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ChemDoodle Web Components
JavaScript components for embedding chemical structure drawing, molecular visualization, and chemistry interfaces in websites.
Open source. 49 of 65 checklist features confirmed.
Official demo
Main canvas
No dark mode
Default drawings
Caffeine
Paclitaxel
Cholesterol in 3D
- The hosted sketcher reports version 11.0.0.
- Separate demos provide SMILES conversion, naming, and a 3D editor.
- The save dialog stalled generating MOL, SDF, CDXML, and SMILES files.
- The 3D cholesterol model is barely visible against the black background.
- No image-export command appeared in the sketcher save dialog.
- The sketcher open dialog rejected both current Kekule SMILES fixtures.
Facts
- Latest version
- 11.0.0
- Version we tested
- 11.0.0
- Runs on
- Browser, iOS, Android
- License
- GPLv3 library; separate proprietary licenses available.
- Price
- Free under GPLv3; proprietary licensing by quote (2026-11-05).
- Relies on
- No third-party engine found. ChemDoodle's own sketcher and chemistry implementation; derived from its desktop application.
- Draws with
- HTML5 Canvas 2D; WebGL for 3D; canvas2svg for proprietary SVG export
- Chemistry from
- ChemDoodle informatics; optional ChemDoodle Java API through iChemLabs Cloud Services
- Interface
- Custom JavaScript/HTML/CSS UI in the ChemDoodleWeb-uis extension
- Main language
- JavaScript
- Other languages
- Java: Remote ChemDoodle chemistry services; GLSL: WebGL 3D rendering shaders
- Renderer
- Original: ChemDoodle Atom/Bond canvas renderer
- Third-party licenses
- MIT and Zlib third-party code; bundled UI icons have proprietary CWC-only reuse terms.
- GPLv3 library; proprietary integration and bundled asset reuse have separate licensing terms.
- SVG export and condensed-label editing require proprietary builds.
- Cleanup, naming, SMILES conversion, and advanced calculations require cloud-service access.
In use
Screenshots from our test of this version.
Single, double and triple bonds
Bond palette beside a molecular drawing in the sketcher.
Wedge, hash and wavy bonds
A molecular drawing with solid and hashed wedge bonds.
Ring tools
Benzene ring on the sketcher canvas.
Template library
Templates panel showing amino acid structures and alanine choices.
Save your own templates
Templates panel with amino acid choices and an Add Template button.
Reaction arrows
Forward and equilibrium arrows on the sketcher canvas.
Curved mechanism arrows
A curved red arrow beside a structure on the canvas.
Formula and mass
Calculations panel lists molecular formula and mass above the structure.
Structure to name
Structure to Name displays traditional and attempted preferred names.
3D model view
Ball-and-stick molecular model in the 3D editor.
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 single bond and changed it to double and triple. Opens the screenshot.Single, double and triple bondsDrew single bond and changed it to double and triple.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Changed a bond to recessed, protruding, and wavy. Opens the screenshot.Wedge, hash and wavy bondsChanged a bond to recessed, protruding, and wavy.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Dative plus zero-order ionic/hydrogen bonds. Opens the cited page.Dative, hydrogen and quadruple bondsDative plus zero-order ionic/hydrogen bonds.web.chemdoodle.com
- Partly: Sketcher flips asymmetric bonds; centered rendering requires API styles. Opens the cited page.Choose double-bond sideSketcher flips asymmetric bonds; centered rendering requires API styles.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Added benzene; other ring sizes appear in toolbar. Opens the screenshot.Ring toolsAdded benzene; other ring sizes appear in toolbar.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, seen in the app: Template library includes a Ring Conformers category. Opens the cited page.Chair and Haworth ringsTemplate library includes a Ring Conformers category.
- Yes, according to the manual: Drag distance determines carbon-chain length. Opens the cited page.Chain toolDrag distance determines carbon-chain length.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Attached alanine from the amino acid template library. Opens the screenshot.Template libraryAttached alanine from the amino acid template library.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: User-created templates persist in browser localStorage. Opens the cited page.Save your own templatesUser-created templates persist in browser localStorage.web.chemdoodle.com
- Partly: Proprietary label parsing and formatting; structural expansion unverified. Opens the cited page.Group abbreviationsProprietary label parsing and formatting; structural expansion unverified.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Element/isotope/charge tools; arbitrary typed labels require proprietary builds. Opens the cited page.Charges, isotopes and atom labelsElement/isotope/charge tools; arbitrary typed labels require proprietary builds.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Tools add and remove radicals and lone pairs. Opens the cited page.Radicals and lone pairsTools add and remove radicals and lone pairs.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Hover shortcuts change elements, bond orders, charges, and orientation. Opens the cited page.Keyboard drawingHover shortcuts change elements, bond orders, charges, and orientation.web.chemdoodle.com
- Partly: Lasso, flips, whole-figure rotation; scaling changes rendering size. Opens the cited page.Lasso select and transformsLasso, flips, whole-figure rotation; scaling changes rendering size.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: TransformCanvas optionally rotates rendered structures in three dimensions. Opens the cited page.Tilt drawings in perspectiveTransformCanvas optionally rotates rendered structures in three dimensions.web.chemdoodle.com
Reactions and mechanisms
- Yes, tested by running it: Drew synthetic and equilibrium arrows. Opens the screenshot.Reaction arrowsDrew synthetic and equilibrium arrows.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Drew an electron-pair pusher between atoms. Opens the screenshot.Curved mechanism arrowsDrew an electron-pair pusher between atoms.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: JSON stores molecular reactants/products assigned to reaction arrows. Opens the cited page.Machine-readable reactionsJSON stores molecular reactants/products assigned to reaction arrows.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Drag between atoms to create reaction atom mappings. Opens the cited page.Atom mappingDrag between atoms to create reaction atom mappings.web.chemdoodle.com
- Not establishedOrbitals and symbols
Figures and layout
- Not establishedRich text captions
- Yes, according to the manual: Editable lines, arrows, pushers, brackets, and repeat units. Opens the cited page.Shapes, brackets and curvesEditable lines, arrows, pushers, brackets, and repeat units.web.chemdoodle.com
- Not establishedAlign and distribute
- Not establishedGroup and ungroup
- Yes, according to the manual: Requires registered iChemLabs Cloud Services access. Opens the cited page.2D structure cleanupRequires registered iChemLabs Cloud Services access.web.chemdoodle.com
- Partly: ACS 1996 example requires manual API settings. Opens the cited page.Journal drawing stylesACS 1996 example requires manual API settings.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Reusable JavaScript Styles objects configure bond and font settings. Opens the cited page.Reusable custom stylesReusable JavaScript Styles objects configure bond and font settings.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Individual atom and bond colors through API style objects. Opens the cited page.Color controlIndividual atom and bond colors through API style objects.web.chemdoodle.com
- Partly: Atom halos are tied to temporary selection and hover states. Opens the cited page.Color highlightingAtom halos are tied to temporary selection and hover states.web.chemdoodle.com
- Not establishedPage layout and multipage
- Partly: API places images as canvas backgrounds. Opens the cited page.Imported picturesAPI places images as canvas backgrounds.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Separate editable stoichiometry-table component; calculations require Cloud Services. Opens the cited page.TLC plates and tablesSeparate editable stoichiometry-table component; calculations require Cloud Services.web.chemdoodle.com
Chemistry intelligence
- Not establishedStructure checking
- Yes, according to the manual: R/S and E/Z resolution through iChemLabs Cloud Services. Opens the cited page.R/S and E/Z labelsR/S and E/Z resolution through iChemLabs Cloud Services.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Calculator returned paclitaxel formula and molecular mass. Opens the screenshot.Formula and massCalculator returned paclitaxel formula and molecular mass.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Calculator returned polar surface area and other descriptors. Opens the cited page.Property estimatesCalculator returned polar surface area and other descriptors.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Naming demo converted caffeine to a 14-atom structure. Opens the cited page.Name to structureNaming demo converted caffeine to a 14-atom structure.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Naming demo returned traditional and preferred names for caffeine. Opens the screenshot.Structure to nameNaming demo returned traditional and preferred names for caffeine.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Proton and carbon-13 prediction through iChemLabs Cloud Services. Opens the cited page.NMR predictionProton and carbon-13 prediction through iChemLabs Cloud Services.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Query atoms support element lists, wildcards, and attachment constraints. Opens the cited page.R-groups and query structuresQuery atoms support element lists, wildcards, and attachment constraints.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Repeat units associate boundary bonds and repeat-count ranges. Opens the cited page.Polymers and repeat unitsRepeat units associate boundary bonds and repeat-count ranges.web.chemdoodle.com
- Not establishedPeptides and nucleic acids
- Yes, according to the manual: Chemical image recovery through iChemLabs Cloud Services. Opens the cited page.Image to structureChemical image recovery through iChemLabs Cloud Services.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: PubChem, ChemSpider, and ChemExper through iChemLabs Cloud Services. Opens the cited page.Online structure lookupPubChem, ChemSpider, and ChemExper through iChemLabs Cloud Services.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Separate 3D editor loaded and rotated cholesterol; rendering was very dark. Opens the screenshot.3D model viewSeparate 3D editor loaded and rotated cholesterol; rendering was very dark.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Reads CIF files and constructs unit cells and supercells. Opens the cited page.Crystal structuresReads CIF files and constructs unit cells and supercells.web.chemdoodle.com
Files and exchange
- Partly: Save dialog offered CDXML; generation stalled with a script error. Opens the cited page.CDXML import and exportSave dialog offered CDXML; generation stalled with a script error.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Read/write through iChemLabs Cloud Services using desktop-format support. Opens the cited page.CDX import and exportRead/write through iChemLabs Cloud Services using desktop-format support.web.chemdoodle.com
- Partly: MOL and single-record SDF loaded; MOL generation stalled with error. Opens the cited page.MOL and SDFMOL and single-record SDF loaded; MOL generation stalled with error.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Separate SMILES demo read caffeine and wrote imported structures. Opens the cited page.SMILESSeparate SMILES demo read caffeine and wrote imported structures.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Read/write through iChemLabs Cloud Services using desktop-format support. Opens the cited page.InChIRead/write through iChemLabs Cloud Services using desktop-format support.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Native readRXN and writeRXN APIs. Opens the cited page.RXN filesNative readRXN and writeRXN APIs.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Proprietary builds only; 2D canvases only. Opens the cited page.SVG exportProprietary builds only; 2D canvases only.web.chemdoodle.com
- No: No image export option in the demo save dialog. Opens the cited page.PDF exportNo image export option in the demo save dialog.
- No: No image export option in the demo save dialog. Opens the cited page.High-resolution PNGNo image export option in the demo save dialog.
- Not establishedPaste to and from ChemDraw
- Not establishedEditable in Word or PowerPoint
- Not establishedWindows Office OLE
APIs and automation
- Not establishedPython API
- Yes, according to the manual: Documented JavaScript API. Opens the cited page.JavaScript or TypeScript APIDocumented JavaScript API.web.chemdoodle.com
- Not establishedCommand-line tool
- Not establishedAI agent control
- Not establishedBuilt-in AI assistant
Embedding and extension
- Yes, according to the manual: Documented JavaScript plugin extension mechanism. Opens the cited page.PluginsDocumented JavaScript plugin extension mechanism.web.chemdoodle.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Embed SketcherCanvas directly or through React wrapper; separately load core scripts. Opens the cited page.Embed in your own appEmbed SketcherCanvas directly or through React wrapper; separately load core scripts.web.chemdoodle.com