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BIOVIA Draw
Windows software for drawing chemical structures, reactions, and chemically modified biological sequences for publications and informatics workflows.
Paid. 41 of 65 checklist features confirmed.
Official demo
Main canvas
Paid, checked from the manual
Paid, checked from the manual
Default drawings
Paid, checked from the manual
Caffeine
Paid, checked from the manual
Paclitaxel
Paid, checked from the manual
Cholesterol in 3D
Facts
- Latest version
- BIOVIA Draw 2026
- Runs on
- Windows
- License
- Proprietary commercial software with a free academic and non-commercial edition.
- Price
- 2026-11-05: Free for academic/non-commercial use; contact vendor for commercial pricing.
- Plans
- Academic / non-commercial: 2026-11-06: Free for academics/non-commercial users; registration required.; BIOVIA Draw Standalone; Enterprise Edition: 2026-11-06: Contact vendor for quote.
- Relies on
- OpenEye Lexichem. Lexichem confirmed for Draw 2024; current canvas provenance unestablished.
- Chemistry from
- OpenEye Lexichem (chemical naming)
- Interface
- .NET desktop application
- Main language
- Not published
- Other languages
- Not established
- Renderer
- Not established
- Third-party licenses
- Not established
- Free use is restricted to academics and non-commercial users; registration is required.
- Desktop support is Windows; Enterprise web integration launches an installed desktop editor.
- Some add-ins require separate products or licenses; the linked datasheet predates Draw 2026.
Features
- Tested by running it
- Seen in the app
- The manual says yes
- Partly, with the reason shown
- Not supported
- Not established, which is not the same as no
Select a mark for its proof. A filled mark opens our screenshot, or the manual if the check left nothing to picture. A ring opens the manual.
Drawing structures
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; manually toggle single, double, and triple bonds. Opens the cited page.Single, double and triple bondsvendor claim; manually toggle single, double, and triple bonds.3ds.com
- Not establishedWedge, hash and wavy bonds
- Not establishedDative, hydrogen and quadruple bonds
- Not establishedChoose double-bond side
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; benzene and cyclohexane ring tools. Opens the cited page.Ring toolsvendor claim; benzene and cyclohexane ring tools.3ds.com
- Not establishedChair and Haworth rings
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; drag to create zigzag carbon chains. Opens the cited page.Chain toolvendor claim; drag to create zigzag carbon chains.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Includes named-reaction templates and abbreviations. Opens the cited page.Template libraryIncludes named-reaction templates and abbreviations.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Save structures as SCSR templates, including CHEM templates. Opens the cited page.Save your own templatesSave structures as SCSR templates, including CHEM templates.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; chemically understood abbreviations. Opens the cited page.Group abbreviationsvendor claim; chemically understood abbreviations.blog.3ds.com
- Not establishedCharges, isotopes and atom labels
- Not establishedRadicals and lone pairs
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; hover over atoms and type element symbols. Opens the cited page.Keyboard drawingvendor claim; hover over atoms and type element symbols.3ds.com
- Not establishedLasso select and transforms
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; 3D rotation of drawn queries. Opens the cited page.Tilt drawings in perspectivevendor claim; 3D rotation of drawn queries.3ds.com
Reactions and mechanisms
- Not establishedReaction arrows
- Not establishedCurved mechanism arrows
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; RXN stores reactants, products, and reagents. Opens the cited page.Machine-readable reactionsvendor claim; RXN stores reactants, products, and reagents.3ds.com
- Not establishedAtom mapping
- Not establishedOrbitals and symbols
Figures and layout
- Not establishedRich text captions
- Yes, according to the manual: Rectangle/square graphic tools and nonchemical brackets. Opens the cited page.Shapes, brackets and curvesRectangle/square graphic tools and nonchemical brackets.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Align Reaction command aligns sequence reactions. Opens the cited page.Align and distributeAlign Reaction command aligns sequence reactions.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Preserves grouping when copying and pasting graphical objects. Opens the cited page.Group and ungroupPreserves grouping when copying and pasting graphical objects.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; standardizes bond lengths and angles. Opens the cited page.2D structure cleanupvendor claim; standardizes bond lengths and angles.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; ACS and Wiley publication formats. Opens the cited page.Journal drawing stylesvendor claim; ACS and Wiley publication formats.discover.3ds.com
- Not establishedReusable custom styles
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; colored reaction-scheme annotations. Opens the cited page.Color controlvendor claim; colored reaction-scheme annotations.3ds.com
- Not establishedColor highlighting
- Not establishedPage layout and multipage
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; bitmap clipboard paste. Opens the cited page.Imported picturesvendor claim; bitmap clipboard paste.3ds.com
- Partly: TLC authoring add-in inserts images, rather than editable canvas objects. Opens the cited page.TLC plates and tablesTLC authoring add-in inserts images, rather than editable canvas objects.3dswym.3dexperience.3ds.com
Chemistry intelligence
- Yes, according to the manual: Flags excessive valences, overlaps, and stereochemistry rule violations. Opens the cited page.Structure checkingFlags excessive valences, overlaps, and stereochemistry rule violations.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Computed tetrahedral labels and enhanced E/Z stereochemistry. Opens the cited page.R/S and E/Z labelsComputed tetrahedral labels and enhanced E/Z stereochemistry.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; formula, molecular weight, and composition. Opens the cited page.Formula and massvendor claim; formula, molecular weight, and composition.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; HlogP and polar surface area. Opens the cited page.Property estimatesvendor claim; HlogP and polar surface area.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; included IUPAC name converter. Opens the cited page.Name to structurevendor claim; included IUPAC name converter.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Generates IUPAC names, including granular RNA sequences. Opens the cited page.Structure to nameGenerates IUPAC names, including granular RNA sequences.3ds.com
- Partly: External Mnova/NMRdb prediction add-ins; supported nuclei unspecified. Opens the cited page.NMR predictionExternal Mnova/NMRdb prediction add-ins; supported nuclei unspecified.3dswym.3dexperience.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; R-group queries and variable attachments. Opens the cited page.R-groups and query structuresvendor claim; R-group queries and variable attachments.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Supports polymer Sgroups and expansion of MULT bracket structures. Opens the cited page.Polymers and repeat unitsSupports polymer Sgroups and expansion of MULT bracket structures.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: SCSR, HELM, and BILN support for modified biological sequences. Opens the cited page.Peptides and nucleic acidsSCSR, HELM, and BILN support for modified biological sequences.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; OSRA add-in. Opens the cited page.Image to structurevendor claim; OSRA add-in.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; Structure Resolver retrieves PubChem and NCI/CADD structures. Opens the cited page.Online structure lookupvendor claim; Structure Resolver retrieves PubChem and NCI/CADD structures.3ds.com
- Partly: Separate 3D Visualizer removed in 2024; 3D editing remains advertised. Opens the cited page.3D model viewSeparate 3D Visualizer removed in 2024; 3D editing remains advertised.3ds.com
- Not establishedCrystal structures
Files and exchange
- Not establishedCDXML import and export
- Partly: CDX import documented; export unverified. Opens the cited page.CDX import and exportCDX import documented; export unverified.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; MOL exchange and SDF opening/creation/export. Opens the cited page.MOL and SDFvendor claim; MOL exchange and SDF opening/creation/export.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; SMILES conversion in both directions. Opens the cited page.SMILESvendor claim; SMILES conversion in both directions.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; InChI conversion and InChIKey generation. Opens the cited page.InChIvendor claim; InChI conversion and InChIKey generation.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: vendor claim; saves RXN reactions with reagent information. Opens the cited page.RXN filesvendor claim; saves RXN reactions with reagent information.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: SVG saving and clipboard export added in 2025 SP1. Opens the cited page.SVG exportSVG saving and clipboard export added in 2025 SP1.3ds.com
- Not establishedPDF export
- Not establishedHigh-resolution PNG
- Not establishedPaste to and from ChemDraw
- Yes, according to the manual: Re-editable OLE objects retain updated drawing styles. Opens the cited page.Editable in Word or PowerPointRe-editable OLE objects retain updated drawing styles.3ds.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Windows Draw OLE objects support structure re-editing. Opens the cited page.Windows Office OLEWindows Draw OLE objects support structure re-editing.3ds.com
APIs and automation
- Not establishedPython API
- Yes, according to the manual: Enterprise DrawBridge; JavaScript examples invoke installed desktop Draw. Opens the cited page.JavaScript or TypeScript APIEnterprise Edition. Enterprise DrawBridge; JavaScript examples invoke installed desktop Draw.3dswym.3dexperience.3ds.com
- Not establishedCommand-line tool
- Not establishedAI agent control
- Not establishedBuilt-in AI assistant
Embedding and extension
- Yes, according to the manual: Documented .NET API supports custom C# and VB add-ins. Opens the cited page.PluginsDocumented .NET API supports custom C# and VB add-ins.3dswym.3dexperience.3ds.com
- Partly: Proprietary; embedded viewer only; editing opens separate desktop Draw. Opens the cited page.Embed in your own appEnterprise Edition. Proprietary; embedded viewer only; editing opens separate desktop Draw.manualzz.com