Comparison

PDB Viewer vs MolViewApp

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

Head to head
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.

About

MolViewApp

Explore 3D molecular structures with interactive visualizations. Load PDB files locally or by ID and utilize various display modes and advanced features like electrostatic potential mapping and structural alignment. All processing is done on-device for privacy.

Highlights
  • Load PDB files locally or by ID
  • Multiple structure loading and visibility control
  • Surface electrostatic potential map
  • Structural alignment and superposition
  • Secondary structure coloring
  • Morphing between conformations
Features
Read full description

MolViewApp is an iPad molecular structure viewer built on Mol*. Load PDB files locally or by PDB ID and explore proteins with cartoon, surface, stick, and ball-and-stick representations. Features: - Load multiple structures; per-structure visibility from the Objects panel - Surface electrostatic potential map (screened-Coulomb / APBS-style) - Superposition and sequence-independent structural alignment - Secondary structure (DSSP) coloring - Morphing between conformations - Command-line interface and built-in manual All computation runs on-device. No account, no data collection, no tracking.

Screenshots

PDB Viewer4 screens
MolViewApp2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MolViewApp at none against PDB Viewer's 1. MolViewApp also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. MolViewApp asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDB Viewer ships an update every 3 weeks, MolViewApp every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PDB Viewer versus MolViewApp: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDB ViewerMolViewApp
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB29 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperQvyshift LLCDonghan Lee

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PDB Viewer

One-time1
  • PDB Viewer Pro$9.99
None

MolViewApp

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PDB Viewer free?
PDB Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MolViewApp free?
MolViewApp is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PDB Viewer or MolViewApp have ads?
Neither PDB Viewer nor MolViewApp shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDB Viewer or MolViewApp?
PDB Viewer ships an update every 3 weeks, and MolViewApp every 2 days. Most recently, PDB Viewer was updated on September 10, 2026 and MolViewApp on September 25, 2026.

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