MolView review
A capable web toolkit for drawing and viewing molecules, but not a virtual lab or reaction simulator.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
MolView is a web application for drawing structural formulas, viewing molecules in 3D, searching chemical databases, and creating chemistry diagrams. It is suited to students, educators, academic researchers, chemical companies, publishers, and software integrators that need browser-based molecular sketching and visualization. Its tools cover atoms, bonds, charges, chains, cycles, lone pairs, radicals, reaction arrows, mechanism pusher arrows, Lewis structures, and reaction diagrams. A free plan supports searching, sketching, and viewing small molecules.
The paid plans expand file handling, exports, styling, and commercial rights. The Student plan costs $9 per user per year and adds saving and loading files plus reaction mechanism drawing. Academic plans cost $49 per user per year or $19 per user per quarter, with all features, molecular data file exports, custom diagram and 3D model styling, and unlimited publication-quality SVG export. Institution plans add Single Sign On, large volume discounts, and smart homework systems. Standard plans support commercial use and cost $99 per user per year or $19 per user per month, with up to 10 SVG exports per month. Publisher costs $250 per user per year and includes unlimited access to all features and unlimited publication-quality SVG export.
MolView’s strongest fit is structure work that benefits from synchronized 2D and 3D views, chemical information cards, configurable SDF and SVG exports, cloud saving, and shareable links. Its ecosystem connects with PubChem, RCSB Protein Data Bank, NIST Chemistry WebBook, Crystallography Open Database, and NCI/CADD Chemical Identifier Resolver. Web and API delivery support browser use and software integration. Choose MolView for molecular drawing, visualization, lookup, and publication-oriented diagram work; choose an alternative when virtual laboratory activities or reaction simulation are essential.
MolView pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Synchronized 3D viewing with multiple rendering styles
- Searches chemical names, SMILES, InChI, and molecular formulas
- Cloud sharing plus SDF and SVG export options
- Where it doesn't
- No verified virtual labs or reaction simulation
- Free plan is limited to searching, sketching, and viewing small molecules
- Commercial features and advanced exports require paid plans
MolView fact sheet, pricing and score →
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