Comparison

Search PubChem vs Periodic

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

Periodic

Features
Read full description

The PeriodicTableElements is an elegant app that is interactive and fun. Easy to use, easy to understand, simple and effective. It shows the periodic table of elements in variety of ways 1) Classic grid with name that is color coded. You can configure it to look however you like. 2) Visually appealing electron distribution. 3) Visually appealing Lewis dot structure. 4) List that can be sorted based on different element properties like group, period, category etc. These awesome periodic tables can be shared by simple double click anywhere on the table. It is possible to copy the periodic table diagrams as high quality SVG xml. Drag your finger on the periodic table canvas to update elements automatically or tap on an element to see more details. Tap on an element and all the rest of the related elements are highlighted. Details of a selected element is shown in a beautifully drawn animated element. Tap on the animated element and you will see more details that can also be shared. Tapping on the list element will navigate you to a page that shows details of the element. It automatically saves your hard work locally on your device so you can come back and pick up from where you left off as your great effort will not be lost. This is a perfect app if you are a student learning chemistry. This is an app for all student groups. From high school to college to university students. Be creative. Enjoy the app!

Screenshots

Search PubChem4 screens
Periodic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Search PubChem at none against Periodic's shown. Periodic's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 9 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Search PubChem ships an update every 9 months, Periodic every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Search PubChem versus Periodic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSearch PubChemPeriodic
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB35 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperJae-Seung LeeOm Prakash Chapagain

In-app purchases

None

Search PubChem

No in-app purchases

None

Periodic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Search PubChem free?
Search PubChem is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Periodic free?
Periodic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Search PubChem or Periodic have ads?
Periodic shows ads; Search PubChem does not.
Which is updated more often, Search PubChem or Periodic?
Search PubChem ships an update every 9 months, and Periodic every 5 weeks. Most recently, Search PubChem was updated on October 7, 2026 and Periodic on October 25, 2026.

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