PerfuMate › Compare › Molequles
The honest version first, because a comparison page you can trust has to be able to say it: Molequles is the pick if free has to mean free: no paid tier at all, an optional donation, and a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux that works offline without an account. Formulas nest as accords and bases, dilutions and IFRA limits are automated, and materials and formulas import from CSV, TSV or JSON. Its database size, IFRA amendment and batch or stock features are not stated on its site.
PerfuMate's side of the ledger: the free tier already includes the described materials database, the indicative IFRA checking and every tool, in any browser, and the one paid version is a one-time purchase rather than a subscription. The table holds both sides to the same standard: every Molequles claim on it was read from Molequles's own published pages on 2026-08-22, and the full eight-tool picture is at /compare.
| PerfuMate | Molequles | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Formulation software for independent perfumers, in the browser | Free formula software for the browser and desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux), offline capable |
| Ships with a materials database | Yes - 1,581 materials, each DESCRIBED and classified: odor description, olfactive families with percentage dominance, impact and substantivity, a CAS number where one exists (1,153; a compounded base has none to give), plus estimated constituent tables for 588 | Yes - "thousands of raw materials" with odor profiles, synonyms and usage statistics; size not stated |
| IFRA compliance | Checked live while composing, on every tier including free - and it counts one molecule arriving from several naturals at once. Category 4 (fine fragrance on skin), 51st Amendment, indicative: verify against the official standards before you sell | Yes, automated limits, including through nested formulas; which amendment and which categories are not stated |
| Formula work | Milligram scaling, version history with diffs and branching, batch and maceration tracking, dilution management, substitute suggestions from your own shelf | Grams with relative and absolute percentages, scaling to a target weight, per-line dilutions, formulas nested as accords or bases |
| Import and export | Import from PDF, CSV, TSV or pasted text; export PDF, EU allergen declaration, INCI label, GHS SDS draft | Import materials and formulas from CSV, TSV, JSON or similar text with field mapping; export everything as CSV |
| Runs on | Any browser, desktop or phone; installs as an app; native Android next | Any browser; a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux that works offline without an account |
| Price to start | PerfuMate: free with no expiry - an UNLIMITED shelf and 3 formulas, with the whole catalog, the IFRA checking, the allergen and INCI label text, the scent profile and the drydown. A free account opens every tool; only bottle labels, the pack that contains them and colour PDF themes are paid. PerfuMate has one paid version, Lifetime Unlimited, a ONE-TIME purchase bought once and kept, never a subscription | Molequles: free, "free and will always be free", with an optional donation; no stated limits |
Molequles's facts were read from its own published pages on 2026-08-22; PerfuMate's numbers are computed from the same material seed the app ships, at build time, so this page cannot drift from the product. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and it will be corrected.