PerfuMate vs Molequles

Choose PerfuMate for a connected formula workflow. Start free, then compare Molequles's published offering below.

Why choose PerfuMate for your daily formula work?

Start with described materials: odor, olfactive families, impact and substantivity, with CAS numbers where available and estimated constituent tables for 739 materials. View the catalog coverage.
Read the scent profile and explore the modeled drydown, then find substitutes from your shelf. Estimates support your evaluation; they do not replace smelling a trial.
Keep experiments in a branching evolution tree with version diffs and restore, included in Unlimited.
Take the formula into a batch: dilution-aware scaling, costing, guided weighing, stock deductions and a maceration journal.
Use optional AI Studio to ask questions, refine a formula or build from your shelf. AI usage has its own credits; Unlimited is not unlimited AI.

Start free with no account. A free account keeps unlimited shelf materials and three formulas; view the plan limits and paid options.

	PerfuMate	Molequles
What it is	A browser workspace for independent perfumers: described materials, formulation, scent analysis, live indicative IFRA checks, optional shelf-grounded AI and batch work	Free formula software in the browser (with an account) and a desktop app in beta for Mac, Windows and Linux that works offline without one
Ships with a materials database	Yes. 2,211 materials, each described and classified: odor description, olfactive families with percentage dominance, impact and substantivity, a CAS number where one exists (1,642; a compounded base has none to give), plus estimated constituent tables for 739	Yes, "thousands of materials" aggregated from online sources, auto-filling name, CAS and IFRA limit; size not stated
IFRA checking and scope	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, summed when a material appears more than once, including through nested formulas; which amendment and which categories are not stated
Formula work	Dilution-aware milligram scaling and costing, guided weighing with actual-pour adjustment, stock deductions, batch and maceration tracking, shelf-based substitutes, and branching version history with diffs and restore (Unlimited)	Grams with relative and absolute percentages, scaling to a target weight, per-line dilutions, formulas nested as accords or bases, formula comparison and a cost breakdown
Scent analysis and drydown	Interactive family and sub-note profile, amount and impact views, and a modeled drydown timeline. Estimates, not a substitute for smelling a trial	Material odor profiles are described; formula-level drydown not assessed in this review
AI assistance and context	Optional AI Studio: Ask about materials or attached formulas, Build from your own shelf, and refine formulas. Shelf context and server-side formula checks; AI usage uses separate credits	AI fallback for formula import when signed in; formula-generation scope not assessed here
Import and export	Import from PDF, CSV, TSV or pasted text; export PDF, EU allergen declaration, INCI label, GHS SDS draft	Import materials from CSV, TSV or JSON, and formulas from almost any structured text (Markdown included, with an AI fallback when signed in) or from Olfactorian; export all data as a zip of CSV, Markdown and JSON
Runs on	Any browser, desktop or phone, and installs as an app; an Android app on Google Play; no native iPhone app	Any browser (with an account); a desktop app in beta for Mac, Windows and Linux that works offline without one
Price to start	PerfuMate: free with no expiry. A free account holds unlimited materials and 3 formulas, with the whole catalog, indicative IFRA checking, allergen and INCI label text, the scent profile and drydown. Bottle labels, the pack that contains them, color PDF themes and formula version history are paid. On the free plan each formula exports once; full backups are always free. PerfuMate's paid plan is $12.90 a month, $68.00 a year or $119.98 once. Monthly and yearly renew until canceled; Lifetime is a one-time purchase. Optional AI usage uses separate credits	Molequles: free, "free and will always be free", with an optional donation; no stated limits

When PerfuMate is the better choice

You want materials described in depth: odor, families with dominance, impact, substantivity and estimated constituent tables for 739 of 2,211. Molequles does not state its database size.
You want to know what the IFRA check covers: PerfuMate states Category 4 under the 51st Amendment and counts the same molecule arriving from several naturals. Molequles does not state its amendment or categories.
You want batches and maceration tracked beside the formula, and version history with branching (on the paid plan). Molequles does not state batch or stock features.

What Molequles emphasizes

Free has to mean free: no paid tier at all, and its FAQ says it is free and will always be free. Source
You want a desktop app (in beta, for Mac, Windows or Linux) whose offline mode needs no account and keeps data only on your machine. Source
Your formulas come in odd formats: it imports almost any structured text, Markdown included, with an AI fallback when signed in, and formulas from Olfactorian. Source

Moving from Molequles to PerfuMate

Molequles exports a formula as text, or all your data as a zip with one CSV per formula. PerfuMate imports those CSV files or the pasted text, and each material is matched against the catalog, and you confirm the matches before saving. Import a formula, free.

Questions

Is Molequles really free?

Yes: its FAQ says it is free and will always be free, with an optional donation. PerfuMate has a free tier without expiry (unlimited materials and 3 formulas) and paid plans: PerfuMate's paid plan is $12.90 a month, $68.00 a year or $119.98 once.

Does Molequles work offline?

Its desktop app, in beta for Mac, Windows and Linux, has an offline mode that needs no account; the web app needs an account. PerfuMate runs in the browser and installs as an app.

Which IFRA amendment does each one use?

Molequles fills IFRA limits from its database and sums them through nested formulas, but does not state the amendment or the categories. PerfuMate's indicative check uses Category 4 under the 51st Amendment.

Sources

Read on 2026-10-14: Molequles FAQ, Molequles download page, Molequles formula import guide, Molequles updates.

What is the difference between PerfuMate and Molequles?

PerfuMate brings 2,211 described materials, live indicative IFRA checking, an interactive scent profile and drydown, shelf-based substitutes, formula editing and batch work into one browser workspace for independent perfumers. Unlimited adds branching version history, and optional AI Studio helps you ask about and build formulas from your own shelf. Molequles describes free web software and a beta desktop app with an offline mode, nested formulas and structured-text import. Its reviewed pages do not state the IFRA amendment or categories. PerfuMate states its indicative check's scope and combines it with a described catalog, scent analysis, batch tracking and optional paid capabilities. PerfuMate's paid plan is $12.90 a month, $68.00 a year or $119.98 once. AI usage uses separate credits. Competitor details are vendor-published claims reviewed on 2026-10-14, not independent test results.

Try it on a formula of your own

No account needed to start.

Start a formula, free

Import a formula, inspect its scent profile, check its IFRA limits, and judge the workflow with your own materials.

View the workflow in real screenshots

This is PerfuMate's own product comparison. Our recommendation is based on the connected workflow demonstrated in our app and guides. Competitor entries summarize their published descriptions, reviewed between 2026-10-06 and 2026-10-14, not hands-on test results. Not assessed means this review has not established a capability, not that the product lacks it. A larger entry count alone does not establish data quality, coverage or formulation usefulness. Sources for Molequles, read 2026-10-14: Molequles FAQ, Molequles download page, Molequles formula import guide, Molequles updates. PerfuMate's catalog counts come from the material seed the app ships. Wrong or out of date? Tell us.