PDB Viewer vs Elemlearn
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
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.
Elemlearn
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Become unbeatable on the entire periodic table! Elemlearn is the perfect app to learn and review all 118 chemical elements - their names, their symbols, and the families they belong to - in a fun, ad-free way. Two game modes Quiz yourself either way: Element โ Symbol or Symbol โ Element. Switch anytime to challenge your memory from both angles. Smart review The app automatically spots the elements you know least and brings them back more often, with tricky look-alike options (like Silicon vs Selenium, or Sodium vs Sulfur) to sharpen your memory and avoid confusion. Bohr diagrams Every answer reveals the element's electron shells, atomic number, atomic mass and family - so you learn the real chemistry, not just the letters. Track your progress Detailed stats, a daily streak, and mastery family by family, so you always know exactly where you stand. Six languages Interface in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and German. All 10 element families, all 118 elements Alkali metals: Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, Caesium, Francium Alkaline earth metals: Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, Barium, Radium Transition metals: Scandium, Titanium, Vanadium, Chromium, Manganese, Iron, Cobalt, Nickel, Copper, Zinc, Yttrium, Zirconium, Niobium, Molybdenum, Technetium, Ruthenium, Rhodium, Palladium, Silver, Cadmium, Hafnium, Tantalum, Tungsten, Rhenium, Osmium, Iridium, Platinum, Gold, Mercury, Rutherfordium, Dubnium, Seaborgium, Bohrium, Hassium, Meitnerium, Darmstadtium, Roentgenium, Copernicium Post-transition metals: Aluminium, Gallium, Indium, Tin, Thallium, Lead, Bismuth, Polonium, Nihonium, Flerovium, Moscovium, Livermorium Metalloids: Boron, Silicon, Germanium, Arsenic, Antimony, Tellurium Reactive nonmetals: Hydrogen, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Selenium Halogens: Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine, Astatine, Tennessine Noble gases: Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon, Radon, Oganesson Lanthanides: Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, Promethium, Samarium, Europium, Gadolinium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Holmium, Erbium, Thulium, Ytterbium, Lutetium Actinides: Actinium, Thorium, Protactinium, Uranium, Neptunium, Plutonium, Americium, Curium, Berkelium, Californium, Einsteinium, Fermium, Mendelevium, Nobelium, Lawrencium 100% free, no account No ads, no account required, no paid features, no in-app purchases forced on you. For chemistry students, trivia lovers, and anyone who wants to finally tell Silicon and Selenium apart.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Elemlearn at none against PDB Viewer's 1. Elemlearn also leads on update cadence (every 9 days 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. Elemlearn asks for nothing beyond the download.
PDB Viewer ships an update monthly, Elemlearn every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PDB Viewer | Elemlearn |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 9 days โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No โ better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.1 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Qvyshift LLC | Adrien Soullier |
In-app purchases
PDB Viewer
- PDB Viewer Pro$9.99
Elemlearn
No in-app purchases









