The Lite software has only the general molecular-mechanics method (MM ) and lacks the other three molecular mechanics force fields, which are specialized for biological macromolecules, in HyperChem. HyperChem Lite does quantum mechanics calculations only with the Extended Huckel method (which does only single-point calculations), but it has an extended parameter set to cover the entire periodic table except for the actinides and lanthanides. It will play back Molecular Dynamics snapshot files that are generated with HyperChem, though it will not generate those files itself; it cannot do its own dynamics calculations but it can calculate things like energies, temperatures, distances and angles from the snapshot files that it plays back
The Lite software cannot be operated by scripts or external software links as the regular version can; it does not allow DDE links and therefore will not work with ChemPlus. It is still easy with HyperChem Lite to save a picture as a bitmap or metafile to a file or to the Windows Clipboard, and to import such a picture to other Windows applications. It is possible to Cut and Paste chemical structures between HyperChem Lite and the Clipboard, so one can use the Clipboard to transfer structures between HyperChem and HyperChem Lite. The Lite software can read any .HIN file processed by a regular version of HyperChem, though it ignores any residue information that may be in such a file. HyperChem Lite reads only .HIN files, unlike the regular version which reads a variety of file formats. Other software (including, of course, the regular version of HyperChem) can be used to translate other file formats to .HIN files for HyperChem Lite to read.
HyperChem Lite also has special licensing. A license is dynamically assigned inside the product after the product takes you to a web site where you use a credit card or other methods (e.g. PayPal) to purchase a license. HyperChem Lite is required to be connected to the internet to purchase a license but subsequently can be disconected if desired.