# Search PubChem vs Periodic

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.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Search PubChem | Periodic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/search-pubchem/id1369742632/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5** | — |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jae-Seung Lee](https://appshunter.io/developer/1146296876) | [Om Prakash Chapagain](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618620262) |

## What reviewers say

### Search PubChem

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/search-pubchem/id1369742632)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Periodic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/periodic-table-elements/id1628647298)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*