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Chemtool
A standalone editor for drawing organic molecular structures and exporting chemical figures.
Open source. 29 of 65 checklist features confirmed.
Main canvas
Would not run on our Mac
Would not run on our Mac
Default drawings
We could not finish testing this tool: Unmodified Chemtool 1.6.14 source failed to compile: main.c:18:10: fatal error: gdk/gdkx.h: No such file or directory. Installed Homebrew GTK2 2.24.33 uses Quartz and lacks the required X11 backend. No Chemtool binary or final installation was produced; see configure.log and build.log.
Would not run on our Mac
Caffeine
Would not run on our Mac
Paclitaxel
Would not run on our Mac
Cholesterol in 3D
- Build failed before any app window opened.
- No molecules or drawing features were tested.
Facts
- Latest version
- 1.6.14
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux
- License
- GPL version 2 or later; bundled support files include LGPL code.
- Price
- Free
- Relies on
- Babel, Open Babel. Custom C drawing canvas; optional Babel or Open Babel commands provide chemical format conversion.
- Draws with
- Custom C drawing with GDK primitives and Pango text; custom SVG/XFig export; fig2dev for PNG/EPS.
- Chemistry from
- In-house routines and bundled cht analyzer; optional external Babel/OpenBabel CLI for format conversion.
- Interface
- GTK+ 2 / X11
- Main language
- C
- Other languages
- None
- Renderer
- Original: Chemtool GDK/Pango renderer
- Third-party licenses
- Includes LGPL-2.0-or-later (GTK/gettext support code) and GPL-2.0-or-later (undo code).
- Download
- 0.8 MB
- PNG/EPS require fig2dev; additional chemical formats require a compatible Babel/OpenBabel command.
- Formula calculations can be wrong for overlapping bonds or aromatic-circle notation.
- macOS and Windows support is documented through legacy X11 source builds.
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: Draw and change single, double and triple bonds. Opens the cited page.Single, double and triple bondsDraw and change single, double and triple bonds.manpages.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Solid wedge, dashed wedge and wavy lines. Opens the cited page.Wedge, hash and wavy bondsSolid wedge, dashed wedge and wavy lines.manpages.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Molecular arrows depict N-oxides; quadruple and dotted bonds also available. Opens the cited page.Dative, hydrogen and quadruple bondsMolecular arrows depict N-oxides; quadruple and dotted bonds also available.sources.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Both offset orientations and centered double bonds. Opens the cited page.Choose double-bond sideBoth offset orientations and centered double bonds.manpages.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Ring tools cover 3–12 members; templates include aromatic benzene. Opens the cited page.Ring toolsRing tools cover 3–12 members; templates include aromatic benzene.sources.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Includes a cyclohexane chair template. Opens the cited page.Chair and Haworth ringsIncludes a cyclohexane chair template.sources.debian.org
- Not establishedChain tool
- Yes, according to the manual: Includes sugars, amino acids, steroids and other complex structures. Opens the cited page.Template libraryIncludes sugars, amino acids, steroids and other complex structures.sources.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Save structures with attachment points and reuse through Add. Opens the cited page.Save your own templatesSave structures with attachment points and reuse through Add.manpages.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Companion cht recognizes Ph, BOC, Me and other abbreviations. Opens the cited page.Group abbreviationsCompanion cht recognizes Ph, BOC, Me and other abbreviations.manpages.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Arbitrary labels and superscripts depict isotopes and charges. Opens the cited page.Charges, isotopes and atom labelsArbitrary labels and superscripts depict isotopes and charges.manpages.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Keypad creates lone pairs; individual dots can represent radicals. Opens the cited page.Radicals and lone pairsKeypad creates lone pairs; individual dots can represent radicals.manpages.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Element shortcuts place labels at the last clicked drawing position. Opens the cited page.Keyboard drawingElement shortcuts place labels at the last clicked drawing position.manpages.debian.org
- Partly: Selection uses rectangles; rotate, flip and resize are supported. Opens the cited page.Lasso select and transformsSelection uses rectangles; rotate, flip and resize are supported.manpages.debian.org
- Partly: Rotation applies only to imported 3D previews before flattening. Opens the cited page.Tilt drawings in perspectiveRotation applies only to imported 3D previews before flattening.manpages.debian.org
Reactions and mechanisms
- Yes, according to the manual: Equilibrium arrows are assembled from two half arrows. Opens the cited page.Reaction arrowsEquilibrium arrows are assembled from two half arrows.sources.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Editable spline arrows support full and half arrowheads. Opens the cited page.Curved mechanism arrowsEditable spline arrows support full and half arrowheads.manpages.debian.org
- Not establishedMachine-readable reactions
- Not establishedAtom mapping
- Yes, according to the manual: Filled and unfilled pi orbital lobes. Opens the cited page.Orbitals and symbolsFilled and unfilled pi orbital lobes.manpages.debian.org
Figures and layout
- Yes, according to the manual: Canvas text supports fonts, bold, italic, subscripts and superscripts. Opens the cited page.Rich text captionsCanvas text supports fonts, bold, italic, subscripts and superscripts.manpages.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Boxes and brackets, plus editable spline curves. Opens the cited page.Shapes, brackets and curvesBoxes and brackets, plus editable spline curves.manpages.debian.org
- No: Automatic alignment remains on the shipped TODO list. Opens the cited page.Align and distributeAutomatic alignment remains on the shipped TODO list.sources.debian.org
- No: Persistent grouping remains on the shipped TODO list. Opens the cited page.Group and ungroupPersistent grouping remains on the shipped TODO list.sources.debian.org
- Partly: Removes duplicates and straightens near-horizontal/vertical bonds; no general length normalization. Opens the cited page.2D structure cleanupRemoves duplicates and straightens near-horizontal/vertical bonds; no general length normalization.manpages.debian.org
- Not establishedJournal drawing styles
- Partly: Settings persist within drawings, without a reusable style preset. Opens the cited page.Reusable custom stylesSettings persist within drawings, without a reusable style preset.sources.debian.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Individual labels and bonds can use the supplied colors. Opens the cited page.Color controlIndividual labels and bonds can use the supplied colors.manpages.debian.org
- No: Only foreground coloring; selection replaces strokes without adding backgrounds or halos. Opens the cited page.Color highlightingOnly foreground coloring; selection replaces strokes without adding backgrounds or halos.sources.debian.org
- Partly: Print paper size is configurable; native files contain one canvas. Opens the cited page.Page layout and multipagePrint paper size is configurable; native files contain one canvas.sources.debian.org
- No: INSTALL explicitly identifies image import as missing. Opens the cited page.Imported picturesINSTALL explicitly identifies image import as missing.sources.debian.org
- Not establishedTLC plates and tables
Chemistry intelligence
- Yes, according to the manual: Companion cht flags duplicate bonds during formula calculation. Opens the cited page.Structure checkingCompanion cht flags duplicate bonds during formula calculation.manpages.debian.org
- Not establishedR/S and E/Z labels
- Yes, according to the manual: Bundled cht calculates formula, molecular mass and exact mass. Opens the cited page.Formula and massBundled cht calculates formula, molecular mass and exact mass.manpages.debian.org
- Not establishedProperty estimates
- Not establishedName to structure
- Not establishedStructure to name
- Not establishedNMR prediction
- Not establishedR-groups and query structures
- Not establishedPolymers and repeat units
- Not establishedPeptides and nucleic acids
- Not establishedImage to structure
- Not establishedOnline structure lookup
- Yes, according to the manual: Imported PDB/MOL structures rotate in a temporary 3D preview. Opens the cited page.3D model viewImported PDB/MOL structures rotate in a temporary 3D preview.manpages.debian.org
- Not establishedCrystal structures
Files and exchange
- Not establishedCDXML import and export
- Not establishedCDX import and export
- Yes, according to the manual: MOL read/write; SDF browsing and import. Opens the cited page.MOL and SDFMOL read/write; SDF browsing and import.sources.debian.org
- Not establishedSMILES
- Not establishedInChI
- Not establishedRXN files
- Yes, according to the manual: Native vector SVG export. Opens the cited page.SVG exportNative vector SVG export.manpages.debian.org
- Not establishedPDF export
- Not establishedHigh-resolution PNG
- Not establishedPaste to and from ChemDraw
- Not establishedEditable in Word or PowerPoint
- Not establishedWindows Office OLE
APIs and automation
- Not establishedPython API
- Not establishedJavaScript or TypeScript API
- Yes, according to the manual: Batch conversion with chemtool -bg; still requires GTK/X11. Opens the cited page.Command-line toolBatch conversion with chemtool -bg; still requires GTK/X11.sources.debian.org
- Not establishedAI agent control
- Not establishedBuilt-in AI assistant
Embedding and extension
- Not establishedPlugins
- Not established: GTK executable documented; no supported embeddable editor interface confirmed.Embed in your own appGTK executable documented; no supported embeddable editor interface confirmed.sources.debian.org