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EasyChem
A desktop editor for creating 2D chemical structure drawings and publication figures.
Open source. 17 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: The official Mac DMG contains a PowerPC-only Mach-O executable (ppc), incompatible with this arm64 Mac. open -n failed with Launch Services error -10665; direct --version failed with bad CPU type in executable (exit 127). Computer-use could not attach to the app. No drawing window opened.
Would not run on our Mac
Caffeine
Would not run on our Mac
Paclitaxel
Would not run on our Mac
Cholesterol in 3D
- DMG filename identifies 0.6; bundle CFBundleVersion is pre-0.6.
- Running-app version could not be verified.
- Molecule imports and feature checks were not attempted because launch failed.
Facts
- Latest version
- 0.6
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux
- License
- GNU General Public License version 2 or later.
- Price
- Free
- Relies on
- No third-party engine found. Custom bond model and renderer; build files link GTK without third-party chemistry libraries.
- Draws with
- GDK drawing primitives with Pango text; custom EPS/XFig export and Ghostscript PDF conversion
- Interface
- GTK+ 2
- Main language
- C
- Other languages
- None
- Renderer
- Original: EasyChem bond and label renderer
- Third-party licenses
- Not established
- Download
- 1.9 MB
- Installed
- 4.4 MB
- Released 0.6 dates to 2005; the Mac build requires X11.
- SourceForge lists Cocoa, but released 0.6 uses GTK+ 2.
- Advertised LaTeX support means export fonts; PDF requires Ghostscript on Unix.
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: Single, double and triple bonds can be created and edited. Opens the cited page.Single, double and triple bondsSingle, double and triple bonds can be created and edited.sourceforge.net
- Partly: Solid and hashed wedges only; no wavy bond type. Opens the cited page.Wedge, hash and wavy bondsSolid and hashed wedges only; no wavy bond type.sourceforge.net
- Not establishedDative, hydrogen and quadruple bonds
- No: Double bonds are always drawn centered. Opens the cited page.Choose double-bond sideDouble bonds are always drawn centered.sourceforge.net
- Partly: Regular rings with 3–10 sides; aromatic bonds require manual editing. Opens the cited page.Ring toolsRegular rings with 3–10 sides; aromatic bonds require manual editing.sourceforge.net
- Not establishedChair and Haworth rings
- No: One-step carbon-chain drawing is listed as a future feature. Opens the cited page.Chain toolOne-step carbon-chain drawing is listed as a future feature.sourceforge.net
- No: A library of predrawn elements is listed as a future feature. Opens the cited page.Template libraryA library of predrawn elements is listed as a future feature.sourceforge.net
- Not establishedSave your own templates
- Not establishedGroup abbreviations
- Yes, according to the manual: Charges and isotopes drawn as formatted atom-label text. Opens the cited page.Charges, isotopes and atom labelsCharges and isotopes drawn as formatted atom-label text.sourceforge.net
- Yes, according to the manual: Radical, lone-electron and lone-pair ornaments attach to atoms or bond ends. Opens the cited page.Radicals and lone pairsRadical, lone-electron and lone-pair ornaments attach to atoms or bond ends.sourceforge.net
- Not establishedKeyboard drawing
- Partly: Rectangle selection and rotate/flip; lasso remains a planned feature. Opens the cited page.Lasso select and transformsRectangle selection and rotate/flip; lasso remains a planned feature.sourceforge.net
- Not establishedTilt drawings in perspective
Reactions and mechanisms
- Yes, according to the manual: Straight arrows support full heads at either or both ends. Opens the cited page.Reaction arrowsStraight arrows support full heads at either or both ends.sourceforge.net
- Yes, according to the manual: Editable three-point arcs support full or half arrowheads. Opens the cited page.Curved mechanism arrowsEditable three-point arcs support full or half arrowheads.sourceforge.net
- Not establishedMachine-readable reactions
- Not establishedAtom mapping
- Yes, according to the manual: Chemical symbols menu includes electron pairs, radicals, and vacancies. Opens the cited page.Orbitals and symbolsChemical symbols menu includes electron pairs, radicals, and vacancies.svn.code.sf.net
Figures and layout
- Partly: Bold/italic and scripts supported; canvas font family fixed to Serif. Opens the cited page.Rich text captionsBold/italic and scripts supported; canvas font family fixed to Serif.sourceforge.net
- Yes, according to the manual: Editable circles and three-point circular arcs. Opens the cited page.Shapes, brackets and curvesEditable circles and three-point circular arcs.sourceforge.net
- Yes, according to the manual: Selected objects align horizontally and vertically. Opens the cited page.Align and distributeSelected objects align horizontally and vertically.sourceforge.net
- Yes, according to the manual: Group and ungroup selected objects. Opens the cited page.Group and ungroupGroup and ungroup selected objects.sourceforge.net
- No: Cleanup only removes duplicate objects and empty groups. Opens the cited page.2D structure cleanupCleanup only removes duplicate objects and empty groups.sourceforge.net
- Not establishedJournal drawing styles
- Not establishedReusable custom styles
- Yes, according to the manual: Individual bonds and text objects have editable colors. Opens the cited page.Color controlIndividual bonds and text objects have editable colors.sourceforge.net
- Partly: Raw Pango markup enables atom-label backgrounds; EPS export loses highlighting. Opens the cited page.Color highlightingRaw Pango markup enables atom-label backgrounds; EPS export loses highlighting.sourceforge.net
- Partly: Drawing width and height configurable; no multipage document model. Opens the cited page.Page layout and multipageDrawing width and height configurable; no multipage document model.sourceforge.net
- Not establishedImported pictures
- Not establishedTLC plates and tables
Chemistry intelligence
- Not establishedStructure checking
- Not establishedR/S and E/Z labels
- Not establishedFormula and mass
- 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
- Not established3D model view
- Not establishedCrystal structures
Files and exchange
- Not establishedCDXML import and export
- Not establishedCDX import and export
- Not establishedMOL and SDF
- Not establishedSMILES
- Not establishedInChI
- Not establishedRXN files
- Not establishedSVG export
- Yes, according to the manual: Vector EPS converted through Ghostscript; Unix builds only. Opens the cited page.PDF exportVector EPS converted through Ghostscript; Unix builds only.sourceforge.net
- No: PNG export is listed as a future feature. Opens the cited page.High-resolution PNGPNG export is listed as a future feature.sourceforge.net
- 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
- No: Command line opens files in GUI; no headless conversion. Opens the cited page.Command-line toolCommand line opens files in GUI; no headless conversion.sourceforge.net
- Not establishedAI agent control
- Not establishedBuilt-in AI assistant
Embedding and extension
- Not establishedPlugins
- Not established: Standalone GTK editor; no reusable editor API confirmed.Embed in your own appStandalone GTK editor; no reusable editor API confirmed.sourceforge.net