Comparison

iMolview vs WebMO Molecule Editor

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

WebMO Molecule Editor

Create and explore 3D molecular structures, visualize chemical properties, and access extensive chemical databases. This tool is ideal for students and educators needing on-the-go access to molecular information and computational chemistry resources.

Highlights
  • 3D molecular editor
  • Structure optimization
  • Orbital and symmetry visualization
  • Chemical database lookup
  • Spectra visualization
  • High-resolution image capture
  • Computational chemistry program integration
Features
Read full description

WebMO allows users to build and view molecules in 3-D, visualize orbitals and symmetry elements, lookup chemical information and properties from external databases, and access state-of-the-art computational chemistry programs. WebMO is recommended for students and faculty in high school, college, and graduate school who desire mobile access to molecular structures, information, and calculations. WebMO capabilities include: - Build molecules by drawing atoms and bonds in a 3-D molecular editor, or by speaking the name (e.g., “aspirin”) - Optimize structures using VSEPR theory or molecular mechanics - View Huckel molecular orbitals, electron density, and electrostatic potential - View molecular vibrations - View point group and symmetry elements of molecules - Lookup basic molecular information, including IUPAC and common names, stoichiometry, molar mass - Lookup chemical data from PubChem and ChemSpider - Lookup experimental and predicted molecular properties from external databases (NIST, Sigma-Aldrich) - Lookup IR, UV-VIS, NMR, and mass spectra from external databases (NIST, SDBS) - Capture high-resolution molecular images - Save and recall molecular structures locally - Export and import structures via email WebMO is also a front-end to WebMO servers (version 14 and higher): - Supports Gaussian, GAMESS, Molpro, MOPAC, NWChem, ORCA, PQS, PSI, Quantum Espresso, VASP, Q-Chem, and Tinker computational chemistry programs - Submit, monitor, and view calculations - View formatted tabular data extracted from output files, as well as raw output - Visualize geometry, partial charges, dipole moment, normal vibrational modes, molecular orbitals, and NMR/IR/UV-VIS spectra

Screenshots

iMolview1 screens
WebMO Molecule Editor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: WebMO Molecule Editor at Free against iMolview's $0.99. WebMO Molecule Editor also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.6) and ratings volume (40 vs 13). iMolview's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (78% vs 60%). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

WebMO Molecule Editor is free to download; iMolview costs $0.99 up front. WebMO Molecule Editor sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. iMolview asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

WebMO Molecule Editor holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 40 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of iMolview's written reviews are positive against 60% of WebMO Molecule Editor's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iMolview ships an update every 2 months, WebMO Molecule Editor every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
iMolview versus WebMO Molecule Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriMolviewWebMO Molecule Editor
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating3.6 (13 ratings)4.0 (40 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.1% of reviews — better60.4% of reviews
Number of ratings1340 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMolsoftWebMO, LLC

Customer experience

iMolview

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

WebMO Molecule Editor

All ratings40 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive60.4%
Neutral9.4%
Negative30.2%

In-app purchases

None

iMolview

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

WebMO Molecule Editor

One-time2
  • WebMO Premium for paid usersFree
  • WebMO Premium$4.99

Questions

Is iMolview free?
iMolview costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is WebMO Molecule Editor free?
WebMO Molecule Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iMolview or WebMO Molecule Editor?
WebMO Molecule Editor is rated higher. iMolview averages 3.6 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while WebMO Molecule Editor averages 4.0 from 40 ratings.
Do iMolview or WebMO Molecule Editor have ads?
Neither iMolview nor WebMO Molecule Editor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iMolview or WebMO Molecule Editor?
iMolview ships an update every 2 months, and WebMO Molecule Editor every 3 months. Most recently, iMolview was updated on September 22, 2026 and WebMO Molecule Editor on September 3, 2026.

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