Comparison

WebMO Molecule Editor vs Chem Viewer

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

Chem Viewer

Visualize chemical compounds in 2D and 3D with this app. Access over 3 million compounds from the PubChem database and interact with 3D models using touch gestures. Ideal for students, researchers, and educators.

Highlights
  • 2D and 3D chemical views
  • Access to 3+ million compounds
  • PubChem database integration
  • Interactive 3D model manipulation
  • Suitable for students and researchers
Features
Read full description

View molecules on the go with Chem Viewer! Supporting two-dimensional and three-dimensional views Chem Viewer can visualize more than 3 million compounds from the PubChem database. Interact with 3d models using your fingers! Great for students, researchers, and educators.

Screenshots

WebMO Molecule Editor4 screens
Chem Viewer3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chem Viewer at none against WebMO Molecule Editor's 2. Chem Viewer also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). WebMO Molecule Editor's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (40 vs 4). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. Chem Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for WebMO Molecule Editor against 4.0 for Chem Viewer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WebMO Molecule Editor has 40 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of WebMO Molecule Editor's written reviews are positive against 67% of Chem Viewer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WebMO Molecule Editor ships an update every 3 months, Chem Viewer every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
WebMO Molecule Editor versus Chem Viewer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWebMO Molecule EditorChem Viewer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (40 ratings) — better4.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews60.4% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings40 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWebMO, LLCDylan Riffle

Customer experience

WebMO Molecule Editor

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

Chem Viewer

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

WebMO Molecule Editor

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

Chem Viewer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is WebMO Molecule Editor free?
WebMO Molecule Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chem Viewer free?
Chem Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, WebMO Molecule Editor or Chem Viewer?
WebMO Molecule Editor is rated higher. WebMO Molecule Editor averages 4.0 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Chem Viewer averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.
Do WebMO Molecule Editor or Chem Viewer have ads?
Chem Viewer shows ads; WebMO Molecule Editor does not.
Which is updated more often, WebMO Molecule Editor or Chem Viewer?
WebMO Molecule Editor ships an update every 3 months, and Chem Viewer every 4 days. Most recently, WebMO Molecule Editor was updated on September 3, 2026 and Chem Viewer on September 8, 2026.

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