Comparison

Mechanisms vs Functional Groups

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Mechanisms

This app offers an interactive way to learn organic chemistry by allowing users to practice reaction mechanisms through electron manipulation. It provides hints, feedback, and real-time assessment to aid comprehension and mastery of chemical concepts.

Highlights
  • Practice reaction mechanisms by manipulating electrons
  • Interactive learning with hints and feedback
  • Real-time performance assessment
  • Visualize molecules, bonds, and reactions
  • 40+ chemistry puzzles
  • Content complements university curricula
Features
Read full description

Mechanisms is the first app for organic chemistry that allows you to practice and learn reaction mechanisms by moving and manipulating electrons! 90% of college students find Mechanisms to be beneficial to their studies ー don’t get left out of the equation! See, touch, and practice how chemical reactions occur at the particulate level in an intuitive way. As you work through each exercise, you will receive hints and feedback based on the moves you make - so you learn as you practice and apply concepts. Mechanisms also provides you with real-time assessment, giving you a measure of your performance and comprehension every step of the way. ---------------------------------------- Mechanisms – HIGHLIGHTS ---------------------------------------- - FREE to use - CHEMISTRY HOMEWORK made simple - PRACTICE 40 different chemistry-based puzzles - INTERACTIVE studying 一 drop your paper and pencil - VISUALIZE mechanisms, electrons, protons, molecules, bonds, reactions, and elements! ----------------------------------------------------------------- An Interactive Way to Learn Organic Chemistry ----------------------------------------------------------------- With content developed to complement the organic chemistry curriculum of top universities, Mechanisms offers a new way for you to practice, learn, and master important concepts in organic chemistry. Our content library will continue to expand, with new puzzles and modules in development. The introductory set of Mechanisms puzzles include 40 challenges regarding chemical structure, acid-base reactions, addition reactions, and a survey of carbonyl reactions. All these puzzles include hints and videos to help you understand organic chemistry better. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Built By Award Winning Educators & Developers ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Created and designed by an award-winning, research-backed, National Science Foundation-funded team of educators and game-developers, Mechanisms combines curriculum content from top universities with innovative and thoughtful design. -------------------------------------------------------- Mechanisms – Pricing -------------------------------------------------------- The Mechanisms Full Access will include reactions that cover substitution, elimination, electrophilic aromatic substitution, and specific reactions of the functional groups of oxygen. This broad range of Mechanisms puzzles will take you from early concepts in semester one to the toughest multi-step reactions of semester two. You can acquire full access to all mechanism puzzles and future updates with a one-time purchase. For more information, see our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, links below: Terms of Use: http://www.alchem.ie/enduserlicenseagreement Privacy Policy: http://www.alchem.ie/privacy-policy Download Mechanisms today! The first interactive tool to learn & practice organic chemistry

About

Functional Groups

Master organic chemistry functional groups through an engaging and interactive learning experience. Ideal for students in introductory or advanced courses, MCAT prep, and A-Level chemistry, this app covers dozens of essential groups with practice modes and progress tracking.

Highlights
  • 25+ basic and advanced functional groups
  • 300+ organic compounds
  • Multiple practice modes
  • Customizable study groups
  • Personalized review
  • Reference table and definitions
  • Progress tracking with achievements
Features
Read full description

Ready to ace organic chemistry? Learn the functional groups you need to know - all in an engaging and interactive format. The app is ideal for introductory or advanced organic chemistry classes, MCAT prep, A-Level chemistry, and more. You’ll quickly become familiar with alcohols, esters, amides, amines, and dozens of other important functional groups. The app features: • 25+ basic and advanced functional groups • 300+ organic compounds • Multiple practice modes • Customize which groups to study • Personalized review • Reference table and definitions • Achievements to track your progress Along the way, you’ll learn interesting facts about pharmaceuticals, biomolecules, dangerous compounds, unique molecular structures, and more. With the Functional Groups app, learning organic chemistry is easy, straightforward, and, dare we say… fun? Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Screenshots

Mechanisms4 screens
Functional Groups4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Functional Groups at 100% against Mechanisms's 52%. Functional Groups also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.2). Mechanisms's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (67 vs 21). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mechanisms sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Functional Groups sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Functional Groups holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 67 and 21 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Mechanisms's written reviews are positive against 100% of Functional Groups's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mechanisms ships an update every 4 weeks, Functional Groups every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Mechanisms versus Functional Groups: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMechanismsFunctional Groups
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (67 ratings)4.9 (21 ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings67 — better21
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size160 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlchemie Solutions, IncClarity Applications

Customer experience

Mechanisms

All ratings62 ratings
Positive54.8%
Neutral6.5%
Negative38.7%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive52.2%
Neutral8.7%
Negative39.1%

Functional Groups

All ratings21 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Mechanisms

One-time1
  • Full Access$9.99
1 purchases

Functional Groups

One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$9.99

Questions

Is Mechanisms free?
Mechanisms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Functional Groups free?
Functional Groups is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mechanisms or Functional Groups?
Functional Groups is rated higher. Mechanisms averages 3.2 out of 5 from 67 ratings, while Functional Groups averages 4.9 from 21 ratings.
Do Mechanisms or Functional Groups have ads?
Neither Mechanisms nor Functional Groups shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mechanisms or Functional Groups?
Mechanisms ships an update every 4 weeks, and Functional Groups every 4 months. Most recently, Mechanisms was updated on June 10, 2026 and Functional Groups on September 13, 2026.

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