Comparison

Molecules vs 3D Chemistry Molecule View

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

Head to head
About

Molecules

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
Read full description

Molecules is an application for viewing three-dimensional renderings of molecules and manipulating them using your fingers. You can rotate the molecules by moving your finger across the display, zoom in or out by using two-finger pinch gestures, or pan the molecule by moving two fingers across the screen at once. These structures can be viewed in both ball-and-stick and spacefilling visualization modes. Molecules can be stored on your handheld device for later viewing and are loaded via a standard document-based file browser. Custom molecular structures can be downloaded to the application via file sharing or iCloud, and obtained via sources like the RCSB Protein Data Bank (http://www.rcsb.org/pdb), an international repository of biological molecules and their 3-D structures, or NCBI's PubChem (http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), a public database of compounds. For more details, please visit our website. Molecules is a BSD-licensed open source project.

About

3D Chemistry Molecule View

Explore the 3D structures of various molecules with this educational tool. View molecules in different stereoscopic modes and access a built-in database of hundreds of compounds. Understand the spatial arrangement of complex chemical structures.

Highlights
  • 3D molecular structure visualization
  • Multiple stereoscopic view modes (Anaglyth, Side by Side, Mirror)
  • Standard molecule manipulation (rotation, scaling)
  • Built-in database of 300+ molecules
  • Detailed information on selected molecules
Features
Read full description

See molecular shapes without squinting at flat diagrams. Browse, rotate, and inspect chemistry models in seconds, so it’s easier to study structures, compare forms, and check details without switching between sources. 3D Chemistry Molecule View helps students, teachers, and curious learners open and explore molecule models in 3D. KEY TOOLS - Browse more than 155 bundled molecules across 25 categories, including aromatics, amino acids, carbohydrates, nucleobases, neurotransmitters, drugs, and common small molecules. - Search the library and narrow results with category scopes such as All, Favorites, and Aromatics, so you can get to a molecule faster. - Open a molecule and orbit it in the mono ball-and-stick viewer to understand shape and bonding at a glance. - Turn on Spin for an automatic rotating view when you want a quick all-around look. - Tap the heart in the detail toolbar or swipe right in the library to save favorites for quick return later. - Reset camera anytime to get back to a clear starting view. - Read the details sheet for the molecule you’re viewing. - Share a PNG snapshot of the current 3D molecule view. - Check the built-in periodic table reference with 30 common elements and colors that match the viewer. - Open molecules from Spotlight for quicker access from your device search. USE IT TO Review benzene, glucose, caffeine, ATP, or amino acids before class, compare aromatics side by side while studying, or keep a quick molecule viewer handy during homework and lab prep. It’s also useful when you want to open a saved structure, favorite the molecules you revisit most, share a clean image for notes, or jump in from Spotlight instead of browsing the full library. WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE IT The app keeps the core workflow simple: browse, open, orbit, and read details. The catalog is built in, so you can start with bundled chemistry models right away, and the interface focuses on the structure instead of clutter. On larger screens, the library and molecule detail sit side by side, which makes moving through the collection feel quicker. Paid features Molecule Pro adds stereoscopic viewing with side-by-side, mirror-separated, and anaglyph modes, plus an eye-separation control for your viewer setup. You can switch from ball-and-stick to space-filling or wireframe, hide hydrogens, see an element legend for the current structure, place molecules in AR, import your own structures, measure distance, angle, and dihedral, export a study sheet or 3D file for sharing, get premium molecule packs, and save unlimited favorites. If you want to try everything first, you can preview Pro for 24 hours from the paywall. Permissions note: camera access is only needed if you choose AR placement. Open a molecule, rotate it, and make chemistry easier to picture today. Terms of Use (EULA) - http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

Molecules4 screens
3D Chemistry Molecule View4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Molecules at 65% against 3D Chemistry Molecule View's 18%. Molecules also leads on rating (3.6 vs 2.6) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, update cadence, monetization model and device support 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. 3D Chemistry Molecule View sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Molecules asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Molecules holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 2.6. 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 18% of 3D Chemistry Molecule View's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 5, 2026 and August 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Molecules versus 3D Chemistry Molecule View: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMolecules3D Chemistry Molecule View
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (166 ratings) — better2.6 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews65.5% of reviews — better18.2% of reviews
Number of ratings166 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSunset Lake SoftwareSandeep Bhandari

Customer experience

Molecules

All ratings166 ratings
Positive62.7%
Neutral12.0%
Negative25.3%
Written reviews388 reviews
Positive65.5%
Neutral18.6%
Negative16.0%

3D Chemistry Molecule View

All ratings10 ratings
Positive30.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive18.2%
Neutral18.2%
Negative63.6%

Bugs and requests

Molecules

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

3D Chemistry Molecule View

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Molecules

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

3D Chemistry Molecule View

Subscriptions8
  • Weekly Subscription$1.997 Days
  • Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Yearly Subscription Discount7 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription Sale$14.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription Special$19.991 Year
  • Pro Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription1 Year trial$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Forever Pro Discount$79.99
  • Forever Pro$99.99

Questions

Is Molecules free?
Molecules is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is 3D Chemistry Molecule View free?
3D Chemistry Molecule View is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Molecules or 3D Chemistry Molecule View?
Molecules is rated higher. Molecules averages 3.6 out of 5 from 166 ratings, while 3D Chemistry Molecule View averages 2.6 from 10 ratings.
Do Molecules or 3D Chemistry Molecule View have ads?
3D Chemistry Molecule View shows ads; Molecules does not.
Which is updated more often, Molecules or 3D Chemistry Molecule View?
Molecules ships an update every 2 months, and 3D Chemistry Molecule View every 2 months. Most recently, Molecules was updated on August 5, 2026 and 3D Chemistry Molecule View on August 23, 2026.

Other comparisons