Atom in a Box vs WebMO Premium
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Atom in a Box
Explore the quantum world of the Hydrogen atom with interactive 3D visualizations of electron orbitals. This app uses advanced raytracing to show probability densities in real-time, animating and describing 140 eigenstates up to the n=7 energy level. Discover the structure and behavior of atoms.
- 3D volumetric raytracing
- Real-time probability density visualization
- Animation of 140 eigenstates
- Multitouch and accelerometer rotation
- Mathematical descriptions of states
- Exploration of atomic aspects
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Atom in a Box is an aid for visualizing the Hydrogenic atomic orbitals, the three-dimensional states that the electron occupies in Hydrogen, a prime and otherwise unwieldy example of Quantum Mechanics. It interactively shows what the Hydrogen atom "looks" like. Unique among visualizations of Quantum Mechanics, it uses highly optimized code to perform 3D volumetric raytracing through the electron wavefunction's probability density and presents its results in real-time. It animates and mathematically describes all 140 eigenstates up to the n=7 energy level. The app links to an online FAQ, and the atom rotates with multitouch and the accelerometer. The bottom line is: Explore! The user are meant to explore all aspects of the atom, what it is and what it can do.
WebMO Premium
This app allows users to build and visualize molecules in 3D, access chemical information from external databases, and interact with advanced computational chemistry programs. It's designed for students and faculty needing mobile access to molecular structures and data.
- 3D molecular editor
- VSEPR and molecular mechanics optimization
- Orbital and symmetry visualization
- Chemical data lookup
- Computational chemistry program integration
- Spectra visualization
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WebMO Premium is equivalent in functionality to the free 'WebMO' app in conjunction with the 'WebMO Premium' in-app purchase. This paid version is provided for convienence for volume purchases. WebMO allows users to build and view molecules in 3-D, visualize orbitals and symmetry elements, lookup chemical information and properties from external databases, and access state-of-the-art computational chemistry programs. WebMO is recommended for students and faculty in high school, college, and graduate school who desire mobile access to molecular structures, information, and calculations. WebMO capabilities include: - Build molecules by drawing atoms and bonds in a 3-D molecular editor, or by speaking the name (e.g., “aspirin”) - Optimize structures using VSEPR theory or molecular mechanics - View Huckel molecular orbitals, electron density, and electrostatic potential - View molecular vibrations - View point group and symmetry elements of molecules - Lookup basic molecular information, including IUPAC and common names, stoichiometry, molar mass - Lookup chemical data from PubChem and ChemSpider - Lookup experimental and predicted molecular properties from external databases (NIST, Sigma-Aldrich) - Lookup IR, UV-VIS, NMR, and mass spectra from external databases (NIST, SDBS) - Capture high-resolution molecular images - Save and recall molecular structures locally - Export and import structures via email WebMO is also a front-end to WebMO servers (version 14 and higher): - Supports Gaussian, GAMESS, Molpro, MOPAC, NWChem, ORCA, PQS, PSI, Quantum Espresso, VASP, Q-Chem, and Tinker computational chemistry programs - Submit, monitor, and view calculations - View formatted tabular data extracted from output files, as well as raw output - Visualize geometry, partial charges, dipole moment, normal vibrational modes, molecular orbitals, and NMR/IR/UV-VIS spectra
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: WebMO Premium at 4.0 against Atom in a Box's 3.7. WebMO Premium also leads on price ($4.99 vs $7.99). Atom in a Box's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 67%) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 12.0). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Atom in a Box costs $7.99 and WebMO Premium $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
WebMO Premium holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Atom in a Box's written reviews are positive against 67% of WebMO Premium's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Atom in a Box ships an update every 11 months, WebMO Premium every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Atom in a Box | WebMO Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7.99 | $4.99 — better |
| Rating | 3.7 (7 ratings) | 4.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 79.3% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months — better | Every 17 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 10.3 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dauger Research, Inc. | WebMO, LLC |
Customer experience
Atom in a Box
WebMO Premium
In-app purchases
Atom in a Box
No in-app purchases
WebMO Premium
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Atom in a Box free?
Is WebMO Premium free?
Which has better reviews, Atom in a Box or WebMO Premium?
Do Atom in a Box or WebMO Premium have ads?
Which is updated more often, Atom in a Box or WebMO Premium?
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