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ChemDraw
Chemical drawing software for publication-ready molecular structures, reactions, mechanisms and scientific figures.
Paid. 61 of 65 checklist features confirmed.
Official demo
Main canvas
Its license bars showing the interface
Its license bars showing the interface
Default drawings
Caffeine
Paclitaxel
No 3D view
Cholesterol in 3D
- Paclitaxel received wedge and hashed stereobonds automatically.
- SVG exports were tightly cropped with transparent backgrounds.
- Default PDF export used a full Letter page.
- Prime exposed no naming, NMR prediction or 3D view commands.
- Drawn in the ACS Document 1996 style.
Facts
- Latest version
- 26.1
- Version we tested
- 26.0.0.6599
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Browser
- License
- Proprietary paid software with separately licensed editions.
- Price
- Prime: US$700 per user annually (2026-11-05).
- Plans
- ChemDraw Prime: US$700/user/year (2026-11-06); ChemDraw Professional: US$1,355/user/year (2026-11-06); Signals ChemDraw: US$1,415/user/year (2026-11-06)
- Relies on
- Not established. Ships RDKit 2024.09.6; Revvity does not document what it does.
- Main language
- Not published
- Other languages
- Not established
- Renderer
- Original: ChemDraw drawing engine
- Third-party licenses
- Not established
- Installed
- 334 MB
- Features differ between ChemDraw Prime, Professional and Signals ChemDraw. We tested Prime.
- Ships RDKit 2024.09.6 as a bundled library in the macOS 26.0 and Windows 26.1 installs. Revvity does not document what it does, so this does not mean ChemDraw draws with RDKit.
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, double and triple bonds in scratch document. Opens the cited page.Single, double and triple bondsDrew single, double and triple bonds in scratch document. (Built-in help)
- Yes, tested by running it: Drew wedge, hashed wedge and wavy bonds. Opens the cited page.Wedge, hash and wavy bondsDrew wedge, hashed wedge and wavy bonds. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Dative, hydrogen and quadruple bond tools. Opens the cited page.Dative, hydrogen and quadruple bondsDative, hydrogen and quadruple bond tools. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Above, below or centered double bonds. Opens the cited page.Choose double-bond sideAbove, below or centered double bonds. (Built-in help)
- Yes, tested by running it: Drew cyclohexane and benzene with dedicated tools. Opens the cited page.Ring toolsDrew cyclohexane and benzene with dedicated tools. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Two cyclohexane chair tools. Opens the cited page.Chair and Haworth ringsTwo cyclohexane chair tools. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Drag acyclic chains; atom count appears while drawing. Opens the cited page.Chain toolDrag acyclic chains; atom count appears while drawing. (Built-in help)
- Yes, tested by running it: Inserted anthracene from built-in Aromatics palette. Opens the cited page.Template libraryInserted anthracene from built-in Aromatics palette. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Create and save custom template palettes. Opens the cited page.Save your own templatesCreate and save custom template palettes. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Nicknames represent expandable chemical substructures. Opens the cited page.Group abbreviationsNicknames represent expandable chemical substructures. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Element labels, isotope numbers and chemically interpreted charges. Opens the cited page.Charges, isotopes and atom labelsElement labels, isotope numbers and chemically interpreted charges. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Attach radical dots and lone pairs to atoms. Opens the cited page.Radicals and lone pairsAttach radical dots and lone pairs to atoms. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Hotkeys change hovered atoms and bonds. Opens the cited page.Keyboard drawingHotkeys change hovered atoms and bonds.revvitysignals.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Freehand lasso, rotation, flips and resizing. Opens the cited page.Lasso select and transformsFreehand lasso, rotation, flips and resizing. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Perspective in Prime; 3D cleanup requires Professional or Signals. Opens the cited page.Tilt drawings in perspectivePerspective in Prime; 3D cleanup requires Professional or Signals.assets.revvitysignals.com
Reactions and mechanisms
- Yes, tested by running it: Drew forward and equilibrium arrows. Opens the cited page.Reaction arrowsDrew forward and equilibrium arrows. (Built-in help)
- Yes, tested by running it: Drew curved full-head and fishhook arrows. Opens the cited page.Curved mechanism arrowsDrew curved full-head and fishhook arrows. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Reads and writes chemically interpreted RXN reactions; all editions. Opens the cited page.Machine-readable reactionsReads and writes chemically interpreted RXN reactions; all editions.assets.revvitysignals.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Automatic mapping command and manual atom-map tool. Opens the cited page.Atom mappingAutomatic mapping command and manual atom-map tool. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Orbital palette includes s, p, d and hybrid orbitals. Opens the cited page.Orbitals and symbolsOrbital palette includes s, p, d and hybrid orbitals. (Built-in help)
Figures and layout
- Yes, according to the manual: Caption fonts, subscripts and superscripts. Opens the cited page.Rich text captionsCaption fonts, subscripts and superscripts. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Editable shapes, brackets and freehand curves. Opens the cited page.Shapes, brackets and curvesEditable shapes, brackets and freehand curves. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Horizontal/vertical alignment and equal-distance distribution. Opens the cited page.Align and distributeHorizontal/vertical alignment and equal-distance distribution. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Group and ungroup; grouped objects move together. Opens the cited page.Group and ungroupGroup and ungroup; grouped objects move together. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Standardizes molecular bond lengths and angles. Opens the cited page.2D structure cleanupStandardizes molecular bond lengths and angles. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Built-in ACS Document 1996 and RSC styles. Opens the cited page.Journal drawing stylesBuilt-in ACS Document 1996 and RSC styles. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Save drawing and text settings as reusable stationery. Opens the cited page.Reusable custom stylesSave drawing and text settings as reusable stationery. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Basic colors in Prime; highlights/ring fills require Professional or Signals. Opens the cited page.Color controlBasic colors in Prime; highlights/ring fills require Professional or Signals. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Atom/bond highlighting and ring fills; unavailable in Prime. Opens the cited page.Color highlightingProfessional. Atom/bond highlighting and ring fills; unavailable in Prime.assets.revvitysignals.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Set page size and multiple document pages. Opens the cited page.Page layout and multipageSet page size and multiple document pages. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Embeds imported raster images, including PNG and TIFF. Opens the cited page.Imported picturesEmbeds imported raster images, including PNG and TIFF. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Dedicated editable TLC plates; all desktop editions. Opens the cited page.TLC plates and tablesDedicated editable TLC plates; all desktop editions. (Built-in help)
Chemistry intelligence
- Yes, tested by running it: Check Structure on caffeine returned No errors found. Opens the cited page.Structure checkingCheck Structure on caffeine returned No errors found. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Computed R/S and E/Z indicators update with drawing changes. Opens the cited page.R/S and E/Z labelsComputed R/S and E/Z indicators update with drawing changes. (Built-in help)
- Yes, tested by running it: Caffeine: C8H10N4O2; molecular weight 194.19; exact mass 194.08. Opens the cited page.Formula and massCaffeine: C8H10N4O2; molecular weight 194.19; exact mass 194.08. (Built-in help)
- Yes, tested by running it: Caffeine Chemical Properties displayed Log P -1.03 and tPSA 61.82. Opens the cited page.Property estimatesCaffeine Chemical Properties displayed Log P -1.03 and tPSA 61.82. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Professional and Signals; unavailable in Prime. Opens the cited page.Name to structureProfessional. Professional and Signals; unavailable in Prime.shop.revvitysignals.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Professional and Signals; unavailable in Prime. Opens the cited page.Structure to nameProfessional. Professional and Signals; unavailable in Prime.shop.revvitysignals.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Proton and carbon-13 predictions; Professional and Signals only. Opens the cited page.NMR predictionProfessional. Proton and carbon-13 predictions; Professional and Signals only. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: R positions, variable bond orders and atom lists. Opens the cited page.R-groups and query structuresR positions, variable bond orders and atom lists. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Semantic repeat units, copolymer types, counts and connectivity. Opens the cited page.Polymers and repeat unitsSemantic repeat units, copolymer types, counts and connectivity. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: HELM peptide and oligonucleotide tools; Professional and Signals only. Opens the cited page.Peptides and nucleic acidsProfessional. HELM peptide and oligonucleotide tools; Professional and Signals only.shop.revvitysignals.com
- Not established: Current availability of historical pic2mol add-in unverified.Image to structureCurrent availability of historical pic2mol add-in unverified.
- Yes, according to the manual: Fetch structures by CAS number; Professional and Signals. Opens the cited page.Online structure lookupProfessional. Fetch structures by CAS number; Professional and Signals. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Rotatable generated 3D coordinates; Professional/Signals, maximum 500 atoms. Opens the cited page.3D model viewProfessional. Rotatable generated 3D coordinates; Professional/Signals, maximum 500 atoms. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Imports CIF/mmCIF; mmCIF displays designated ligand groups only. Opens the cited page.Crystal structuresImports CIF/mmCIF; mmCIF displays designated ligand groups only. (Built-in help)
Files and exchange
- Yes, tested by running it: Saved CDXML and reopened caffeine as editable structure. Opens the cited page.CDXML import and exportSaved CDXML and reopened caffeine as editable structure.assets.revvitysignals.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Reads and writes native binary CDX; all editions. Opens the cited page.CDX import and exportReads and writes native binary CDX; all editions.assets.revvitysignals.com
- Yes, tested by running it: MOL roundtrip worked; V3000 output; SDF save formats listed. Opens the cited page.MOL and SDFMOL roundtrip worked; V3000 output; SDF save formats listed.assets.revvitysignals.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Pasted fixture SMILES; copied caffeine back as SMILES. Opens the cited page.SMILESPasted fixture SMILES; copied caffeine back as SMILES. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Copy and paste InChI; InChIKey export also available. Opens the cited page.InChICopy and paste InChI; InChIKey export also available. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Reads and writes RXN V2000/V3000; all editions. Opens the cited page.RXN filesReads and writes RXN V2000/V3000; all editions.assets.revvitysignals.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Saved vector SVGs for caffeine and paclitaxel. Opens the cited page.SVG exportSaved vector SVGs for caffeine and paclitaxel.assets.revvitysignals.com
- Yes, tested by running it: Saved vector PDF; one Letter page, no raster images. Opens the cited page.PDF exportSaved vector PDF; one Letter page, no raster images.
- Yes, tested by running it: Default PNG: 552 by 532 pixels, approximately 301 dpi. Opens the cited page.High-resolution PNGDefault PNG: 552 by 532 pixels, approximately 301 dpi. (Built-in help)
- Yes, tested by running it: Native copy/paste between own ChemDraw documents retained caffeine chemistry. Opens the cited page.Paste to and from ChemDrawNative copy/paste between own ChemDraw documents retained caffeine chemistry. (Built-in help)
- Yes, according to the manual: Windows editable OLE objects; all desktop editions. Opens the cited page.Editable in Word or PowerPointWindows editable OLE objects; all desktop editions.assets.revvitysignals.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Windows OLE server supports double-click editing of embedded Word structures. Opens the cited page.Windows Office OLEWindows OLE server supports double-click editing of embedded Word structures.chemistry.beloit.edu
APIs and automation
- Partly: Not in Prime. ChemScript SDK in Professional and Signals, Windows only. Opens the cited page.Python APIProfessional. Not in Prime. ChemScript SDK in Professional and Signals, Windows only. (Built-in help)
- Partly: Not in Prime. Desktop add-in API in Signals only, not a JavaScript library. Opens the cited page.JavaScript or TypeScript APISignals ChemDraw. Not in Prime. Desktop add-in API in Signals only, not a JavaScript library.github.com
- No: No command-line tool. ChemScript scripts can automate work in Professional and Signals. Opens the cited page.Command-line toolNo command-line tool. ChemScript scripts can automate work in Professional and Signals. (Built-in help)
- Not establishedAI agent control
- Not establishedBuilt-in AI assistant
Embedding and extension
- Partly: Not in Prime. Add-ins SDK in Signals only. Opens the cited page.PluginsSignals ChemDraw. Not in Prime. Add-ins SDK in Signals only.support.revvitysignals.com
- Partly: Separate ChemDraw JS subscription; vendor-supplied tarball required. Opens the cited page.Embed in your own appSeparate ChemDraw JS subscription; vendor-supplied tarball requiredgithub.com