Protein Viewer Pro vs PDB Viewer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Protein Viewer Pro
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Building on our powerful viewer for RCSB Protein Data Bank structures, this release adds a significant new layer of information by integrating data from UniProt. Our goal is to empower protein specialists to seamlessly capture inspiration and engage in discussions with their peers, providing a handy tool for work in the laboratory or even outdoors. We hope you enjoy your protein research anywhere. We're also excited to announce that a "Protein Music" app is in the works! https://heebok.github.io/protein_viewer_manual.html
PDB Viewer
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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 โ free, with no account, no ads, and no sign-up. WHERE THE MOLECULES COME FROM โข RCSB Protein Data Bank โ 200,000+ experimentally determined structures โข AlphaFold โ 200M+ AI-predicted protein models โข SWISS-MODEL โ template-based homology models โข PubChem and ChEMBL โ millions of drugs and compounds โข Crystallography Open Database โ small-molecule crystals โข NCI/CADD resolver โ 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 โข Five representations: wireframe, ball-and-stick, space-filling (CPK), cartoon/ribbon, and a smooth molecular surface โข Color by element, chain, secondary structure, rainbow, or AlphaFold confidence (pLDDT) โข Biological assemblies: rebuild an entire icosahedral virus capsid from a few deposited chains โข NMR ensembles: overlay every model in the bundle to watch a protein flex โข Automatic secondary-structure detection MADE FOR TOUCH โข Rotate, pinch-zoom, and pan with smooth native rendering โข Tap any atom to see its element, residue, and chain โข 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
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Protein Viewer Pro at none against PDB Viewer's 1. Protein Viewer Pro also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. PDB Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Protein Viewer Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.
Protein Viewer Pro ships an update every 2 weeks, PDB Viewer monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Protein Viewer Pro | PDB Viewer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks โ better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No โ better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 โ better | 16.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Heebok Lee | Qvyshift LLC |
In-app purchases
Protein Viewer Pro
No in-app purchases
PDB Viewer
- PDB Viewer Pro$9.99






