iMolview vs MolViewApp
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 3D molecular visualization
- Browse PDB, DrugBank, Pubchem
- Customizable representations
- Individual element coloring
- Neighbor analysis
- Electron density map contouring
- Scene saving and management
Read full descriptionHide 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
MolViewApp
Explore 3D molecular structures with interactive visualizations. Load PDB files locally or by ID and utilize various display modes and advanced features like electrostatic potential mapping and structural alignment. All processing is done on-device for privacy.
- Load PDB files locally or by ID
- Multiple structure loading and visibility control
- Surface electrostatic potential map
- Structural alignment and superposition
- Secondary structure coloring
- Morphing between conformations
Read full descriptionHide full description
MolViewApp is an iPad molecular structure viewer built on Mol*. Load PDB files locally or by PDB ID and explore proteins with cartoon, surface, stick, and ball-and-stick representations. Features: - Load multiple structures; per-structure visibility from the Objects panel - Surface electrostatic potential map (screened-Coulomb / APBS-style) - Superposition and sequence-independent structural alignment - Secondary structure (DSSP) coloring - Morphing between conformations - Command-line interface and built-in manual All computation runs on-device. No account, no data collection, no tracking.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: MolViewApp at Free against iMolview's $0.99. MolViewApp also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.6) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). iMolview's advantage is ratings volume (13 vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). 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
MolViewApp is free to download; iMolview costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
MolViewApp holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iMolview has 13 ratings behind it against 2, 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 100% of MolViewApp's.
iMolview ships an update every 2 months, MolViewApp every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iMolview | MolViewApp |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.6 (13 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 78.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Molsoft | Donghan Lee |
Customer experience
iMolview
MolViewApp
In-app purchases
iMolview
No in-app purchases
MolViewApp
No in-app purchases









