# Molecules vs MoleculeGo

The clearest difference is rating: MoleculeGo at 4.5 against Molecules's 3.6. MoleculeGo also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). Molecules's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 14 months) and review sentiment (65% vs 50%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

MoleculeGo holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Molecules has 166 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of Molecules's written reviews are positive against 50% of MoleculeGo's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Molecules ships an update every 2 months, MoleculeGo every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on August 5, 2026 and July 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Molecules | MoleculeGo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (166 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/molecules/id284943090/reviews) | **[4.5 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moleculego/id1534623681/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **166** | 23 |
| Positive reviews | **65.5% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 14 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 3 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sunset Lake Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/284943093) | [Alonso Morcos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1647055660) |

## What reviewers say

### Molecules

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/molecules/id284943090)

Explore and interact with 3D molecular models on your device. Rotate, zoom, and pan structures using intuitive touch gestures. Visualize molecules in different modes and load custom structures from various sources.

**Highlights:** 3D molecule rendering, Finger-based manipulation (rotate, zoom, pan), Ball-and-stick visualization, Spacefilling visualization, Load custom molecular structures, File sharing and iCloud import

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Useful for visualizing molecules
- 👍 Great for teaching chemistry
- 👍 Excellent for biochemistry students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes when downloading new molecules
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS devices
- 🐛 Limited functionality, missing key features
- 🔍 Difficult to find common molecules
- 💡 Needs more view options (ribbon, surface, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when switching between views
- Molecules disappear after reopening the app
- Search function is unreliable and limited
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add ability to build and edit molecules
- Implement a color key for atom types
- Include more basic molecules (H2O, CO2, etc.)
- Allow sorting/organizing downloaded molecules
- Integrate with databases like PubChem and RCSB


### MoleculeGo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moleculego/id1534623681)

Explore the world of molecular biology through an engaging, location-based game. Collect essential building blocks like amino acids and DNA sequences to synthesize proteins and discover their functions. Learn about their roles in disease, research, and cellular processes by visiting real-world hotspots.

**Highlights:** Location-based gameplay, Collect molecular building blocks, Synthesize proteins, Discover genes and their functions, Learn about molecular roles in disease and research, Visit real-world hotspots for discovery

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Molecules free?

Molecules is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MoleculeGo free?

MoleculeGo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Molecules or MoleculeGo?

MoleculeGo is rated higher. Molecules averages 3.6 out of 5 from 166 ratings, while MoleculeGo averages 4.5 from 23 ratings.

### Do Molecules or MoleculeGo have ads?

Neither Molecules nor MoleculeGo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Molecules or MoleculeGo?

Molecules ships an update every 2 months, and MoleculeGo every 14 months. Most recently, Molecules was updated on August 5, 2026 and MoleculeGo on July 5, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*