Comparison

MolSketchGo vs MolVanilla

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

Head to head
About

MolSketchGo

Features
Read full description

MolSketchGo is a mobile tool for drawing and exploring chemical structures—for study and personal use. It is not intended for professional, safety-critical, or regulatory decisions. DRAW STRUCTURES • Tap to place atoms; drag between atoms to create bonds • Single, double, triple, wedge, and dash bonds • Long-press to move atoms; use two fingers to pan and zoom • Ring templates: benzene, cyclohexane, and cyclopentane • Skeletal mode, implicit hydrogens, and valence warnings when bonds exceed typical valence EXPLORE IN 3D • Generate a 3D view from your 2D sketch • Ball-and-stick, space-filling, and stick representations • Rotate and zoom IMPORT & EXPORT • Export PNG, SVG, SMILES, MOL, and SDF on device • InChI and IUPAC names require an internet connection via PubChem (NCBI) • Import SMILES and MOL/SDF files • Search PubChem by name, CID, or SMILES • Import PDB structures from RCSB for 3D viewing (3D viewer; not editable in 2D) MOLECULE INFO • Molecular formula, molecular weight, and DBE • Autosave drafts; dark mode and editor settings CHEMISTRY DATA DISCLAIMER Names, structures, and properties from this app or third-party sources (including PubChem) are provided for informational and educational purposes only. Always verify results before research, teaching, publication, or any safety-related use. Japality Limited does not guarantee accuracy or completeness. MolSketchGo Pro (OPTIONAL) Optional subscription to remove banner ads and support development. Monthly and annual plans are available; price shown in the app at purchase. The free version includes banner ads in the editor and settings. --- MolSketchGo Pro is an optional auto-renewable subscription (monthly or annual) that removes banner ads. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://app.japality.com/molsketch/i/privacy_policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://app.japality.com/molsketch/i/terms_of_service/ Subscription Terms: https://app.japality.com/molsketch/i/subscription_terms/

About

MolVanilla

Features
Read full description

MolVanilla is a chemical structure editor for iPhone and iPad. Tap to add atoms and bonds, then build rings, functional groups, abbreviations, alkyl chains, and repeat structures. Features • Single, double, triple, wedge, and hashed-wedge bonds • Elements, rings, functional groups, abbreviations, chains, and repeat structures • Select, move, rotate, copy and paste, and automatic cleanup • Multiple canvases and local saving • Formula, molecular weight, exact mass, and isotope m/z • SMILES and Molfile import; SMILES, Molfile, CDXML, and JSON export • Transparent PNG, PDF, and SVG export • 3D viewing and property, ¹H/¹³C NMR, and MS fragment predictions • AI consultation about reactions, retrosynthesis, and degradation, with proposed structures and routes that can be drawn on a canvas Specify a maximum number of retrosynthesis steps, starting materials, or degradation conditions such as water, light, and heat. AI proposals are hypotheses for further evaluation. They do not establish reaction feasibility, selectivity, yield, or experimental conditions. Predictions do not replace experimental measurements. Close a calculation screen and edit another canvas while the calculation continues in the app. Open saved results from the completion banner or optional notification. Results and consultation history are saved on device; reopening them does not recalculate or spend credits. Completion during every kind of app termination or background suspension is not guaranteed. Drawing, saving, export, and on-device calculations are unlimited. Ordinary server analysis includes three free successful calculations per day, followed by one credit per successful calculation. Purchased credits do not expire. AI consultation uses purchased credits. A general consultation, degradation request, or one-step retrosynthesis costs three credits. Each additional step in the specified retrosynthesis limit adds two credits. The cost is shown before submission; extra candidates in an answer do not incur an additional charge. The daily free analysis allowance does not apply to AI consultation. Server analysis and AI consultation require an internet connection. Before the first AI submission, you explicitly permit sharing the structure, question, conditions, and related context with OpenAI. You can revoke permission in Settings. Completed AI answers are encrypted on the server and remain retrievable for 24 hours to recover from a lost connection. Stopping local status checks does not cancel accepted server work; a valid completed answer still uses the quoted credits.

Screenshots

MolSketchGo4 screens
MolVanilla4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: MolVanilla at none against MolSketchGo's shown. MolVanilla also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). MolSketchGo's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases 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. MolSketchGo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and MolVanilla sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MolSketchGo ships an update every 2 months, MolVanilla every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
MolSketchGo versus MolVanilla: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMolSketchGoMolVanilla
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJapality LimitedKEISUKE MASUDA

In-app purchases

2 purchases

MolSketchGo

Subscriptions2
  • MolSketchGo Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • MolSketchGo Pro Annual$11.991 Year
3 purchases

MolVanilla

One-time3
  • 10 Credits$0.49
  • 50 Credits$1.99
  • 200 Credits$5.99

Questions

Is MolSketchGo free?
MolSketchGo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MolVanilla free?
MolVanilla is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MolSketchGo or MolVanilla have ads?
MolSketchGo shows ads; MolVanilla does not.
Which is updated more often, MolSketchGo or MolVanilla?
MolSketchGo ships an update every 2 months, and MolVanilla every 3 days. Most recently, MolSketchGo was updated on October 28, 2026 and MolVanilla on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons