Comparison

iMolview Lite vs Molecule World

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

Molecule World

Explore interactive 3D models of molecules, proteins, and DNA. This educational tool allows users to manipulate structures, experiment with visualization styles, and learn about chemical properties. Ideal for students and science enthusiasts of all ages.

Highlights
  • Interactive 3D molecule manipulation
  • Experiment with drawing and coloring styles
  • View and control molecular sequences (protein, DNA, RNA)
  • Identify elements and investigate molecular properties
  • Capture images of molecular structures
  • Explore themed collections of molecules
Features
Read full description

A modern 3D molecular workspace that makes exploring the connections between sequence, structure, and function accessible to a new generation of scientists, educators, and students. Molecule World 5.0 is built for how molecular structures are explored and designed today. View, compare, align, and explore experimental structures and computationally generated models together. Compare normal and mutant proteins, investigate structural differences, and connect sequence changes to their 3D consequences. Explore proteins, DNA, RNA, and small molecules on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Rotate, zoom, and pan through structures with high-quality interactive 3D visualization. Molecule World brings structure viewing, sequence analysis, molecular comparison, and educational tools together in one app. EXPERIMENTAL AND COMPUTATIONAL STRUCTURES Open structures from X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and NMR alongside computationally generated models. Search RCSB PDB, NCBI MMDB, and PubChem by ID or keyword and download structures directly into your library. SEQUENCE AND STRUCTURE The sequence viewer on iPad and Mac shows every chain as a row of residues colored to match the 3D view. Copies of a molecule line up in shared columns, while superimposed models read down the same columns. See sequence differences in context and investigate their structural consequences. POWERFUL VISUALIZATION Choose Spacefill, Ball & Stick, Tubes, Ribbon, Surface, or Wire Surface representations. Color by element, secondary structure, chain, sequence, assembly, conserved domain, residue type, charge, hydrophobicity, or B-factor. Show proteins, nucleic acids, or chemical components alone, or reduce chains to their backbone or Cα trace. A color key shows what is on screen, while the Info card reports what a structure is, how it was determined, and what it contains. YOUR LIBRARY Keep structures in folders, synced through iCloud Drive or stored on the device. Filter your library by atoms, chains, resolution, confidence values, file type, source database, models, or scenes. MOLECULE WORLD PRO Pro adds tools for creating and saving molecular content. Selections: select residues in the sequence, search by variant, range, or motif, select residue neighbors, then style, color, hide, and lock them. Scenes: save named views, including selections, styles, and camera position, inside the structure file. Step through scenes to guide an exploration or create a presentation. Model sets: superimpose structures and compare how closely they align. Compare experimental structures, predicted models, variants, or alternative conformations, and save the model set and its comparison data for sharing. Collections: package structures, models, scenes, and descriptions into a single file. Hide selected structures for exercises and optionally lock the collection for distribution. Pro also includes undo and redo and high-resolution image capture. It is a single in-app purchase with no subscription and can be shared with Family Sharing. TEACH SEQUENCE, STRUCTURE, AND FUNCTION Build collections around a biological question. Give students related structures, variants, or predicted models and let them investigate the differences themselves. Use scenes to guide an exploration, hide structures for unknown-structure exercises, and move between aligned sequence and 3D structure to connect sequence changes with their structural consequences. Everything created with Pro opens in the free Molecule World viewer on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Students and colleagues can explore collections, step through scenes and model sets, change views, and save images for assignments and presentations. BUILT FOR THE APPLE ECOSYSTEM Molecule World runs as a unified app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Optional iCloud support keeps your library available across devices. Molecule World is developed by Digital World Biology LLC, with support from National Science Foundation awards IIP 1315426 and DUE 2055036.

Screenshots

iMolview Lite1 screens
Molecule World4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Molecule World at 5.0 against iMolview Lite's 4.0. Molecule World also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). iMolview Lite's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Molecule World holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iMolview Lite ships an update every 9 months, Molecule World every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
iMolview Lite versus Molecule World: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriMolview LiteMolecule World
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (5 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings5 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMolsoftDigital World Biology LLC

Customer experience

iMolview Lite

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Molecule World

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

iMolview Lite

No in-app purchases

None

Molecule World

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iMolview Lite free?
iMolview Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Molecule World free?
Molecule World is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iMolview Lite or Molecule World?
Molecule World is rated higher. iMolview Lite averages 4.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Molecule World averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do iMolview Lite or Molecule World have ads?
Neither iMolview Lite nor Molecule World shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iMolview Lite or Molecule World?
iMolview Lite ships an update every 9 months, and Molecule World every 2 months. Most recently, iMolview Lite was updated on September 22, 2026 and Molecule World on October 7, 2026.

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