A molecular modeling task can stall for a surprisingly ordinary reason: the tool you need is not available in your installation, or you are unsure whether it is included in your plan. Before changing your workflow or searching for a workaround, it helps to know how to check what an extension does, whether it fits your setup, and how to add or try it.
SAMSON Connect’s Marketplace is the place to review SAMSON Extensions, which are modules that add functionality to SAMSON. A little checking before you click Add or Subscribe can save time—especially when you are preparing a project on a particular computer or operating system.
Start with the extension’s details
Open an extension’s page from the Marketplace and review its description, authors, supported operating systems, available extension versions, and the SAMSON versions it supports. These details help answer practical questions before installation: Is the extension available for your operating system? Is it listed for the version of SAMSON you use? Does its description match the task you are trying to complete?
This is also a useful point to check how access works. Extensions may be included with your current plan, freely available to add, or offered through a subscription. The Marketplace distinguishes these options, so do not assume that every extension uses the same installation or payment route.
Try before subscribing when a trial is offered
If an extension uses a subscription mechanism and offers a trial, you can request the trial from its Marketplace page. The documentation notes that requesting a trial does not require credit card information. This gives you a way to evaluate whether the extension is relevant to your work before choosing a subscription.
After requesting a trial, the extension is marked as Trying. If you decide to subscribe, the page provides monthly or yearly options; an academic plan is available if you have academic status. Checking these choices in advance can help you avoid confusing a trial, a subscription, and an extension already included in your plan.
Add a free extension and allow for a restart
For a freely available extension, sign in to SAMSON Connect and select Add on the extension page. The Marketplace then marks it as Added. The important detail for planning your session is that the extension is downloaded and installed automatically when you restart SAMSON. If you need the extension for a scheduled modeling session, add it beforehand and restart the application so the installation can complete.
A simple preparation checklist can make this process easier:
- Confirm the extension’s supported operating system and SAMSON versions.
- Check whether it is included in your plan, free to add, or subscription-based.
- If a trial is available, consider requesting it before subscribing.
- For a free extension, select Add and restart SAMSON to install it.
Keep your installation manageable
If you no longer need a free extension, sign in to SAMSON Connect, open it in the Marketplace, and hover over its Added button; it changes to Remove. You can also find your extensions through Account > Settings > View my extensions. After removal, restart SAMSON for the extension to be removed from the installation.
Subscriptions are managed separately. Go to Account > Settings > View my subscriptions to open the My Subscriptions page. Keeping this distinction in mind—free extensions versus subscriptions—makes it easier to find the right management page later. A removed extension may still appear in your account’s extensions list, so it can be added again if you need it in the future.
The goal is not to install everything available. It is to verify compatibility and access first, then add only the tools that serve the modeling work at hand. For the full overview of SAMSON Connect, including downloads, account settings, and collaboration resources, see the SAMSON Connect documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.