Comparison

iMolview vs BioViewer

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

Head to head
About

iMolview

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
Read full description

Explore the fascinating world of biological macromolecules: iMolview lets you browse and view in 3D protein and DNA structures from Protein Data Bank, drug molecules from DrugBank, and small molecules from Pubchem. Search for drug names like 'ibuprofen' or 'gefitinib' in DrugBank, or proteins like 'insulin' or 'thyroid receptor' in PDB. Information associated with each molecule in these databases is also at your fingertips. Sync and view your own structure files via iTunes. Molecular view can be customized with a rich set of molecular representations (wires, balls-and-sticks, space filling, ribbon diagrams, molecular surfaces) and various coloring schemes. Select residues, atoms or chains and color or change their representations individually. Select 'neighbors' of a ligand or any other selection to identify interacting atoms or residues. Set 'inertia' to the maximum and let your molecule spin in 3D indefinitely. Save the current scene (viewpoint + representation) as a slide which can be easily accessed later. Save the whole molecular document with multiple slides. Load and contour electron density map

About

BioViewer

Visualize 3D molecular structures from .pdb files on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Features smooth rendering, drag-and-drop support, and publication-quality photo exports for detailed analysis.

Highlights
  • 3D molecular structure visualization
  • Supports .pdb and .xyz files
  • Drag and drop functionality
  • Photo Mode with high-quality exports
  • Multi-model PDB support
  • Optimized for ProMotion displays
Read full description

A .pdb protein visualizer for iOS, iPadOS and macOS. View the 3D representation of any molecular structure from a .pdb file, using our custom Metal-based rendering engine based to allow for a smooth experience even in the biggest proteins.  - Full drag and drop support for .pdb and .xyz files. - Photo Mode with publication-quality exports. - Support for multi-model PDBs. - Support for high refresh rate ProMotion displays.

Screenshots

iMolview1 screens
BioViewer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: BioViewer at Free against iMolview's $0.99. BioViewer also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). iMolview's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 33%) and rating (3.6 vs 1.0). On ads, in-app purchases, 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iMolview holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iMolview has 13 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of iMolview's written reviews are positive against 33% of BioViewer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iMolview ships an update every 2 months, BioViewer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
iMolview versus BioViewer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriMolviewBioViewer
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating3.6 (13 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews78.1% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings13 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMolsoftRaul Monton Pinillos

Customer experience

iMolview

All ratings13 ratings
Positive61.5%
Neutral7.7%
Negative30.8%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive78.1%
Neutral3.1%
Negative18.8%

BioViewer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

None

iMolview

No in-app purchases

None

BioViewer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iMolview free?
iMolview costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is BioViewer free?
BioViewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iMolview or BioViewer?
iMolview is rated higher. iMolview averages 3.6 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while BioViewer averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do iMolview or BioViewer have ads?
Neither iMolview nor BioViewer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iMolview or BioViewer?
iMolview ships an update every 2 months, and BioViewer every 9 days. Most recently, iMolview was updated on September 22, 2026 and BioViewer on September 10, 2026.

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