Jmol vs UCSF Chimera

Struggling to choose between Jmol and UCSF Chimera? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Jmol is a Science & Education solution with tags like chemistry, 3d, molecular-structure, education, research.

It boasts features such as 3D visualization of molecules and chemical structures, Support for common chemical file formats like PDB, Mol, SDF, Interactive manipulation and measurement of molecular models, Analysis tools like molecular orbitals, electrostatics, etc, Scripting and programming interface for automation and customization, Platform independent (Java-based), Integration with web pages and applications and pros including Free and open source, Cross-platform compatibility, Powerful visualization and analysis capabilities, Support for major chemical file formats, Customizable and extensible via scripts, Actively developed and maintained.

On the other hand, UCSF Chimera is a Science & Education product tagged with molecular-modeling, molecular-visualization, protein-structure, biomolecular-structure.

Its standout features include Interactive molecular visualization, High-quality rendering, Analysis tools for conformations, surfaces, volumes, sequences, docking, Extensibility through Python scripting, Support for VR headsets, Multi-scale modeling, Integrates with online resources like PDB and PubChem, and it shines with pros like Powerful visualization capabilities, User-friendly interface, Extensive toolset for analysis, Free and open source, Cross-platform compatibility.

Feature	Jmol	UCSF Chimera
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Science & Education	Science & Education

Product Overview

Jmol

Description: Jmol is an open-source Java viewer for 3D chemical structures that allows users to visualize, manipulate, and analyze molecular models. It supports a variety of chemical file formats and can be used for education, research, and commercial purposes.

UCSF Chimera

Description: UCSF Chimera is an extensible molecular modeling and visualization program primarily designed for interactive visualization and analysis of molecular structures and related data. It offers highly integrated and fast rendering of molecules, sequence alignments, density data, and more.

Key Features Comparison

Jmol Features

• 3D visualization of molecules and chemical structures
• Support for common chemical file formats like PDB, Mol, SDF
• Interactive manipulation and measurement of molecular models
• Analysis tools like molecular orbitals, electrostatics, etc
• Scripting and programming interface for automation and customization
• Platform independent (Java-based)
• Integration with web pages and applications

UCSF Chimera Features

• Interactive molecular visualization
• High-quality rendering
• Analysis tools for conformations, surfaces, volumes, sequences, docking
• Extensibility through Python scripting
• Support for VR headsets
• Multi-scale modeling
• Integrates with online resources like PDB and PubChem

Pros & Cons Analysis

Jmol

Pros

• Free and open source
• Cross-platform compatibility
• Powerful visualization and analysis capabilities
• Support for major chemical file formats
• Customizable and extensible via scripts
• Actively developed and maintained

Cons

• Steep learning curve
• Limited documentation and support
• Some features require programming skills
• User interface could be more intuitive
• Lacks some features of commercial alternatives

UCSF Chimera

Pros

• Powerful visualization capabilities
• User-friendly interface
• Extensive toolset for analysis
• Free and open source
• Cross-platform compatibility

Cons

• Steep learning curve
• Can be resource intensive for large molecular structures
• Limited technical support due to open source model

Pricing Comparison

Jmol

• Open Source
• Free

UCSF Chimera

• Free
• Open Source