ChemDraw Alternatives for Linux

ChemDraw is not available for Linux but there are some alternatives that runs on Linux with similar functionality. The best Linux alternative is Chemaxon Marvin, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 10 alternatives to ChemDraw and eight of them are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to ChemDraw are ChemDoodle, JChemPaint, Molsketch and BKchem.

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ChemDraw is a communication suite for managing, reporting and presenting Chemistry research. Produce precise chemical...

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ChemDraw alternatives page was last updated Feb 3, 2025
  1. Chemaxon Marvin icon
     15 likes

    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.

    17 Chemaxon Marvin alternatives
    The co-factor NAD in 2D format in Marvin.

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Chemaxon Marvin Features

    1.  Drag and Drop
    Chemaxon Marvin iconChemDraw Icon

    Chemaxon Marvin VS ChemDraw

    Is Chemaxon Marvin a good alternative to ChemDraw?
     
    Comments about Chemaxon Marvin as an Alternative to ChemDraw
     
    Guest

    Simple structures are needed.

    Positive commentSep 7, 2020
    0
    ChemDraw Icon
    Chemaxon Marvin icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Chemaxon Marvin is a great ChemDraw alternative.

    • Chemaxon Marvin is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to ChemDraw.

    • Chemaxon Marvin is the most popular free alternative to ChemDraw.

    • Chemaxon Marvin is Free and ProprietaryChemDraw is Paid and Proprietary
  2. ChemDoodle icon
     4 likes

    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 works on all operating systems (both 32 and 64 bit), has one of the largest feature sets in the industry, has the most...

    8 ChemDoodle alternatives
    ChemDoodle screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    ChemDoodle iconChemDraw Icon

    ChemDoodle VS ChemDraw

    Is ChemDoodle a good alternative to ChemDraw?
     
    Comments about ChemDoodle as an Alternative to ChemDraw
     
    John Fastman

    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).

    Positive commentDec 20, 2016
    2
    Guest

    Functionally equivalent and very similar in features. Very similar layout makes it very easy for chemists to switch

    Positive commentDec 9, 2019
    0
    ChemDraw Icon
    ChemDoodle icon
    • Most users think ChemDoodle is a great ChemDraw alternative.

    • ChemDoodle is the most popular Android, iPhone & iPad alternative to ChemDraw.

    • ChemDoodle is the most popular commercial alternative to ChemDraw.

    • ChemDoodle is Paid and ProprietaryChemDraw is also Paid and Proprietary
  3. JChemPaint icon
     3 likes

    JChemPaint (or JCP for short here) is the editor and viewer for 2D chemical structures developed using the Chemistry Development Kit (CDK).

    7 JChemPaint alternatives
    JChemPaint screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak

    JChemPaint Features

    1.  Impact mapping
    JChemPaint iconChemDraw Icon

    JChemPaint VS ChemDraw

    Is JChemPaint a good alternative to ChemDraw?
     
    • JChemPaint is the most popular Open Source alternative to ChemDraw.

    • JChemPaint is Free and Open SourceChemDraw is Paid and Proprietary
  4. Molsketch icon
     1 like

    A 2D molecular editing tool for GNU/Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. Its goal is to help you draw molecules quick and easily. Of course your creations can be exported afterwards in high quality in a number of vector and bitmap formats.

    10 Molsketch alternatives
    Molsketch screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  No registration required
    3.  Dark Mode
    4.  Works Offline
    Molsketch iconChemDraw Icon

    Molsketch VS ChemDraw

    Is Molsketch a good alternative to ChemDraw?
     
  5. BKchem icon
     9 likes

    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.

    14 BKchem alternatives
    BKchem screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    BKchem Features

    1.  2D and 3D physics
    Discontinued

    The last release was in 2010.

    BKchem iconChemDraw Icon

    BKchem VS ChemDraw

    Is BKchem a good alternative to ChemDraw?
     
    Comments about BKchem as an Alternative to ChemDraw
     
    John Fastman

    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.

    Negative commentDec 27, 2016
    3
    Guest

    Very usefull software. You can paste images created with BKChem in a text processor or another open source graphical software like InkScape.

    Positive commentMay 9, 2016
    0
    ChemDraw Icon
    BKchem icon
    • Most users think BKchem is a great ChemDraw alternative.

    • BKchem is Free and Open SourceChemDraw is Paid and Proprietary
  6. XDrawChem icon
     1 like

    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.

    10 XDrawChem alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Discontinued

    Last release (1.10.2-1) was in January 2017.

    XDrawChem iconChemDraw Icon

    XDrawChem VS ChemDraw

    Is XDrawChem a good alternative to ChemDraw?
     
    Comments about XDrawChem as an Alternative to ChemDraw
     
    Guest

    More simply for use in class

    Positive commentOct 2, 2016
    0
    ChemDraw Icon
    XDrawChem icon
    • Most users think XDrawChem is a great ChemDraw alternative.

    • XDrawChem is Free and Open SourceChemDraw is Paid and Proprietary
  7. Gnome Chemistry Utils icon
     4 likes

    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).
    • a molecule 3d viewer using OpenGL to display molecular models. .
    19 Gnome Chemistry Utils alternatives
    Gnome Chemistry Utils screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Gnome Chemistry Utils Features

    1.  Periodic table
    Gnome Chemistry Utils iconChemDraw Icon

    Gnome Chemistry Utils VS ChemDraw

    Is this a good alternative to ChemDraw?
     
  8. MollyCule icon
     2 likes

    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.

    5 MollyCule alternatives
    Example visualisation of ATP.

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Discontinued

    Last update appears to be August 2011.

    MollyCule iconChemDraw Icon

    MollyCule VS ChemDraw

    Is MollyCule a good alternative to ChemDraw?
     
8 of 8 ChemDraw alternatives