# Molecules vs Molecule

The clearest difference is rating: Molecule at 4.0 against Molecules's 3.6. Molecule also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 65%) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 16.0). Molecules's advantage is ratings volume (166 vs 10) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). 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.

Molecule holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Molecules has 166 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Molecules's written reviews are positive against 76% of Molecule's.

Molecules ships an update every 2 months, Molecule every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on August 5, 2026 and August 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Molecules | Molecule |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (166 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/molecules/id284943090/reviews) | **[4.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/molecule/id797331776/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **166** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 65.5% of reviews | **76.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 3 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **7.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sunset Lake Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/284943093) | [Kirill Blinov](https://appshunter.io/developer/630833420) |

## 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


### Molecule

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/molecule/id797331776)

This app allows users to create and share chemical structures with ease. It calculates molecular formula, weight, and elemental composition in real-time as you draw. Ideal for students and researchers needing a simple tool for molecular visualization.

**Highlights:** Draw chemical structures, Share structures, Calculate MF, MW, Monoisotopic Mass, Calculate Elemental Composition, Interactive calculations, Modern interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Molecules free?

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

### Is Molecule free?

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

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

Molecule is rated higher. Molecules averages 3.6 out of 5 from 166 ratings, while Molecule averages 4.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do Molecules or Molecule have ads?

Neither Molecules nor Molecule shows ads.

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

Molecules ships an update every 2 months, and Molecule every 4 months. Most recently, Molecules was updated on August 5, 2026 and Molecule on August 30, 2026.

---

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