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GChemPaint
Desktop editor for drawing two-dimensional chemical structures, reaction schemes and mechanisms.
Open source. 38 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 0.14.17 compilation failed in libs/gccv/text.cc:1129: invalid conversion from const char* to char* with GLib 2.90.1. No executable produced. First configure error was missing intltool >= 0.40.6, subsequently installed; see build-notes.md and logs.
Would not run on our Mac
Caffeine
Would not run on our Mac
Paclitaxel
Would not run on our Mac
Cholesterol in 3D
- Source archive declares version 0.14.17; app version could not be queried.
- Compilation stopped before any application window opened.
- No molecules, exports, or drawing features were tested.
Facts
- GitHub stars
- 1 stars on 6 Nov 2026
- First commit
- 11 Nov 2002
- Repository activity
- 1,421 commits, 4 contributors, last push 2 Nov 2020
- Latest version
- v0.14.17
- Runs on
- macOS, Linux
- License
- GNU GPL version 3 or later; Open Babel helper uses GPL-2.0-or-later.
- Price
- Free
- Relies on
- Open Babel. Custom GCCV canvas; Open Babel provides chemical format conversion.
- Draws with
- Cairo through the custom GCCV canvas
- Chemistry from
- GNOME Chemistry Utils classes; Open Babel for conversion and identifiers
- Interface
- GTK 3
- Main language
- C++
- Other languages
- C: Periodic table and template widgets
- Renderer
- Original: GChemPaint GCCV renderer
- Third-party licenses
- Uses GPL-2.0 (Open Babel), GPL (GOffice), and LGPL (GTK) dependencies.
- Download
- 5.9 MB
- Latest stable release is from 2017; the website still advertises 0.14.16.
- The older HTML manual omits newer features and CDX/CDXML export; its SMILES description incorrectly says InChI.
- Printing is limited to one page; non-native formats can lose drawing features.
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. Opens the cited page.Single, double and triple bondsgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Wedge, hash and wavy bondsgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Not establishedDative, hydrogen and quadruple bonds
- Not establishedChoose double-bond side
- Yes, according to the manual: Cycle tools and aromatic ring templates. Opens the cited page.Ring toolsCycle tools and aromatic ring templates.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Built-in Haworth saccharide templates. Opens the cited page.Chair and Haworth ringsBuilt-in Haworth saccharide templates.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Chain toolgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Template librarygchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Save your own templatesgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Group abbreviationsgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Partly: Charges and element labels; isotope editing unverified. Opens the cited page.Charges, isotopes and atom labelsCharges and element labels; isotope editing unverified.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Radicals and lone pairsgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Keyboard drawinggchemutils.nongnu.org
- Partly: Lasso, rotate and flip; resizing unverified. Opens the cited page.Lasso select and transformsLasso, rotate and flip; resizing unverified.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Not establishedTilt drawings in perspective
Reactions and mechanisms
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Reaction arrowsgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Curved mechanism arrowsgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Native XML stores reactants and products as chemical objects. Opens the cited page.Machine-readable reactionsNative XML stores reactants and products as chemical objects.github.com
- Not establishedAtom mapping
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Orbitals and symbolsgchemutils.nongnu.org
Figures and layout
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Rich text captionsgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Partly: Brackets and mechanism curves; general shape tools unverified. Opens the cited page.Shapes, brackets and curvesBrackets and mechanism curves; general shape tools unverified.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Align and distributegchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Group and ungroupgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Not established2D structure cleanup
- No: Only the default theme is shipped. Opens the cited page.Journal drawing stylesOnly the default theme is shipped.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.Reusable custom stylesgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Text foreground color can be changed individually. Opens the cited page.Color controlText foreground color can be changed individually.github.com
- Partly: Selection squares mark unlabeled carbons only; image export hides them. Opens the cited page.Color highlightingSelection squares mark unlabeled carbons only; image export hides them.github.com
- Partly: Paper size and margins; multipage printing explicitly unsupported. Opens the cited page.Page layout and multipagePaper size and margins; multipage printing explicitly unsupported.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Not establishedImported pictures
- Not establishedTLC plates and tables
Chemistry intelligence
- Not establishedStructure checking
- Not establishedR/S and E/Z labels
- Yes, according to the manual: Opens GChemCalc for formula and mass; fragments unsupported. Opens the cited page.Formula and massOpens GChemCalc for formula and mass; fragments unsupported.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Not establishedProperty estimates
- Not establishedName to structure
- Not establishedStructure to name
- Not establishedNMR prediction
- Yes, according to the manual: Generic R, Ar, X and M residues. Opens the cited page.R-groups and query structuresGeneric R, Ar, X and M residues.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Polymer units carry stoichiometric coefficients. Opens the cited page.Polymers and repeat unitsPolymer units carry stoichiometric coefficients.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Not establishedPeptides and nucleic acids
- Not establishedImage to structure
- Not establishedOnline structure lookup
- Yes, according to the manual: Opens installed GChem3D, Ghemical or Avogadro; requires Open Babel. Opens the cited page.3D model viewOpens installed GChem3D, Ghemical or Avogadro; requires Open Babel.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Not establishedCrystal structures
Files and exchange
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.CDXML import and exportgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.CDX import and exportgithub.com
- Yes, according to the manual: MOL read/write through Open Babel; SDF unverified. Opens the cited page.MOL and SDFMOL read/write through Open Babel; SDF unverified.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Partly: Canonical SMILES generation documented; direct import unverified. Opens the cited page.SMILESCanonical SMILES generation documented; direct import unverified.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.InChIgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Not establishedRXN files
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.SVG exportgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual. Opens the cited page.PDF exportgchemutils.nongnu.org
- Yes, according to the manual: Bitmap resolution is configurable for print-quality PNG export. Opens the cited page.High-resolution PNGBitmap resolution is configurable for print-quality PNG export.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- 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
- Not establishedCommand-line tool
- Not establishedAI agent control
- Not establishedBuilt-in AI assistant
Embedding and extension
- Yes, according to the manual: Documented C++ plugins can add tools and UI elements. Opens the cited page.PluginsDocumented C++ plugins can add tools and UI elements.gchemutils.nongnu.org
- Partly: GPL-3.0-or-later; GOffice rendering only; editing opens separate window. Opens the cited page.Embed in your own appGPL-3.0-or-later; GOffice rendering only; editing opens separate windowgithub.com