Best ChemDraw Alternatives in 2018
ChemDraw is described as 'Utility for processing, structuring, and drawing chemical data' and is an app in the Education & Reference category. There are more than 10 alternatives to ChemDraw for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, iPhone and iPad. The best alternative is Marvin, which is free. Other great apps like ChemDraw are ChemDoodle (Paid), BKchem (Free, Open Source), XDrawChem (Free, Open Source) and JChemPaint (Free, Open Source).
- Marvin suite is a chemically intelligent desktop toolkit built to help you draw, edit, publish, render, import and export your chemical structures and as well as allowing you to convert between various chemical and graphical file formats.
Marvin vs ChemDraw opinions
Simple structures are needed. - If you are looking for a chemical sketcher or an alternative to your current chemical drawing application, there is no better choice than ChemDoodle.
ChemDoodle vs ChemDraw opinions
Functionally equivalent and very similar in features. Very similar layout makes it very easy for chemists to switchJohnFastman Closest thing to ChemDraw functionality and, unlike ChemDraw, it works natively on Linux. Sadly, the author has chosen a frustrating atom-first drawing mechanic which is hugely counterintuitive. But if you can learn to accept it, ChemDoodle is a respectable ChemDraw alternative (unless you need to draw pi complexes). - BKChem is a free (as in free software :o) chemical drawing program. It was conceived and written by Beda Kosata and is currently maintained by Reinis Danne.
Discontinued
The last release was in 2010.
BKchem vs ChemDraw opinions
Very usefull software. You can paste images created with BKChem in a text processor or another open source graphical software like InkScape.JohnFastman BKchem is an old attempt at replacing some of ChemDraw's functionality. It succeeded partially in providing some of ChemDraw's very core chemical structure drawing features. Unfortunately, BKchem has seen no new development since 2010, leaving it in limbo. - XDrawChem is a free software program for drawing chemical structural formulas, available for Unix and Mac OS. It is distributed under the GNU GPL. In Microsoft Windows this program is called WinDrawChem.
Discontinued
Last release (1.10.2-1) was in January 2017.
No screenshots yetXDrawChem vs ChemDraw opinions
More simply for use in class - JChemPaint is an editor and viewer for chemical structures in 2D. It is free and open source software, written in Java and so it runs on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Unix systems.
- MollyCule is a completely free Open Source Chemistry visualisation program for MacOS, Linux and Windows. MollyCule is designed to be a nice, easy to use program to help ordinary people who want to explore Chemistry.
Discontinued
Last update appears to be August 2011.
- ACD/ChemSketch is a chemically intelligent drawing interface that allows you to draw almost any chemical structure including organics, organometallics, polymers, and Markush structures. Use it to produce professional looking structures and diagrams for reports and publications.
ACD/ChemSketch vs ChemDraw opinions
JohnFastman A good alternative to ChemDraw in very limited circumstances: 1) you need it on Windows only, 2) You don't have to collaborate with ChemDraw users, 3) You don't mind looking at a confusing, dated interface. Otherwise, fine. - The Gnome Chemistry Utils include six chemistry related programs: - GChemPaint, a 2D chemical formula editor. - a chemical calculator (computes raw formule, molar weight, mass composition and isotopic pattern).
- "MedChem Designer 3.0 is a free chemical structure drawing program. MedChem Designer can open SMILES, SDF, MOL, CSK, and RXN file types. Up to 32 compounds can be displayed in one window. Images can be exported in SMILES, SD, MOL, CQF, bitmap, JPG, or PNG formats.