Comparison

Search PubChem vs iORA

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

Head to head
About

Search PubChem

Access and manage chemical compound data from the PubChem database. Search for over 111 million compounds, view molecular formulas, weights, and structures, and create and track custom solutions with detailed composition information.

Highlights
  • Search PubChem database
  • View molecular formula, weight, and structure
  • Store compound information
  • Create and manage custom solutions
  • Track solution composition in grams and moles
  • Display 3D compound structures
  • Share solution data via CSV
Read full description

The app allows to search compounds through PubChem and helps to keep information on solutions made of those compounds. I. Compounds Tab Search the open chemistry database 'PubChem' at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for chemical compounds. The app helps to find a compound by name from the collection of more than 111 million compounds. It downloads and stores the molecular formula, weight, and structure. Compounds 1. Selecting the "Compounds" tab will present a list of compounds. - If there are any solutions made of a compound, a droplet will appear next to the compound's name. 2. When a compound is selected, a view with the detailed information will appear. Follow the instruction in "Details for a compound". 3. When the "+" button is selected, a view for search will appear. Follow the instruction in "Search for a compound". Details for a compound 1. Click "Compounds" to return back to the table of compounds. 2. Click the magnifier icon to open the compound's PubChem page in the user's default web browser. 3. Click the trashcan icon to delete the compound. This function may not be available if there is a solution made of the compound. 4. Click one of the solutions made of the compound to display the information. See "Details for a solution" below. 5. Click "3D" to display a 3D structure. Use pan and pinch gestures to rotate and zoom the scene. Search for a compound 1. Select "Compound Name" ("CID") and type a compound name (PubChem CID). 2. Click "Search" to connect to PubChem. An activity indicator will appear until the search is finished. - If the search succeeds, the downloaded information will appear. - If the search fails, an alert will appear. 3. Click "Save" to store the information about a compound. 4. Click "Cancel" to dismiss the scene. II. Solutions Tab Choose compounds downloaded from PubChem and make a solution. The app allows to record a list of compounds with amounts dissolved in a solution. For the saved solutions, the app displays their compositions in gram and mol. Solutions 1. Selecting the "Solutions" tab will present a list of solutions. 2. When a solution is selected, a view with the detailed information will appear. Follow the instruction in "Details for a solution". 3. When the "+" button is selected, a view for search will appear. Follow the instruction in "Making a solution". Details for a solution 1. Click "Solutions" to return back to the table of compounds. 2. Click the 'action' icon to share a csv file containig the information about the solution. 3. Click the trashcan icon to delete the solution. 5. Choose the unit among gram, mg, mol, and mM. 6. Select one of compounds to display its structure and formula. See "Mini details for a compound" below. Making a solution 1. Click "Add Compounds" to bring a collection of compounds. See "Compounds collection" below. 2. The names of the compounds selected from "Compounds collection" will be displayed as “Solution Label”. A user can edit “Solution Label”. 3. The unit for the amount can be chosen among gram, mg, mol, and mM. 4. The amount may be entered. 5. Click "Save" to create and add a new solution. 6. Click "Cancel" to dismiss the scene. Compounds collection 1. Select or deselect compounds by clicking the images of compounds. 2. Selected compounds will be displayed. 3. Click "Done" to return back to "Making a solution". 5. Click "Cancel" to dismiss the scene.

About

iORA

Visualize chemical reactions in 3D using quantum-mechanical simulations. This free, interactive application makes complex chemistry concepts accessible and engaging for learners.

Highlights
  • 3D chemical reaction visualization
  • Quantum-mechanical simulations
  • Interactive learning
  • Easy to use interface
  • Educational tool
Features
Read full description

iORA is a free, easy to use, highly interactive smartphone application that provides 3D visualization of chemical reactions based on quantum-mechanical simulations.

Screenshots

Search PubChem4 screens
iORA4 screens

Verdict

The call

Search PubChem and iORA both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of iORA's written reviews are positive against 75% of Search PubChem's. iORA also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months) and iOS requirement (14.3 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Search PubChem against 5.0 for iORA. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 12 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Search PubChem's written reviews are positive against 100% of iORA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Search PubChem ships an update every 9 months, iORA every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Search PubChem versus iORA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSearch PubChemiORA
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings)5.0 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings512 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.014.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB40 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperJae-Seung LeeDaniel Ess

Customer experience

Search PubChem

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

iORA

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Search PubChem

No in-app purchases

None

iORA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Search PubChem free?
Search PubChem is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is iORA free?
iORA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Search PubChem or iORA?
Search PubChem and iORA are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 12 ratings respectively.
Do Search PubChem or iORA have ads?
Neither Search PubChem nor iORA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Search PubChem or iORA?
Search PubChem ships an update every 9 months, and iORA every 2 months. Most recently, Search PubChem was updated on October 7, 2026 and iORA on October 9, 2026.

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