Comparison

PDB Viewer vs cella

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

cella

Explore crystal structures in interactive 3D. Visualize atomic arrangements, view different molecular models, and access a curated atlas of common materials. Supports CIF file import and export with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Interactive 3D crystal exploration
  • Fifteen visual Cell Notes
  • Curated structure atlas
  • Multiple view modes (ball-and-stick, space-filling)
  • Unit cell and (hkl) plane visualization
  • CIF file import and export (Pro)
  • No ads, tracking, or analytics
Features
Read full description

Open a supported CIF file and explore its structure in interactive 3D. cella brings crystal data, fifteen visual Cell Notes, and a curated structure atlas into one focused workspace for iPhone and iPad. READ THE STRUCTURE Fifteen Cell Notes connect familiar materials to the lattice beneath them. Follow salts, metals, carbon structures, and semiconductors through concise visual stories, then open the related crystal in 3D to inspect the model yourself. EXPLORE IN 3D • Rotate, zoom, and pan • Tap atoms to read element names, sites, and fractional coordinates • Switch between ball-and-stick, space-filling, and coordination-polyhedra views • Show the unit cell and (hkl) planes • Build a×b×c supercells USE THE BUILT-IN ATLAS Start with 20 free structures. The collection covers rock salt, diamond, graphite, fluorite, perovskites, common metals, and other teaching examples. Pro unlocks all 58 built-in structures. IMPORT AND EXPORT WITH PRO A one-time purchase unlocks supported CIF import, the full atlas, and high-resolution transparent PNG export. There is no subscription. CIF compatibility depends on file content. Unsupported or malformed files are reported in the app. Review labels and geometry before using exported images in research or publication. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, ads, tracking, or analytics. CIF files are processed on your device and never uploaded. Apple StoreKit may use an internet connection to load Pro availability, process purchases, or restore entitlements.

Screenshots

PDB Viewer4 screens
cella4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: cella at every 10 days against PDB Viewer's monthly. On price, ads, 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. PDB Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and cella sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDB Viewer ships an update monthly, cella every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
PDB Viewer versus cella: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDB Viewercella
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperQvyshift LLC武汉回到未来科技有限公司

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PDB Viewer

One-time1
  • PDB Viewer Pro$9.99
1 purchases

cella

One-time1
  • cella Pro$5.99

Questions

Is PDB Viewer free?
PDB Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is cella free?
cella is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PDB Viewer or cella have ads?
Neither PDB Viewer nor cella shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDB Viewer or cella?
PDB Viewer ships an update monthly, and cella every 10 days. Most recently, PDB Viewer was updated on October 16, 2026 and cella on October 17, 2026.

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