Molecule World vs MolViewApp
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Molecule World
Explore interactive 3D models of molecules, proteins, and DNA. This educational tool allows users to manipulate structures, experiment with visualization styles, and learn about chemical properties. Ideal for students and science enthusiasts of all ages.
- Interactive 3D molecule manipulation
- Experiment with drawing and coloring styles
- View and control molecular sequences (protein, DNA, RNA)
- Identify elements and investigate molecular properties
- Capture images of molecular structures
- Explore themed collections of molecules
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A modern 3D molecular workspace that makes exploring the connections between sequence, structure, and function accessible to a new generation of scientists, educators, and students. Molecule World 5.0 is built for how molecular structures are explored and designed today. View, compare, align, and explore experimental structures and computationally generated models together. Compare normal and mutant proteins, investigate structural differences, and connect sequence changes to their 3D consequences. Explore proteins, DNA, RNA, and small molecules on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Rotate, zoom, and pan through structures with high-quality interactive 3D visualization. Molecule World brings structure viewing, sequence analysis, molecular comparison, and educational tools together in one app. EXPERIMENTAL AND COMPUTATIONAL STRUCTURES Open structures from X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and NMR alongside computationally generated models. Search RCSB PDB, NCBI MMDB, and PubChem by ID or keyword and download structures directly into your library. SEQUENCE AND STRUCTURE The sequence viewer on iPad and Mac shows every chain as a row of residues colored to match the 3D view. Copies of a molecule line up in shared columns, while superimposed models read down the same columns. See sequence differences in context and investigate their structural consequences. POWERFUL VISUALIZATION Choose Spacefill, Ball & Stick, Tubes, Ribbon, Surface, or Wire Surface representations. Color by element, secondary structure, chain, sequence, assembly, conserved domain, residue type, charge, hydrophobicity, or B-factor. Show proteins, nucleic acids, or chemical components alone, or reduce chains to their backbone or Cα trace. A color key shows what is on screen, while the Info card reports what a structure is, how it was determined, and what it contains. YOUR LIBRARY Keep structures in folders, synced through iCloud Drive or stored on the device. Filter your library by atoms, chains, resolution, confidence values, file type, source database, models, or scenes. MOLECULE WORLD PRO Pro adds tools for creating and saving molecular content. Selections: select residues in the sequence, search by variant, range, or motif, select residue neighbors, then style, color, hide, and lock them. Scenes: save named views, including selections, styles, and camera position, inside the structure file. Step through scenes to guide an exploration or create a presentation. Model sets: superimpose structures and compare how closely they align. Compare experimental structures, predicted models, variants, or alternative conformations, and save the model set and its comparison data for sharing. Collections: package structures, models, scenes, and descriptions into a single file. Hide selected structures for exercises and optionally lock the collection for distribution. Pro also includes undo and redo and high-resolution image capture. It is a single in-app purchase with no subscription and can be shared with Family Sharing. TEACH SEQUENCE, STRUCTURE, AND FUNCTION Build collections around a biological question. Give students related structures, variants, or predicted models and let them investigate the differences themselves. Use scenes to guide an exploration, hide structures for unknown-structure exercises, and move between aligned sequence and 3D structure to connect sequence changes with their structural consequences. Everything created with Pro opens in the free Molecule World viewer on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Students and colleagues can explore collections, step through scenes and model sets, change views, and save images for assignments and presentations. BUILT FOR THE APPLE ECOSYSTEM Molecule World runs as a unified app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Optional iCloud support keeps your library available across devices. Molecule World is developed by Digital World Biology LLC, with support from National Science Foundation awards IIP 1315426 and DUE 2055036.
MolViewApp
Explore 3D molecular structures with interactive visualizations. Load PDB files locally or by ID and utilize various display modes and advanced features like electrostatic potential mapping and structural alignment. All processing is done on-device for privacy.
- Load PDB files locally or by ID
- Multiple structure loading and visibility control
- Surface electrostatic potential map
- Structural alignment and superposition
- Secondary structure coloring
- Morphing between conformations
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MolViewApp is an iPad molecular structure viewer built on Mol*. Load PDB files locally or by PDB ID and explore proteins with cartoon, surface, stick, and ball-and-stick representations. Features: - Load multiple structures; per-structure visibility from the Objects panel - Surface electrostatic potential map (screened-Coulomb / APBS-style) - Superposition and sequence-independent structural alignment - Secondary structure (DSSP) coloring - Morphing between conformations - Command-line interface and built-in manual All computation runs on-device. No account, no data collection, no tracking.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MolViewApp at none against Molecule World's 1. MolViewApp also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Molecule World sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MolViewApp asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Molecule World against 5.0 for MolViewApp. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Molecule World ships an update every 2 months, MolViewApp every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Molecule World | MolViewApp |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Digital World Biology LLC | Donghan Lee |
Customer experience
Molecule World
MolViewApp
In-app purchases
Molecule World
- Molecule World Pro$29.99
MolViewApp
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Molecule World free?
Is MolViewApp free?
Which has better reviews, Molecule World or MolViewApp?
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Which is updated more often, Molecule World or MolViewApp?
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