Comparison

WebMO Molecule Editor vs Search PubChem

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

Head to head
About

WebMO Molecule Editor

Create and explore 3D molecular structures, visualize chemical properties, and access extensive chemical databases. This tool is ideal for students and educators needing on-the-go access to molecular information and computational chemistry resources.

Highlights
  • 3D molecular editor
  • Structure optimization
  • Orbital and symmetry visualization
  • Chemical database lookup
  • Spectra visualization
  • High-resolution image capture
  • Computational chemistry program integration
Features
Read full description

WebMO allows users to build and view molecules in 3-D, visualize orbitals and symmetry elements, lookup chemical information and properties from external databases, and access state-of-the-art computational chemistry programs. WebMO is recommended for students and faculty in high school, college, and graduate school who desire mobile access to molecular structures, information, and calculations. WebMO capabilities include: - Build molecules by drawing atoms and bonds in a 3-D molecular editor, or by speaking the name (e.g., “aspirin”) - Optimize structures using VSEPR theory or molecular mechanics - View Huckel molecular orbitals, electron density, and electrostatic potential - View molecular vibrations - View point group and symmetry elements of molecules - Lookup basic molecular information, including IUPAC and common names, stoichiometry, molar mass - Lookup chemical data from PubChem and ChemSpider - Lookup experimental and predicted molecular properties from external databases (NIST, Sigma-Aldrich) - Lookup IR, UV-VIS, NMR, and mass spectra from external databases (NIST, SDBS) - Capture high-resolution molecular images - Save and recall molecular structures locally - Export and import structures via email WebMO is also a front-end to WebMO servers (version 14 and higher): - Supports Gaussian, GAMESS, Molpro, MOPAC, NWChem, ORCA, PQS, PSI, Quantum Espresso, VASP, Q-Chem, and Tinker computational chemistry programs - Submit, monitor, and view calculations - View formatted tabular data extracted from output files, as well as raw output - Visualize geometry, partial charges, dipole moment, normal vibrational modes, molecular orbitals, and NMR/IR/UV-VIS spectra

About

Search PubChem

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
Read full description

The app allows to search compounds through PubChem and helps to keep information on solutions made of those compounds. I. Compounds Tab Search the open chemistry database 'PubChem' at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for chemical compounds. The app helps to find a compound by name from the collection of more than 111 million compounds. It downloads and stores the molecular formula, weight, and structure. Compounds 1. Selecting the "Compounds" tab will present a list of compounds. - If there are any solutions made of a compound, a droplet will appear next to the compound's name. 2. When a compound is selected, a view with the detailed information will appear. Follow the instruction in "Details for a compound". 3. When the "+" button is selected, a view for search will appear. Follow the instruction in "Search for a compound". Details for a compound 1. Click "Compounds" to return back to the table of compounds. 2. Click the magnifier icon to open the compound's PubChem page in the user's default web browser. 3. Click the trashcan icon to delete the compound. This function may not be available if there is a solution made of the compound. 4. Click one of the solutions made of the compound to display the information. See "Details for a solution" below. 5. Click "3D" to display a 3D structure. Use pan and pinch gestures to rotate and zoom the scene. Search for a compound 1. Select "Compound Name" ("CID") and type a compound name (PubChem CID). 2. Click "Search" to connect to PubChem. An activity indicator will appear until the search is finished. - If the search succeeds, the downloaded information will appear. - If the search fails, an alert will appear. 3. Click "Save" to store the information about a compound. 4. Click "Cancel" to dismiss the scene. II. Solutions Tab Choose compounds downloaded from PubChem and make a solution. The app allows to record a list of compounds with amounts dissolved in a solution. For the saved solutions, the app displays their compositions in gram and mol. Solutions 1. Selecting the "Solutions" tab will present a list of solutions. 2. When a solution is selected, a view with the detailed information will appear. Follow the instruction in "Details for a solution". 3. When the "+" button is selected, a view for search will appear. Follow the instruction in "Making a solution". Details for a solution 1. Click "Solutions" to return back to the table of compounds. 2. Click the 'action' icon to share a csv file containig the information about the solution. 3. Click the trashcan icon to delete the solution. 5. Choose the unit among gram, mg, mol, and mM. 6. Select one of compounds to display its structure and formula. See "Mini details for a compound" below. Making a solution 1. Click "Add Compounds" to bring a collection of compounds. See "Compounds collection" below. 2. The names of the compounds selected from "Compounds collection" will be displayed as “Solution Label”. A user can edit “Solution Label”. 3. The unit for the amount can be chosen among gram, mg, mol, and mM. 4. The amount may be entered. 5. Click "Save" to create and add a new solution. 6. Click "Cancel" to dismiss the scene. Compounds collection 1. Select or deselect compounds by clicking the images of compounds. 2. Selected compounds will be displayed. 3. Click "Done" to return back to "Making a solution". 5. Click "Cancel" to dismiss the scene.

Screenshots

WebMO Molecule Editor4 screens
Search PubChem4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Search PubChem at 5.0 against WebMO Molecule Editor's 4.0. Search PubChem also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (75% vs 60%). WebMO Molecule Editor's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (40 vs 5). On price, ads 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. WebMO Molecule Editor sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Search PubChem asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Search PubChem holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WebMO Molecule Editor has 40 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of WebMO Molecule Editor's written reviews are positive against 75% of Search PubChem's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WebMO Molecule Editor ships an update every 3 months, Search PubChem every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
WebMO Molecule Editor versus Search PubChem: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWebMO Molecule EditorSearch PubChem
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (40 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.4% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings40 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB9 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperWebMO, LLCJae-Seung Lee

Customer experience

WebMO Molecule Editor

All ratings40 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive60.4%
Neutral9.4%
Negative30.2%

Search PubChem

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

WebMO Molecule Editor

One-time2
  • WebMO Premium for paid usersFree
  • WebMO Premium$4.99
None

Search PubChem

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is WebMO Molecule Editor free?
WebMO Molecule Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Search PubChem free?
Search PubChem is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, WebMO Molecule Editor or Search PubChem?
Search PubChem is rated higher. WebMO Molecule Editor averages 4.0 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Search PubChem averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do WebMO Molecule Editor or Search PubChem have ads?
Neither WebMO Molecule Editor nor Search PubChem shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WebMO Molecule Editor or Search PubChem?
WebMO Molecule Editor ships an update every 3 months, and Search PubChem every 9 months. Most recently, WebMO Molecule Editor was updated on September 3, 2026 and Search PubChem on June 1, 2026.

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