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Chem Illustrator
Chemical drawing software for structures, reaction schemes, publication figures, and documents with editable chemistry.
Open source. 59 of 65 checklist features confirmed.
Main canvas
Dark theme changes interface; canvas remains white.
Default drawings
Caffeine
Paclitaxel
Cholesterol in 3D
- Hosted build 4c297bb was deployed on 2026-11-05.
- The hosted app ran in an isolated WebKit browser shell.
- Paclitaxel has overlapping oxygen labels in the generated layout.
- All three MOL outputs matched input stereochemistry in RDKit checks.
- Direct SDF Open showed no result; batch input selection was uncertain.
Facts
- GitHub stars
- 3 stars on 6 Nov 2026
- First commit
- 12 Oct 2026
- Repository activity
- 1,085 commits, 4 contributors, last push 5 Nov 2026
- Latest version
- v0.1.197
- Version we tested
- Hosted, 5 Nov 2026
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux, Browser, iOS
- License
- GPL version 3 or later, with an Apple App Store distribution exception.
- Price
- Free
- Relies on
- RDKit, OPSIN, OpenClatura, OpenChemLib, cdxmorph. Custom Canvas editor; cdxmorph port provides reaction animation.
- Draws with
- HTML Canvas 2D with custom SVG, EMF and PDF vector exporters
- Chemistry from
- RDKit (WebAssembly), OPSIN, OpenClatura and OpenChemLib
- Interface
- Custom TypeScript DOM/CSS interface; Tauri desktop WebView
- Main language
- TypeScript
- Other languages
- Rust: Tauri shell and native integrations; C++: RDKit MinimalLib compiled to WebAssembly; Java: OPSIN/OpenChemLib compiled to JavaScript; Python: OpenClatura naming through Pyodide; JavaScript: Bundled chemistry loaders and engines
- Renderer
- Original: Chem Illustrator Canvas 2D renderer
- Third-party licenses
- MIT/BSD/Apache software; MPL-2.0 components; OFL-1.1 fonts; CC BY data; NMRShiftDB2 ODbL-based data requires share-alike and OSI-licensed dependent functionality.
- Download
- 93 MB
- Beta software; the author warns that some features may malfunction.
- Editable ChemDraw clipboard exchange and Office OLE editing require Windows desktop.
- iPad availability is limited to TestFlight testing.
In use
Screenshots from our test of this version.
Single, double and triple bonds
Single, double and triple bonds on the canvas.
Wedge, hash and wavy bonds
Solid wedge, hashed wedge and wavy bonds on the canvas.
Ring tools
Benzene and cyclohexane rings beside the ring tools.
Chair and Haworth rings
Haworth projection and chair ring tools in the toolbar.
Template library
Glycine template tool and glycine structure on the canvas.
Keyboard drawing
Canvas and hotkey hint for the atom or bond pointed at.
Reaction arrows
Forward and equilibrium arrows on the canvas.
Curved mechanism arrows
Selected curved arrow with editing handles.
Formula and mass
Molecular formula and molecular weight displayed in the toolbar.
3D model view
3-D model window showing a ball-and-stick structure and conformers.
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, tested by running it: Drew all three orders and cycled single to triple. Opens the screenshot.Single, double and triple bondsDrew all three orders and cycled single to triple.github.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Drew solid wedge, hashed wedge and wavy bonds. Opens the screenshot.Wedge, hash and wavy bondsDrew solid wedge, hashed wedge and wavy bonds.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Dative, hydrogen and quadruple bondsgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Choose double-bond sidegithub.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Placed benzene and cyclohexane rings. Opens the screenshot.Ring toolsPlaced benzene and cyclohexane rings.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Chair and Haworth ringsgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Chain toolgithub.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Placed the glycine template. Opens the screenshot.Template libraryPlaced the glycine template.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Save your own templatesgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Group abbreviationsgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual: D/T isotope labels supported. Opens the cited page.Charges, isotopes and atom labelsD/T isotope labels supported.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Radicals and lone pairsgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Keyboard drawinggithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Lasso select and transformsgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Tilt drawings in perspectivegithub.com
Reactions and mechanisms
- Yes, tested by running it: Drew forward and equilibrium arrows. Opens the screenshot.Reaction arrowsDrew forward and equilibrium arrows.github.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Drew a curved electron-pair arrow with editable handles. Opens the screenshot.Curved mechanism arrowsDrew a curved electron-pair arrow with editable handles.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Machine-readable reactionsgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Atom mappinggithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Orbitals and symbolsgithub.com
Figures and layout
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Rich text captionsgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Shapes, brackets and curvesgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Align and distributegithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Group and ungroupgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.2D structure cleanupgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Journal drawing stylesgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Reusable custom stylesgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Color controlgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Editable colored bands and halos highlight selected atoms and bonds. Opens the cited page.Color highlightingEditable colored bands and halos highlight selected atoms and bonds.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Page layout and multipagegithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Imported picturesgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.TLC plates and tablesgithub.com
Chemistry intelligence
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Structure checkinggithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.R/S and E/Z labelsgithub.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Caffeine showed C8H10N4O2 and molecular weight 194.19. Opens the screenshot.Formula and massCaffeine showed C8H10N4O2 and molecular weight 194.19.github.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Ethanol analysis displayed cLogP and tPSA. Opens the cited page.Property estimatesEthanol analysis displayed cLogP and tPSA.github.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Ethanol produced a C2H6O structure. Opens the cited page.Name to structureEthanol produced a C2H6O structure.github.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Ethanol structure produced an ethanol caption. Opens the cited page.Structure to nameEthanol structure produced an ethanol caption.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Predicts proton/carbon shifts; exchangeable OH, NH and SH protons omitted. Opens the cited page.NMR predictionPredicts proton/carbon shifts; exchangeable OH, NH and SH protons omitted.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.R-groups and query structuresgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Polymers and repeat unitsgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Peptide sequence input and biomolecule templates. Opens the cited page.Peptides and nucleic acidsPeptide sequence input and biomolecule templates.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Local reader on desktop; browser requires configured AI. Opens the cited page.Image to structureLocal reader on desktop; browser requires configured AI.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Name lookup retrieves structures from PubChem. Opens the cited page.Online structure lookupName lookup retrieves structures from PubChem.github.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Generated cholesterol conformers and rotated the model. Opens the screenshot.3D model viewGenerated cholesterol conformers and rotated the model.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: CIF import with rotatable ellipsoid or ball-and-stick drawings. Opens the cited page.Crystal structuresCIF import with rotatable ellipsoid or ball-and-stick drawings.github.com
Files and exchange
- Yes, tested by running it: Saved and reopened ethanol CDXML with three atoms. Opens the cited page.CDXML import and exportSaved and reopened ethanol CDXML with three atoms.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.CDX import and exportgithub.com
- Partly: MOL opened and exported; direct SDF Open showed no result. Opens the cited page.MOL and SDFMOL opened and exported; direct SDF Open showed no result.github.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Pasted SMILES and copied ethanol as CCO. Opens the cited page.SMILESPasted SMILES and copied ethanol as CCO.github.com
- Partly: InChI available through online PubChem compound lookup. Opens the cited page.InChIInChI available through online PubChem compound lookup.raw.githubusercontent.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.RXN filesgithub.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Exported an SVG file. Opens the cited page.SVG exportExported an SVG file.github.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Exported PDF with vector content and embedded font. Opens the cited page.PDF exportExported PDF with vector content and embedded font.github.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Default export is transparent PNG at 300 dpi. Opens the cited page.High-resolution PNGDefault export is transparent PNG at 300 dpi.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Windows desktop app. Opens the cited page.Paste to and from ChemDrawWindows desktop app.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Windows desktop OLE objects support double-click editing. Opens the cited page.Editable in Word or PowerPointWindows desktop OLE objects support double-click editing.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Windows Office objects reopen in Chem Illustrator; Save updates the document. Opens the cited page.Windows Office OLEWindows Office objects reopen in Chem Illustrator; Save updates the document.github.com
APIs and automation
- Not establishedPython API
- Not establishedJavaScript or TypeScript API
- Not establishedCommand-line tool
- Not establishedAI agent control
- Yes, according to the manual: Requires own API key or local model. Opens the cited page.Built-in AI assistantRequires own API key or local model.github.com
Embedding and extension
- Not establishedPlugins
- Not established: No documented embed API; hosted framing support remains unconfirmed.Embed in your own appNo documented embed API; hosted framing support remains unconfirmed.github.com