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VMD

Free molecular viewer for large biomolecular systems and dynamics trajectories.

FreeMolecular visualization software
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About VMD

VMD (Visual Molecular Dynamics) comes from the Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group at the University of Illinois, the same group behind the NAMD simulation engine. It displays, animates and analyses large biomolecular systems in 3D, and it is the usual choice for loading molecular dynamics trajectories, inspecting them frame by frame and making movies. It supports many molecular file formats through a plugin library, GPU-accelerated rendering, interactive molecular dynamics, and scripting in Tcl and Python, and many simulation tools build on top of it. VMD is free to download and comes with source code, under a University of Illinois licence that allows academic, research and internal business use but requires a separate licence for commercial redistribution. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux/Unix. It suits computational biophysicists and simulation users; the interface is dated, and people focused on figures or cryo-EM maps may find PyMOL or ChimeraX easier.

Best for: Simulation researchers analysing molecular dynamics trajectories.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Free download with source code included
  • Handles very large systems and long trajectories
  • Large plugin library and Tcl/Python scripting
  • Pairs closely with the NAMD simulation engine

Why people leave

  • Dated interface with a steep learning curve
  • Licence restricts commercial use and redistribution
  • Stable releases come out infrequently

Top VMD alternatives

See all 3
  1. 1Uc
    UCSF ChimeraX

    More modern interface with strong map tools and VR, free for academic use.

    66.5
  2. 2PyMOL logo
    PyMOL

    Better for polished static figures, with Python scripting.

    62.6
  3. 3Jmol logo
    Jmol

    Lightweight open-source viewer that also runs in the browser.

    59.6

Why people left VMD

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Reviews

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VMD: common questions

Is VMD free?

Yes, VMD is free to use.

Is VMD open source?

No, VMD is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Jmol.

What platforms does VMD run on?

VMD is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to VMD?

The highest-ranked VMD alternatives right now are UCSF ChimeraX, PyMOL and Jmol. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 3 VMD alternatives