Tap OChem Lite vs Heterocycles
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tap OChem Lite
Visualize and understand key organic chemistry concepts, molecules, and reactions through high-quality animations. This app offers a taste of the full version, featuring common undergraduate organic chemistry topics with accompanying text descriptions and electron-pushing diagrams.
- Organic reaction animations
- Key concept visualizations
- Electron pushing diagrams
- Text descriptions
- Periodic table reference
- Molecules in motion
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Understand organic chemistry! Visualize many of the most important concepts, molecules, and reactions! Check out the full version of “Tap OChem”! In addition to the content in the lite version, the full version contains over 170 concepts, reactions, molecules, and reference topics! Tap OChem Lite puts many organic reactions and concepts at your fingertips. The reactions and concepts included are some of the most common from the one year sequence of undergraduate organic chemistry that is offered at major colleges and universities. We have even thrown in a simple periodic table for reference! Whether you are studying for a midterm exam, MCAT, or PCAT, this app can facilitate your learning. Designed by two award winning chemists with over 45 years of combined teaching at major universities, Tap OChem Lite displays organic chemistry reactions and concepts in high quality animations. The Lite version will give you a taste of the full version where more than 130 animations and descriptions are available along with many more reference tables. The Lite version includes full animation and text versions of the following: Substitution reactions (4 animations, all SN2), Elimination reactions (3 animations, all E2), Alkene reactions (3 animations), Alkyne reactions (2 animations), Epoxide Chemistry (2 animations), Benzene reactions (2 animations), Butadiene chemistry (1 animation), Key concepts (8 animations). The concepts section includes valence bond theory, conformational analysis of alkanes, and one stereochemistry animation. The molecules in motion section has 8 animations, both acyclic and cyclic compounds. Also some intermediates are included (tert-butyl radical and allyl radical). Each animation has an accompanying text that drills down to the main features of each reaction or concept. These are short, quick to find, descriptions with important information regarding each reaction or concept. For each reaction, text descriptions include electron pushing diagrams. In this version we've kept the full color diagrams in the accompanying text. More information regarding Tap OChem and Tap OChem Lite can be found at our website www.tapochem.com. In addition to the animations being very sharp on your iPhone, they also look great on an iPad. This new version is now native for both iPhone and iPad. In addition, they are excellent quality for projecting in a classroom (an adapter is required). iPad 2 or higher and iPhone 5 or higher can be used for projection.
Heterocycles
Master the names and applications of organic chemistry's heterocycles. This interactive app covers over 75 compounds with hundreds of examples and personalized review modes. Track your progress with achievements and learn about their roles in medicine and biology.
- 75+ heterocycles
- Hundreds of examples
- Multiple practice modes
- Personalized review
- Reference table
- Achievements
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Learn the names of heterocycles - all in an engaging and interactive format. If you’re puzzled by pyridines, quizzical about quinazolines, or interested in indolines, look no further. You’ll quickly become familiar with the most important nitrogen-, oxygen-, and sulfur-containing heterocycles, along with their applications in medicinal chemistry, biology, and beyond. The app features: • 75+ simple and advanced heterocycles • Hundreds of examples • Multiple practice modes • Personalized review • Reference table and definitions • Achievements to track your progress Along the way, you’ll learn interesting facts about pharmaceuticals, biomolecules, dangerous compounds, unique molecular structures, and more. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tap OChem Lite at none against Heterocycles's 1. Tap OChem Lite also leads on ratings volume (21 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Heterocycles sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Tap OChem Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Tap OChem Lite against 5.0 for Heterocycles. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tap OChem Lite has 21 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Tap OChem Lite | Heterocycles |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (21 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 21 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 11 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.5 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 536 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tap OChem, LLC | Clarity Applications |
Customer experience
Tap OChem Lite
Heterocycles
In-app purchases
Tap OChem Lite
No in-app purchases
Heterocycles
- Lifetime Access$4.99
Questions
Is Tap OChem Lite free?
Is Heterocycles free?
Which has better reviews, Tap OChem Lite or Heterocycles?
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