Comparison

WEHI AR Molecules vs PDB Viewer

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

Head to head
About

WEHI AR Molecules

Explore animated 3D molecules like ATP Synthase using augmented reality. Point your device's camera at a flat surface, select a molecule, and place it in your environment for interactive viewing.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality molecule viewing
  • Animated 3D molecule simulations
  • ATP Synthase and other molecules
  • Surface detection for placement
  • Interactive molecule placement
Features
Read full description

WEHI's Molecular Augmented Reality allows you to view a range of animated and simulated molecules in 3D such as ATP Synthase. Simply point your devices' camera at any flat surface and wait for it to be detected, select a molecule from the dropdown list and tap on the surface to place a molecule.

About

PDB Viewer

Features
Read full description

PDB Viewer turns your phone into a molecular microscope. Search the entire Protein Data Bank and over 200 million AlphaFold predictions, then explore any protein, virus, drug, or DNA structure in interactive 3D — free, with no account, no ads, and no sign-up. WHERE THE MOLECULES COME FROM • RCSB Protein Data Bank — 200,000+ experimentally determined structures • AlphaFold — 200M+ AI-predicted protein models • SWISS-MODEL — template-based homology models • PubChem and ChEMBL — millions of drugs and compounds • Crystallography Open Database — small-molecule crystals • NCI/CADD resolver — type a chemical name and get a 3D model Every source is free and needs no API key. You can also open your own .pdb and .cif files. WAYS TO SEE IT • Five representations: wireframe, ball-and-stick, space-filling (CPK), cartoon/ribbon, and a smooth molecular surface • Color by element, chain, secondary structure, rainbow, or AlphaFold confidence (pLDDT) • Biological assemblies: rebuild an entire icosahedral virus capsid from a few deposited chains • NMR ensembles: overlay every model in the bundle to watch a protein flex • Automatic secondary-structure detection MADE FOR TOUCH • Rotate, pinch-zoom, and pan with smooth native rendering • Tap any atom to see its element, residue, and chain • Recently viewed structures are cached, so they reopen instantly and work offline For students, researchers, teachers, and the simply curious. PDB Viewer makes structural biology beautiful and accessible. Structures are provided by their respective databases. PDB Viewer is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the RCSB PDB, EMBL-EBI, or AlphaFold.

Screenshots

WEHI AR Molecules3 screens
PDB Viewer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WEHI AR Molecules at none against PDB Viewer's 1. PDB Viewer's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 10 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. PDB Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. WEHI AR Molecules asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WEHI AR Molecules ships an update every 10 months, PDB Viewer monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
WEHI AR Molecules versus PDB Viewer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWEHI AR MoleculesPDB Viewer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size275 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchQvyshift LLC

In-app purchases

None

WEHI AR Molecules

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

PDB Viewer

One-time1
  • PDB Viewer Pro$9.99

Questions

Is WEHI AR Molecules free?
WEHI AR Molecules is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PDB Viewer free?
PDB Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do WEHI AR Molecules or PDB Viewer have ads?
Neither WEHI AR Molecules nor PDB Viewer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WEHI AR Molecules or PDB Viewer?
WEHI AR Molecules ships an update every 10 months, and PDB Viewer monthly. Most recently, WEHI AR Molecules was updated on October 24, 2026 and PDB Viewer on October 16, 2026.

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