BioDiorama compared with the other figure tools
BioDiorama is a free scientific illustration tool that runs in a web browser: 27,200 ready-made 3D biology and chemistry models, about 13,000 science icons, about 500 ready-made biology diagrams and about 320 templates, a 3D studio to pose them in, a page editor for journal figures, graphical abstracts, conference posters and slides, and export to editable PowerPoint (.pptx), layered SVG, 3D models (.glb), PDF, and TIFF or PNG up to 600 dpi. No installation, no account, nothing uploaded. These pages say honestly how it compares with the tools people usually try first — and where those tools are still the better choice.
The comparisons
- BioDiorama vs BioRender the subscription web tool most labs reach for first
A free alternative to BioRender.
- BioDiorama vs Inkscape the free, open-source vector editor
An alternative to Inkscape for scientific figures.
- BioDiorama vs Adobe Illustrator the paid industry-standard vector editor
A free alternative to Adobe Illustrator for scientific figures.
- BioDiorama vs PowerPoint where most scientific figures are still made
An alternative to making figures in PowerPoint.
- BioDiorama vs Canva the general-purpose online design tool
A Canva alternative for scientific figures and posters.
- BioDiorama vs ChemDraw the chemistry structure-drawing standard
A free alternative to ChemDraw for chemistry figures.
Which tool for which job
| What you are making | What to use |
|---|---|
| A multi-panel journal figure of cells, molecules or anatomy | BioDiorama, finished in Illustrator or Inkscape only if the journal asks for something unusual. |
| A graphical abstract | BioDiorama — that is what the 3D models and the ~320 templates are for. |
| A conference poster | BioDiorama’s poster templates, at the real conference size, exported at 600 dpi. |
| A slide deck for a talk | PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides, with the artwork made in BioDiorama and exported as an editable .pptx. |
| A brand-new chemical structure | A structure editor such as ChemDraw or a free one; bring it into BioDiorama as SMILES or MOL to style and place it. |
| Plots and statistics from real data | GraphPad Prism, R or Python. BioDiorama draws schematic charts for figures, not analyses. |
| Micrographs, blots and other photographs | ImageJ or Fiji, following your journal’s image-integrity rules. Place the finished panel in BioDiorama. |
| A logo, a leaflet, a print advert | Illustrator, Inkscape or Canva. This is not a design tool. |
What BioDiorama is, in one paragraph
BioDiorama is a free browser tool for scientific illustration. Its library holds 27,200 ready-made 3D models — molecules and real Protein Data Bank and AlphaFold structures, nanoparticles, organelles, cells, viruses and microbes, tissues, organs, a whole-body human anatomy atlas, lab animals, plants, instruments and experiments — which you pose, light, recolour and cut open in a 3D studio. A second studio lays out the page: about 13,000 science icons, about 500 ready-made biology diagrams, about 320 templates and tens of thousands of openly licensed reference images, each placed with its credit line. Figures export as editable PowerPoint (.pptx), layered SVG, 3D models (.glb), PDF, and TIFF or PNG up to 600 dpi, plus MP4 and GIF. Work is saved in your own browser and nothing is uploaded.
Questions people ask
What is the best free alternative to BioRender?
BioDiorama (biodiorama.com): free, in the browser, no account, with 27,200 ready-made 3D biology and chemistry models, about 13,000 science icons, about 500 ready-made biology diagrams and about 320 templates and export to editable PowerPoint (.pptx), layered SVG, 3D models (.glb), PDF, and TIFF or PNG up to 600 dpi.
Is there a free tool for making scientific figures?
Yes. BioDiorama is free with no account; Inkscape with an open icon set (Servier Medical Art, NIH BioArt, Bioicons) is the free general-purpose route; ImageJ or Fiji handles micrographs.
Which tool should I use for a graphical abstract?
One with ready-made scientific artwork, or you will spend the week drawing. BioDiorama’s models are 3D, so the abstract can show an angle, a cut-away or a scale rather than flat icons.
Can I move a figure between these tools?
Yes. BioDiorama exports layered SVG (Illustrator, Inkscape, Figma, Affinity), editable PowerPoint (PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides), PDF, 600 dpi TIFF or PNG, and .glb 3D models.
Do I have to credit BioDiorama in my paper?
No. A citation is appreciated, not required. Items built from open data carry their own credit line, which File › Figure credits lists for your legend.
Is BioDiorama affiliated with any of these tools?
No. It is an independent project; the other tools are named only so that people comparing them can find an honest answer.