, but the app offers the functionality to add any element in the periodic table by typing in the atomic symbol. You can rotate groups of atoms or functional groups to improve your sketch. There are configuration options the allow the user to: display atom numbers, warn when valence is exceeded, and display tips. The app allows the standard iPhone zoom in and zoom out functionality. You can easily add or modify a charge number for any atom. There are undo and redo options if you make a mistake. You can save your work as an image, add it to Dropbox or email it. I could go on, but will summarize by attesting that this app allowed me to do exactly what I wanted in a very short period of time. There were no crashes or unexpected behavior. The interface is clean and well built. You will be happy with Elemental if you need to sketch any structure seen in an organic chemistry class. Well done Dotmatics. You've hit this one out of the park! ### 5/5 — An Organic Chem Student Must Have *2013-12-04, version 1.6.1* Elemental not only allows you to build molecules, it auto-protonates your heteroatoms depending on the bond it is assigned. I can easily write reactions, save those reactions to my camera roll, and insert the image into my notes or presentations, which is more than I can say for the expensive apps that only allow one to build a single molecule. I would suggest making a paid version where one can push electrons and write mechanisms, however. Otherwise, I am very pleased. ### 5/5 — Perfect for a bench chemist *2013-09-28, version 1.6.1* I love this app. It helps me to gather chemistry ideas when I'm not in the lab saving me time when I am. I would encourage, any chemist to download! ### 2/5 — Fix the bug *2013-08-24, version 1.6.1* The current version would have received 5 stars except I am still only able to have one reaction arrow at a time on screen. This is absolutely ridiculous, I waited to post a review until the upgrade thinking this would be fixed and it was not. You cannot show multistep reactions with this app. Clearly the ball was dropped somewhere. All of the other operations with this app are great. If they ever fix this bug I will rate 5 stars. ### 5/5 — Spectacular *2013-07-18, version 1.5* This app is a must have for anyone remotely interested in organic chemistry. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — So slow on the iPad! *2020-10-28, version 2.1* I don’t know if other reviewers are reviewing a different version. After trying to use this on an iPad Pro I came to the app store thinking it must need an update but there isn’t one available. The screen is so unresponsive I gave up even trying to draw a few simple structures. ### 1/5 — needs work *2018-08-27, version 2.1* I was looking for chem draw when I stumbled upon this app. The app has potential, but the program doesn’t respond to touch. i even tried my apple pencil and i got nothing. ### 1/5 — Disappointing *2018-01-22, version 2.1* Touch functionality is terrible. Inadequate instructions and not intuitive at all. Intended use is entry level chemistry (grade 10-12) for drawing simple compounds—like salt, water, etc. ### 1/5 — Not very good, unfortunately *2018-01-02, version 2.1* I'm a professional research chemist - I was looking for an app that would let me quickly draw structures so I can calculate m/z values for mass spectrometry when at the instrument. This app looks pretty slick at first, but it's super difficult and slow to draw even simple structures. As other users have pointed out, the on-screen sensitivity is pretty poor, and there aren't great drag and drop tools. Multitouch might be better utilised to have an "undo" button or to introduce heteroatoms. Hoping that this app can improve, because it could be a good contender for ChemDraw if a few things are improved. ### 1/5 — Horrible on iPad *2017-10-19, version 2.1* If you have this on iPad, delete it. That is all. ### 1/5 — Makes the one job it does really difficult. *2016-08-12, version 1.8* Clumsy and infuriating, inaccurate interface. It is impossible to easily draw any structure without using be eraser a million times. ### 1/5 — Awfully slow - avoid *2014-11-06, version 1.8* This looks great and would be very useful BUT on both our iPads it is incredibly slow to draw -a waste of a great idea. Until they sort out the terrible time lag on this app it is absolutely useless. ### 1/5 — Slow *2013-03-19, version 1.5* The app is very slow and often unresponsive ### 1/5 — Umm... *2013-02-17, version 1.4* Well let me be honest I really don't get this app. You put a carbon on and you can't link a bond without making another carbon and every time you click a line appears and it's just got really bad handling. It's a great concept, you just need to make it more user friendly. ### 1/5 — Don't waste your time. This is really bad. *2012-09-21, version 1.3* Awful! Does not work as described at all. One can hardly join two carbon atoms with a single bond using this software. Doesn't apple screen this stuff?! ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Really good *2019-07-03, version 2.1* A good app that has helped a lot and is a good futuristic app that can help in all different ways as it is easy to use. I recommend it to people over 12 years old as you can use it very easily ### 5/5 — Great *2015-12-30, version 1.8* This is great and perfect for my needs but it would be good to have the option to save molecules. Definitely recommend. ### 5/5 — Cowie Thomas *2015-05-04, version 1.8* I love chemistry, so this app is AMAZING. I used to always make up chemical structures in my head. But now I can do it with this. Many fun times to be had with this. Thank you xD ### 5/5 — Download now!! *2015-01-05, version 1.8* The best chemistry drawing tool available and it's free! Elemental has made my job so much easier, as have Dotmatics other tools! ### 5/5 — Amazing *2014-12-20, version 1.8* Quite simply put - does precisely what it claims with an added benefit of super speed - don't look anywhere else! ### 5/5 — Amazing - super fast *2014-12-20, version 1.8* It's awesome!!!!! ### 5/5 — Head of Chemistry *2014-11-26, version 1.8* Excellent App. Rolled this out to my whole team and now they are all using it. Other solutions as good. ### 5/5 — Great! *2014-11-25, version 1.8* Performance is great on our iPad 3rd generation and iPad Air. ### 5/5 — Interesting and useful *2014-08-04, version 1.8* This app is great for drawing any molecule you like. Will be very useful to me when I start uni next year, as your 'designs' can be exported so used in presentations, papers etc. Watch the YouTube instruction video as a bit confusing to begin with. ### 5/5 — An amazing tool! A few fixes and additions needed. *2014-06-23, version 1.8* This is an excellent little tool for learning about molecules or simply playing around. I can finally figure out if it's possible to make Boron-based proteins! MUCH NEEDED: The ability to delete custom molecules from molecule list, and the option for partial bonds and three-center two-electron bonds. MUST BE FIXED: I saved three molecules successfully. I tried to save more, and at first they were saved, but then I closed the app and opened it later and they were gone. It has been doing this since. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-06.*