Molecule Lab vs BioViewer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Molecule Lab
Create and view 3D molecular models with an intuitive editor. Supports various elements, bond types, and conformations, with undo/redo functionality. Share your creations easily via messaging and email.
- Build molecules in 3D
- Supports oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, carbon, hydrogen
- Double and triple bond creation
- Branching and rotation conformations
- Undo, redo, and delete controls
- Save and edit molecules
- Share via text, email, and other services
Read full descriptionHide full description
Molecule Lab is a simple yet powerful editor allowing users to build and visualize molecules in 3D. Our molecule editor can build more molecules than before, as it now supports three new elements—oxygen, nitrogen, and chlorine—in addition to carbon and hydrogen, double bonds, triple bonds, branches, and different rotation conformations. These incredible new features are enhanced by the flexibility of our molecule editor, which we further upgraded with undo, redo, and delete controls. Molecules can be saved and edited in the future. Additionally, we introduced the capability to share molecules via text message, email, and other third-party services for notetaking and document sharing. This seamless integration with different apps makes Molecule Lab more powerful for sharing and referencing molecules in the future. With all these exciting features, we are thrilled to debut a new look and feel for Molecule Lab. We hope the beautiful modern design will enrich each user’s experience with Molecule Lab.
BioViewer
Visualize 3D molecular structures from .pdb files on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Features smooth rendering, drag-and-drop support, and publication-quality photo exports for detailed analysis.
- 3D molecular structure visualization
- Supports .pdb and .xyz files
- Drag and drop functionality
- Photo Mode with high-quality exports
- Multi-model PDB support
- Optimized for ProMotion displays
Read full descriptionHide full description
A .pdb protein visualizer for iOS, iPadOS and macOS. View the 3D representation of any molecular structure from a .pdb file, using our custom Metal-based rendering engine based to allow for a smooth experience even in the biggest proteins. - Full drag and drop support for .pdb and .xyz files. - Photo Mode with publication-quality exports. - Support for multi-model PDBs. - Support for high refresh rate ProMotion displays.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Molecule Lab at 4.0 against BioViewer's 1.0. Molecule Lab also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 33%) and ratings volume (18 vs 1). BioViewer's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 24 months). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Molecule Lab holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Molecule Lab has 18 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Molecule Lab's written reviews are positive against 33% of BioViewer's.
Molecule Lab ships an update every 24 months, BioViewer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Molecule Lab | BioViewer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (18 ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 18 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 24 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 13.2 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Maxamix | Raul Monton Pinillos |
Customer experience
Molecule Lab
BioViewer
In-app purchases
Molecule Lab
No in-app purchases
BioViewer
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Molecule Lab free?
Is BioViewer free?
Which has better reviews, Molecule Lab or BioViewer?
Do Molecule Lab or BioViewer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Molecule Lab or BioViewer?
Other comparisons
