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VESTA vs Jmol: catalog facts
VESTA	Jmol
Free Distributed free of charge by JP-Minerals.	Free Free and open source.
macOS	Windows, macOS, Linux
Structures, volumetric data and morphologies in one window Arithmetic operations across several volumetric data files	Handles molecules, crystals, materials and macromolecules Portable application that runs without installation
Specialised for crystallography and materials science Interface aimed at researchers rather than casual users	The desktop application requires Java The scripting language takes time to learn
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.