Comparison

Molecules by Theodore Gray vs Univerzoom 3D

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

Head to head
About

Molecules by Theodore Gray

Explore the molecular world with interactive simulations and detailed information. Discover how elements form compounds and witness the dynamic dance of quantum mechanics through touch. This app offers a fun and educational way to understand the nature of substances.

Highlights
  • Touch-interactive molecular dynamics simulation
  • Bend, squeeze, and shape molecules
  • Adjust temperature to observe reactions
  • Full text of the 'Molecules' book
  • Interactive object rotations
  • Dozens of 'still life videos'
Features
Read full description

INCLUDED IN BEST OF 2014 “Few iOS apps are as thoughtfully designed as Molecules, and even fewer combine superb visuals with clear writing that encourages exploration.” – Macworld “Molecules uses its predecessor as a springboard to further greatness.” – Stuff A book about molecules, and a chance to touch, stretch and twist them! Molecules by Theodore Gray is the extraordinary sequel to The Elements, the bestselling book and app. It continues the story of the elements to show how they are assembled into the rich diversity of compounds, chemicals, molecules, rocks, and stuff that make up our world. The app includes an important world first: a touch-interactive molecular dynamics simulation that lets you poke and prod hundreds of different molecules, seeing how each one reacts to your touch. Molecules are not static things – they twist, turn, vibrate, and spin in an elaborate and beautiful dance of quantum mechanics. The app incorporates the NAMD simulation engine developed by the Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group at the University of Illinois. These are serious, scientifically accurate simulations. A few minutes playing with them will give you a deeper intuition about the true nature of molecules than years of study on paper. And while they are serious science, they are also a whole lot of fun to play with! In addition to the amazing wiggling molecules, the app contains the entire book of Molecules, with all the objects interactively rotatable so you can see them from all sides. Going further than The Elements, the app includes dozens of innovative and intriguing “still life videos” that reveal the true nature of substances through close-up interactive video. Features include: • Try out the first ever touchscreen-interactive molecular dynamics • Bend, squeeze and shape 348 different molecules using multiple fingers • Increase or decrease the temperature and see how molecules react • Read the full text of all 14 chapters of Molecules by Theodore Gray • Understand the movements of molecules in a special chapter for the app • See over 500 videos and rotations of incredible objects photographed by Nick Mann If you like Molecules by Theodore Gray, don’t forget to rate it and leave a review.

About

Univerzoom 3D

Explore the vastness of the universe and the intricacies of the microcosmos with intuitive touch controls. Compare celestial bodies, everyday objects, and subatomic particles to grasp their true scale. Discover fascinating facts and learn about the cosmos and beyond.

Highlights
  • Intuitive gesture-based scaling
  • Explore universe to atomic levels
  • Compare sizes of diverse objects
  • Learn facts about celestial bodies
  • Text-to-Speech for facts
  • External resource links
Features
Read full description

This app gives you the superpower to scale the entire universe with a swipe of your fingers! Zoom out faster than light and see the cosmos from a whole new perspective. Compare the biggest objects to the tiniest and get a true sense of size. ZOOM • Control the scale with simple gestures • Zoom out billions of light years to the edge of the visible universe • Zoom in to microscopic dimensions, down to atoms and beyond • Easy for anyone to use — from kids to grandparents DISCOVER • Explore the scale of the universe and the microcosmos • Compare stars, planets, rockets, telescopes, animals, and everyday objects • Understand how our Sun measures up to other stars LEARN • Find stunning facts about selected objects, or let them be read aloud via Text-to-Speech • Access trusted external sources for deeper exploration • Perfect for curious minds, students, and science fans Download now and experience the universe like never before!

Screenshots

Molecules by Theodore Gray4 screens
Univerzoom 3D4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Univerzoom 3D at $2.99 against Molecules by Theodore Gray's $9.99. Univerzoom 3D also leads on review sentiment (97% vs 75%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). Molecules by Theodore Gray's advantage is iOS requirement (12.1 vs 15.0). On rating, ads, in-app purchases 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

Molecules by Theodore Gray costs $9.99 and Univerzoom 3D $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Univerzoom 3D holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Univerzoom 3D has 289 ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Molecules by Theodore Gray's written reviews are positive against 97% of Univerzoom 3D's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Molecules by Theodore Gray ships an update every 6 months, Univerzoom 3D every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Molecules by Theodore Gray versus Univerzoom 3D: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMolecules by Theodore GrayUniverzoom 3D
Price$9.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.6 (29 ratings)4.8 (289 ratings) — better
Positive reviews74.7% of reviews97.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings29289 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.1 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size745 MB255 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperNatureGuides Ltd.Linda Schnetzinger

Customer experience

Molecules by Theodore Gray

All ratings29 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral3.4%
Negative6.9%
Written reviews87 reviews
Positive74.7%
Neutral17.2%
Negative8.0%

Univerzoom 3D

All ratings289 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral1.0%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews75 reviews
Positive97.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.7%

Bugs and requests

Molecules by Theodore Gray

Reported bugs

23 issues
  • Touch input bugs
  • App crashes when touching molecules
  • Molecular animations not displaying
  • Chemical structure 2D display issues
  • Repeated paragraphs in text
Show 18 more
  • Right-left errors in text
  • Changing pages when spinning images near margins
  • Text not working correctly in iPad version
  • Lack of stereoisomer details
  • Bookmarking issues
  • Molecules not labeled or next to text
  • Incorrect molecular structures in library
  • Inorganic materials represented incorrectly
  • App not updated for years
  • Unreadable small white text on black
  • App crashes every time I touch an image of a molecule to show wiggling mode
  • Molecular dynamic not displaying after iOS 11 upgrade, screen flashes and exits
  • The latest update has caused the touch input to be off when interacting with the molecules on iPhone XS Max
  • When there are several molecules on a page sometimes they are not labelled and nit next to the appropriate text, and there are frequent right-left errors. (Sometimes when describing location of methyl groups.)
  • Trying to spin images near the margins is too likely to change pages instead.
  • Some text does not work in the iPad version ("table on this page" is actually on the next.)
  • Display of page numbers would be helpful.
  • There is nothing more specific about stereoisomers, e.g., ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.

Requested features

34 requests
  • Support for Italian language
  • Support for German language
  • Support for French language
  • Support for Russian language
  • Support for Korean language
Show 29 more
  • Support for Arabic language
  • Support for Chinese language
  • Support for Japanese language
  • Add more languages
  • Update to fix bugs
  • Add bookmarking feature
  • Improve integration with other apps
  • Add exercises or testing mechanisms
  • Fix text display issues
  • Add new functions
  • Improve quality/price ratio
  • Fix payment issues
  • Add Italian language support
  • Add German language support
  • Add French language support
  • Add Russian language support
  • Add Korean language support
  • Add Arabic language support
  • Add Chinese language support
  • Add Japanese language support
  • Add more languages
  • Update to fix bugs
  • Add bookmarking feature
  • Improve integration with other apps
  • Add exercises or testing mechanisms
  • Fix text display issues
  • Add new functions
  • Improve quality/price ratio
  • Fix payment issues

Univerzoom 3D

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Molecules by Theodore Gray

No in-app purchases

None

Univerzoom 3D

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Molecules by Theodore Gray free?
Molecules by Theodore Gray costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Univerzoom 3D free?
Univerzoom 3D costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Molecules by Theodore Gray or Univerzoom 3D?
Univerzoom 3D is rated higher. Molecules by Theodore Gray averages 4.6 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Univerzoom 3D averages 4.8 from 289 ratings.
Do Molecules by Theodore Gray or Univerzoom 3D have ads?
Neither Molecules by Theodore Gray nor Univerzoom 3D shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Molecules by Theodore Gray or Univerzoom 3D?
Molecules by Theodore Gray ships an update every 6 months, and Univerzoom 3D every 2 months. Most recently, Molecules by Theodore Gray was updated on November 1, 2026 and Univerzoom 3D on October 29, 2026.

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