# Molecule vs Search PubChem

The clearest difference is rating: Search PubChem at 5.0 against Molecule's 4.0. Molecule's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 9 months) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Search PubChem holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Molecule's written reviews are positive against 75% of Search PubChem's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Molecule ships an update every 4 months, Search PubChem every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Molecule | Search PubChem |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/molecule/id797331776/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/search-pubchem/id1369742632/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **76.2% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 9 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Kirill Blinov](https://appshunter.io/developer/630833420) | [Jae-Seung Lee](https://appshunter.io/developer/1146296876) |

## What reviewers say

### Molecule

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/molecule/id797331776)

This app allows users to create and share chemical structures with ease. It calculates molecular formula, weight, and elemental composition in real-time as you draw. Ideal for students and researchers needing a simple tool for molecular visualization.

**Highlights:** Draw chemical structures, Share structures, Calculate MF, MW, Monoisotopic Mass, Calculate Elemental Composition, Interactive calculations, Modern interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Search PubChem

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/search-pubchem/id1369742632)

Access and manage chemical compound data from the PubChem database. Search for over 111 million compounds, view molecular formulas, weights, and structures, and create and track custom solutions with detailed composition information.

**Highlights:** Search PubChem database, View molecular formula, weight, and structure, Store compound information, Create and manage custom solutions, Track solution composition in grams and moles, Display 3D compound structures, Share solution data via CSV

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Molecule free?

Molecule is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Search PubChem free?

Search PubChem is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Molecule or Search PubChem?

Search PubChem is rated higher. Molecule averages 4.0 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Search PubChem averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Molecule or Search PubChem have ads?

Neither Molecule nor Search PubChem shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Molecule or Search PubChem?

Molecule ships an update every 4 months, and Search PubChem every 9 months. Most recently, Molecule was updated on October 15, 2026 and Search PubChem on October 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*