Comparison

CellWalk vs ChemNotes

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

Head to head
About

CellWalk

Explore the intricate world of cells in a 3D environment, from the overall structure down to molecular details. Tap on terms to receive clear, contextual explanations powered by on-device AI, adapting to your learning level. Designed for students and educators to foster a deeper understanding of cell biology.

Highlights
  • 3D cell exploration
  • On-device AI definitions
  • Multi-level explanations
  • Interactive concept chains
  • Touch-first navigation
  • High-fidelity visuals
Read full description

CellWalk puts a living cell in your hands and on your desk. Zoom from a whole cell down to the atoms in DNA. Explore a cell modeled protein by protein from real structures discovered by scientists. Start your journey with Ako, an AI tutor that helps you understand what you see. Built for students, teachers and anyone curious about how life works at the molecular scale. 2025 Apple Design Award finalist. EXPLORE A REAL CELL Zoom from a whole Mycoplasma cell down to single atoms. Thousands of proteins, DNA and RNA, ribosomes and membranes, rendered from published scientific data. Tap any molecule to learn what it is and what it does. Tap any term for an explanation at your level, written on your device with Apple Intelligence. Place molecular scenes in your space with augmented reality on compatible iPhone and iPad devices. LEARN WITH AKO Ako helps you build understanding through questions. It brings molecular structures into view, invites you to look closer and explain what you notice, then builds on your answers to help you make connections. Socratic learning, one discovery at a time. Type or dictate. Ask anything about what’s on screen or in your space. Your Ako lessons, your progress in them and what Ako has learned about you stay with you: on your device and, if you use iCloud, in your own iCloud. Get more of Ako with CellWalk Pro. GUIDED TOURS Start your journey with The Molecular Design of Life, a complete tour of the Mycoplasma cell made with Dr. David Goodsell. Each tour includes a guided narration, free explore mode and Ako practice lessons to test your understanding. CellWalk Pro adds more guided tours and lessons with an expanded library of cells and organisms. Explore the incredible molecular machines that power neurons and thought, or dive into the architecture of a virus like HIV. LEARN BY DOING Step into the Central Dogma of Biology with a hands-on interactive lesson on the all new Learning Path. Learn how the instructions in DNA are read and translated into the proteins that build and sustain your cells. WHAT’S FREE Explore The Molecular Design of Life tour and its accompanying Ako lesson and explore modes, and try the “What is a Protein?” interactive lesson on the Learning Path. You can also ask Ako in-depth questions with a free daily allowance. CELLWALK PRO Unlock all other guided tours and their accompanying Ako lessons, a larger daily question allowance and longer answers from Ako. Choose a monthly or annual auto-renewing subscription. One subscription covers iPhone, iPad and Mac. ASK FROM ANYWHERE Say “Ask CellWalk a biology question” and Siri answers from CellWalk’s own content without opening the app. “Continue my lesson in CellWalk” picks up where you left off. On iPhone and iPad, use Visual Intelligence on a textbook diagram, choose Search CellWalk with an Image, and tap a match to open that tour, lesson or molecule. HOW THE AI WORKS Ako is built with the Foundation Models framework. Where Apple Intelligence is available, it answers on Private Cloud Compute, and the on-device model explains the terms you tap. OpenAI, a third-party AI service, plans lessons and answers when Apple Intelligence isn’t available on your device or in your region. The app asks your permission before sending your first question. You can change that permission under Account → Privacy. CellWalk doesn’t require a separate CellWalk account, and AI requests aren’t tied to your name. Find details under Account → Privacy → About CellWalk & AI. Apple Intelligence features require iPhone 15 Pro or later, an iPad with M1 or A17 Pro or later, or a Mac with Apple silicon. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://cellwalk.ca/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://cellwalk.ca/privacy

About

ChemNotes

Read full description

ChemNotes is a digital lab notebook designed to streamline how you record research and perform calculations. The app doesn’t treat your notes as static text. Instead, ChemNotes identifies chemicals and measurements as interactive data, bringing essential laboratory tools directly into your writing workflow. Chemical Data & Structures: Type the name of a common chemical (use a hyphen instead of a space e.g. “Sulfuric-acid”, or molecular formulas e.g. H2SO4), and the app allows you to link it to data retrieved from PubChem. You can view 2D chemical structures, molecular formulas, and physical properties, such as molecular weight, directly within your notes. Interactive Measurement Tokens - Simply type a measurement (like "50 mL" or "10 mM") and watch it transform. ChemNotes automatically detects these values, converting them into smart, interactive tokens. - Convenient Conversions: Tap any token to instantly swap between relevant units (e.g., mass to moles, volume to microliters). - Context Aware: If a measurement is linked to a specific chemical, the app utilizes the fetched molecular weight to perform molar conversions automatically. Integrated Lab Tools: Perform common laboratory calculations without ever leaving your notebook. ChemNotes includes a range of tools designed to assist with unit management: Dilution Calculator: Solve C1V1 = C2V2 equations quickly. The calculator handles cross-unit math, allowing you to mix inputs (like mL and L, or M and mM) to help streamline your workflow. - Centrifugation: Easily convert between speed (RPM) and g-force (RCF) based on your specific rotor radius. - Scientific Calculator: A built-in calculator lets you perform math and insert the result directly into your line of text as a new token. Sketch & Draw: For setups that require visual explanation, use the built-in canvas. You can sketch apparatus diagrams or reaction mechanisms directly alongside your text. The drawing tool features customizable stroke widths and colors. Organize your research, calculations, and data in one place with ChemNotes.

Screenshots

CellWalk4 screens
ChemNotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ChemNotes at none against CellWalk's 3. ChemNotes also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 27.0). CellWalk's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence and ads 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. CellWalk sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. ChemNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CellWalk ships an update every 3 weeks, ChemNotes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
CellWalk versus ChemNotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCellWalkChemNotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (72 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews91.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings72 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone
Requires iOS27.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size554 MB4 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAko Biotica Inc.SOROOSH GHAREHGOZLO

Bugs and requests

CellWalk

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • ATP synthase described backwards
  • Renderer noise causes nausea
  • Buggy and low framerate
  • Renderer not responsive to head movements

Requested features

10 requests
  • More cells to explore (eukaryotic, mammalian, computer cells)
  • More content and depth
  • Expand on descriptions with an 'expand on' feature
  • Add tutorials for new users
  • Add color to highlighted text for easy reference
Show 5 more
  • Depict a minimal eukaryotic cell
  • Depict a cell undergoing mitosis
  • Make cell models free-floating instead of behind windows
  • Option to purchase additional content
  • Update renderer for responsiveness to head movements

ChemNotes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

CellWalk

Subscriptions2
  • CellWalk Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • CellWalk Pro Annual$79.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lessons$29.99
None

ChemNotes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CellWalk free?
CellWalk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ChemNotes free?
ChemNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CellWalk or ChemNotes have ads?
Neither CellWalk nor ChemNotes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CellWalk or ChemNotes?
CellWalk ships an update every 3 weeks, and ChemNotes every 2 weeks. Most recently, CellWalk was updated on October 25, 2026 and ChemNotes on October 14, 2026.

Other comparisons