Comparison

Search PubChem vs BorgVR

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

BorgVR

Features
Read full description

BorgVR brings large 3D volume datasets to life on Apple devices. The app is designed for research, education, medicine, engineering, and any field where complex spatial data needs to be explored, presented, or reviewed together. Open local or remote datasets, import new data, and adjust the visualization directly in the app. Depending on your task, you can switch between rendering modes, change isovalues, edit transfer functions, set clipping planes, and control the view with rotation, panning, and zoom. BorgVR supports live collaboration with SharePlay. Multiple users can explore the same dataset together, synchronize visualization settings, and run a shared analysis or presentation session. Interaction remains tailored to each platform: mobile on iPhone and iPad, desktop-style on Mac, or spatial with Apple Vision Pro. The app is built for large datasets and uses a progressive, memory-efficient volume rendering system. This allows extensive data to be explored while only the required parts are loaded and displayed. Datasets can be stored locally or streamed from a server. Features: - Interactive visualization of large 3D volume datasets - Open local and remote datasets - Import your own data - Multiple rendering modes, including transfer function and isovalue visualization - Transfer function editor - Clipping for focused inspection - SharePlay collaboration across supported Apple devices - Local storage and progressive loading BorgVR combines powerful 3D visualization with a familiar Apple experience, making complex volume data easier to access, understand, and explore together.

Screenshots

Search PubChem4 screens
BorgVR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: BorgVR at every 4 days against Search PubChem's every 9 months. BorgVR also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, 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, BorgVR every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Search PubChem versus BorgVR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSearch PubChemBorgVR
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision ProiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB105 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperJae-Seung LeeJens Krueger

In-app purchases

None

Search PubChem

No in-app purchases

None

BorgVR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Search PubChem free?
Search PubChem is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BorgVR free?
BorgVR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Search PubChem or BorgVR have ads?
Neither Search PubChem nor BorgVR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Search PubChem or BorgVR?
Search PubChem ships an update every 9 months, and BorgVR every 4 days. Most recently, Search PubChem was updated on November 2, 2026 and BorgVR on November 5, 2026.

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