# iMolview vs Search PubChem

The clearest difference is price: Search PubChem at Free against iMolview's $0.99. Search PubChem also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.6). iMolview's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Search PubChem is free to download; iMolview costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Search PubChem holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of iMolview's written reviews are positive against 75% of Search PubChem's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

iMolview ships an update every 2 months, Search PubChem every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iMolview | Search PubChem |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.6 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imolview/id431002306/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/search-pubchem/id1369742632/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **78.9% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 55 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Molsoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/431002309) | [Jae-Seung Lee](https://appshunter.io/developer/1146296876) |

## What reviewers say

### iMolview

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imolview/id431002306)

Explore biological molecules in 3D. View proteins, DNA, and drug structures from major databases. Customize representations, select specific elements, and analyze molecular interactions. Sync your own files and save scenes for later.

**Highlights:** 3D molecular visualization, Browse PDB, DrugBank, Pubchem, Customizable representations, Individual element coloring, Neighbor analysis, Electron density map contouring, Scene saving and management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Search PubChem

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/search-pubchem/id1369742632)

Access and manage chemical compound data from the PubChem database. Search for over 111 million compounds, view molecular formulas, weights, and structures, and create and track custom solutions with detailed composition information.

**Highlights:** Search PubChem database, View molecular formula, weight, and structure, Store compound information, Create and manage custom solutions, Track solution composition in grams and moles, Display 3D compound structures, Share solution data via CSV

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iMolview free?

iMolview costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Search PubChem free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iMolview or Search PubChem?

Search PubChem is rated higher. iMolview averages 3.6 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Search PubChem averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do iMolview or Search PubChem have ads?

Neither iMolview nor Search PubChem shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iMolview or Search PubChem?

iMolview ships an update every 2 months, and Search PubChem every 9 months. Most recently, iMolview was updated on October 22, 2026 and Search PubChem on October 7, 2026.

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