Comparison

iMolview Lite vs PDB Viewer

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

Head to head
About

iMolview Lite

Explore 3D models of biological molecules like proteins and DNA from public databases. Visualize and customize molecular structures with various representations and coloring schemes. Analyze interactions and view your own structure files.

Highlights
  • 3D protein and DNA structure viewing
  • Drug molecule visualization
  • Customizable molecular representations
  • Individual atom/residue selection and coloring
  • Interaction analysis
  • Import custom structure files
Features
Read full description

Explore the fascinating world of biological macromolecules: iMolview Lite lets you browse and view in 3D protein and DNA structures from Protein Data Bank, and drug molecules from DrugBank. 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. If you have more than a casual interest in 3D structures, please consider full iMolview version, which adds many features you may find useful: - store your custom molecular visualizations as 'slides' to be instantly displayed later, preserving chosen representations, color schemes, viewpoint etc. - measure distances and angles - instantly e-mail screenshots to colleagues - VGA output support - 3D view mirroring and 'laser pointer' emulation for structural data presentations from your iPhone or iPad - load and display simultaneously multiple structures; superimpose using either residue number correspondence, sequence alignment or structural alignment with sophisticated iterative procedure - auto-assign secondary structure for PDB entries lacking this data - use side-by-side stereo display for even more vivid 3D viewing. - much more to come!

About

PDB Viewer

Features
Read full description

PDB Viewer turns your phone into a molecular microscope. Search the entire Protein Data Bank and over 200 million AlphaFold predictions, then explore any protein, virus, drug, or DNA structure in interactive 3D — free, with no account, no ads, and no sign-up. WHERE THE MOLECULES COME FROM • RCSB Protein Data Bank — 200,000+ experimentally determined structures • AlphaFold — 200M+ AI-predicted protein models • SWISS-MODEL — template-based homology models • PubChem and ChEMBL — millions of drugs and compounds • Crystallography Open Database — small-molecule crystals • NCI/CADD resolver — type a chemical name and get a 3D model Every source is free and needs no API key. You can also open your own .pdb and .cif files. WAYS TO SEE IT • Five representations: wireframe, ball-and-stick, space-filling (CPK), cartoon/ribbon, and a smooth molecular surface • Color by element, chain, secondary structure, rainbow, or AlphaFold confidence (pLDDT) • Biological assemblies: rebuild an entire icosahedral virus capsid from a few deposited chains • NMR ensembles: overlay every model in the bundle to watch a protein flex • Automatic secondary-structure detection MADE FOR TOUCH • Rotate, pinch-zoom, and pan with smooth native rendering • Tap any atom to see its element, residue, and chain • Recently viewed structures are cached, so they reopen instantly and work offline For students, researchers, teachers, and the simply curious. PDB Viewer makes structural biology beautiful and accessible. Structures are provided by their respective databases. PDB Viewer is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the RCSB PDB, EMBL-EBI, or AlphaFold.

Screenshots

iMolview Lite1 screens
PDB Viewer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: iMolview Lite at none against PDB Viewer's 1. iMolview Lite also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). PDB Viewer's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months). On price, ads 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. PDB Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. iMolview Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iMolview Lite ships an update every 9 months, PDB Viewer monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
iMolview Lite versus PDB Viewer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriMolview LitePDB Viewer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMolsoftQvyshift LLC

In-app purchases

None

iMolview Lite

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

PDB Viewer

One-time1
  • PDB Viewer Pro$9.99

Questions

Is iMolview Lite free?
iMolview Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PDB Viewer free?
PDB Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do iMolview Lite or PDB Viewer have ads?
Neither iMolview Lite nor PDB Viewer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iMolview Lite or PDB Viewer?
iMolview Lite ships an update every 9 months, and PDB Viewer monthly. Most recently, iMolview Lite was updated on September 22, 2026 and PDB Viewer on October 14, 2026.

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