Comparison

Chirys Draw vs Lab.Hacks

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

Head to head
About

Chirys Draw

Easily create complex molecular structures and reaction schemes with intuitive gestures. This app offers chemically aware text, automatic calculations, and publication-quality export options for scientists and students.

Highlights
  • Draw complex molecular structures and reaction schemes
  • Chemically aware text and automatic calculations
  • Intuitive circle gesture for ring creation
  • Publication-quality image and PDF export
  • Airdrop sharing and cross-platform compatibility
  • Import/export MOL files
Read full description

Draw complex molecular structures and reaction schemes using your fingertips. An easy circle gesture (U.S. Patent No. 9754085 and No. 10,424,399) makes even complicated polycyclic rings easy and fun to draw. Multiple double bonds or multiple functional groups are simple to add all at one time. Annotation and reaction condition text is chemically aware and properly subscripts numbers. With over 175k downloads, Chirys Draw is speeding the way scientists draw and communicate. Imagine what you will create! Take notes at those seminars or class lectures! Present your ideas at project or group meetings! Draw structures and reaction schemes for your next paper! See the how-to videos on the Chirys web site. Key Features: • Create saturated, aromatic rings and chains • Draw reactions and reaction schemes with reaction conditions • Draw retrosynthetic pathways • Create multi-line text annotations with fonts and colors • Create complex fused and spirocyclic ring systems • Generate ion pairs • Airdrop sharing with colleagues • Airdrop transfer to your Macintosh • Copy and paste images or PDFs into Pages®, Keynote®, and other applications • Copy images to the Camera Roll • Send images of molecular structures by email, ready for publication • Make publication-quality prints and images • User-defined Groups • Export drawings as a scalable graphics PDF • Import and export molecules as MOL files Additional Features: • Automatic identification of molecular formulas in text • Molecular formula, weight, elemental composition, and exact mass calculations • Automatic layout of functional groups • Resonance and equilibrium arrows • 24 levels of undo and redo User feedback: “Wow. First of all, please let me say that this is the single best iPad application that I have ever used (not to mention one of the best structure drawing programs on any platform). You really nailed using gestures to design and manipulate structures. The app is an awesome example of harnessing the spirit of the iPad. I was up and drawing in 30 seconds. The interface is clean, intuitive, and so very well designed. Beautiful output too.” — Stephen “I use this for all my structure drawing needs now - desktop applications are so expensive and actually harder to use than Chirys Draw. Developer is very responsive. Improvements to the app keep coming. If you're a student, or a lecturer like myself, and need to draw quality chemical structures, then look no further. Exporting features make it easy to create a structure, then email to yourself for incorporation into a Powerpoint, Keynote, Word or any other sort of document. Highly recommended, and well worth the cost (much cheaper than desktop apps and for most purposes just as functional).” — Australian user “Extremely well-done, very easy to learn, and elegant. It will be easier and faster other competitors to sketch high-quality structures and could be really handy for taking notes in meetings.” — Jeff “Brilliant addition to the iPad workload. This is clearly a creative application and the most full featured molecular drawing app. I think the developers here have the most motivation, and have put more original thought into this. I hope they will be encouraged to continue with their vision…” — Cascade “I wanted to let you know directly how much I appreciate this app. It works exactly as advertised, is highly capable, and is now substituting for a desktop-based chemical structure drawing app. I am right now using it to prepare structures for my pharmacognosy lectures, and it is working well.” — Ian “The words that come to mind: Impressive. Quality. The development of Chirys Draw shows your deep, consistent, and scholarly chemistry flair and precision, and is impressive. Professional chemists will continue to love this.” — Atsuo “ChirysDraw represents the best chemical drawing package to date on the iPad.” — Brian “Thank you again for such a lovely program.” — Olivia

About

Lab.Hacks

This app serves as a laboratory assistant, offering a collection of essential tools, calculators, and guides for students, researchers, and technicians. It simplifies everyday lab tasks with features like dilution calculators, timers, and protocols, all accessible offline.

Highlights
  • Dilution, molarity, and unit conversion calculators
  • Smart lab timers
  • Quick reference tables
  • Step-by-step protocols and guides
  • Offline access
  • Minimalist design
Features
Read full description

Lab.hacks is your ultimate companion for everyday work in the laboratory. Whether you're a student, researcher, or lab technician, Lab.hacks provides you with a growing collection of essential tools, calculators, and practical hacks designed to make your lab life easier. Features: • Handy calculators for dilutions, molarity, unit conversions & more • Smart lab timers and quick reference tables • Step-by-step protocols and how-to guides • Offline access – always available when you need it • Minimalist design for maximum focus • No login required – just open and start using From pipetting shortcuts to buffer recipes – Lab.hacks brings efficiency to your fingertips. Stop wasting time searching for formulas and start working smarter in the lab! Get Lab.hacks now and discover how small tools can make a big difference. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Lab.Hacks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Lab.Hacks at 4.9 against Chirys Draw's 2.6. Lab.Hacks also leads on review sentiment (96% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). Chirys Draw's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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. Lab.Hacks sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Chirys Draw asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lab.Hacks holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lab.Hacks has 136 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Chirys Draw's written reviews are positive against 96% of Lab.Hacks's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chirys Draw ships an update every 9 months, Lab.Hacks every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Chirys Draw versus Lab.Hacks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChirys DrawLab.Hacks
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (8 ratings)4.9 (136 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews96.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8136 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn ClarkLab.hacks GmbH

Customer experience

Chirys Draw

All ratings8 ratings
Positive37.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative62.5%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Lab.Hacks

All ratings136 ratings
Positive98.5%
Neutral0.7%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive96.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Chirys Draw

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Lab.Hacks

Subscriptions2
  • Lab.hacks Ad-free monthly$2.991 Month
  • Lab.hacks Ad-free annual$28.991 Year
One-time6
  • Donate 1$$0.99
  • Donate 5$$3.99
  • Donate 10$$8.99
Show 3 more
  • Donate 20$$17.99
  • Donate 50$$44.99
  • Donate 100$$89.99

Questions

Is Chirys Draw free?
Chirys Draw is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lab.Hacks free?
Lab.Hacks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chirys Draw or Lab.Hacks?
Lab.Hacks is rated higher. Chirys Draw averages 2.6 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Lab.Hacks averages 4.9 from 136 ratings.
Do Chirys Draw or Lab.Hacks have ads?
Lab.Hacks shows ads; Chirys Draw does not.
Which is updated more often, Chirys Draw or Lab.Hacks?
Chirys Draw ships an update every 9 months, and Lab.Hacks every 2 months. Most recently, Chirys Draw was updated on October 15, 2026 and Lab.Hacks on October 12, 2026.

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