MolView
MolView is a web app for sketching and viewing small molecules, with tools aimed at students, teachers, authors, and developers.
What MolView is
MolView is a web app for sketching and viewing small molecules, with tools aimed at students, teachers, authors, and developers. Its sketcher supports structural formulas, reaction arrows, electron-pushing arrows, configurable styles, and keyboard shortcuts. A 3D viewer synchronizes with the sketch as molecules are edited. Chemical search accepts common names, IUPAC names, SMILES, InChI, InChIKey, and molecular formulas. The app can save and load sketcher and viewer content and create shareable links on plans that include saving. Export options include structural data and SVG, with availability depending on the plan. Developers can embed a sketcher web component in vanilla JavaScript or React and customize its toolbar and diagram style. API sketcher access is for subscribers; production use by others requires each user to subscribe or a production-domain license. The free plan requires no sign-up and supports searching, sketching, and viewing small molecules, but diagrams cannot be saved. The Student plan costs $9 a year.
Good
- Free plan requires no sign-up
- 3D viewer updates as the sketch changes
- Search accepts names, identifiers, and formulas
- Sketcher supports reaction and electron-pushing arrows
- Web component works with vanilla JavaScript and React
Watch out
- Free plan cannot save diagrams
- Student plan is for students only
- API sketcher access is for subscribers
- New app lacks protein, crystal lattice, and spectroscopy viewing
Who it suits
MolView suits learners and educators working with small molecules, as well as authors and developers who need molecular sketches. Developers should check the subscription or domain-license requirements for production API use.
Verdict
MolView combines small-molecule sketching, search, and synchronized 3D viewing in a web app. Check plan limits for saving, exports, and production use before relying on it for a project.
Plans and prices
From MolView's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | No sign-up · search, sketch and view small molecules · diagrams cannot be saved |
| Student | $9 a year | Students only · save/load files · reaction mechanisms · no custom styling · no SVG/SDF/XYZ export · $9/year including sales tax |
| Academic | $49 a year | All features · molecular data exports · custom diagram/3D styling · unlimited publication-quality SVG · no commercial use · $49/year or $19/quarter including sales tax |
| Standard | $99 a year | Commercial use · all features · not for content creators/publishers · up to 10 SVG exports monthly · $99/user/year or $19/user/month excluding sales tax |
| Publisher | $250 a year | Commercial use · all features · unlimited publication-quality SVG export · $250/user/year excluding sales tax |
| Institution | Priced on request | Single sign-on · volume discount · smart homework systems · Contact us |
| Enterprise | Priced on request | Single sign-on · enterprise support and new features · developer API for Web Components · Contact us |
The facts
Each one read from MolView's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- 3D rendering
- Rendering options include ball-and-stick, licorice and spacefill models, background choices, size controls, material parameters and lighting parameters.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API access limit
- The API sketcher is available to subscribers, and production use for other users requires each user to subscribe or a production-domain license.checked 8 Oct 2026
- API data handling
- The API exposes save/load diagram objects plus import/export functions such as SMILES conversion.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API licensing limit
- Production embedding for general visitors requires a domain license or individual MolView subscriptions; a client ID is requested from account settings.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Audience
- The maker presents MolView for students, teachers, authors, and developers.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Availability disclaimer
- The terms do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation and note that some features depend on external web services.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Chemical data
- Infocards provide identifiers and PubChem links, and structural data can be exported as SDF.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Chemical search
- Search accepts common names, IUPAC names, SMILES, InChI, InChIKey and molecular formulas.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Cloud and sharing
- Paid users can save and load sketcher/viewer content and create shareable links.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Cloud saving
- The app can save and load sketcher and viewer content and create shareable links.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Content rights
- Users retain intellectual property in their created diagrams but grant MolView a permanent royalty-free operational license to host, display and process that content.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Data and hosting
- The privacy policy says its server is in the United States, its database runs on a ScalaHosting VPS, and account removal can be requested by email.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Developer API
- The embeddable sketcher Web Component works in vanilla JavaScript and React, with client-ID authentication and customizable toolbar and diagram styling.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Developer integration
- The embeddable sketcher web component can be used in vanilla JavaScript and React codebases and supports customization of its toolbar and diagram style.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Diagram styling
- Skeletal mode, fonts, colors and implicit carbon/hydrogen rendering can be configured.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The help center page says it is under construction, while the site links tutorials, a user manual and API references.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Export
- The feature list includes structural data export, SVG export, transparent backgrounds, and custom image resolution.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Image export
- Image export supports transparent backgrounds, custom resolution and SVG vector output.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Independent trust signal
- ScamAdviser judged molview.com likely legitimate, citing a valid SSL certificate and DNSFilter safety, but noted low Tranco traffic rank.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The legacy service retrieves data from PubChem, RCSB Protein Data Bank, NIST Chemistry WebBook, Crystallography Open Database and NCI/CADD Chemical Identifier Resolver.checked 15 Oct 2026
The company
- Company
- MolView says it is developed and operated by Bergwerf Labs, based in the Netherlands.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Company headquarters
- LinkedIn lists Amsterdam, Netherlands as MolView's headquarters.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Company size
- LinkedIn lists MolView at 2–10 employees.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Founded
- LinkedIn lists MolView as founded in 2012.checked 15 Oct 2026
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