The best free software solutions for DICOM images
Please note: There are many free DICOM viewers online, however many lack the core functionality required by a radiologist for reviewing studies and/or teaching. All software on this page has been downloaded / tested by a consultant radiologist and thought to represent the best currently available online. This page is updated regularly.
RadiAnt DICOM Viewer is built and tested specifically for Windows platform. We do not officially support RadiAnt on platforms other than Windows. Moldiv app for mac. Technically, RadiAnt can run on macOS systems using either the CrossOver MAC (paid) software or the open-source Wine software. However, some features may not be available or may cause program crashes. EFilm is an application used for viewing and manipulating medical images.
Sometimes it's useful to be able to view and manipulate medical images such as X-rays, CT or MRI scans on your own PC, laptop or tablet. This is particularly important when preparing teaching files or practising for your radiology exams. Finding a good free DICOM viewer can be tricky, especially as there are so many options out there. We have tested may different applications (so you don't have to) and the following are our best picks. We grouped them according to the operating system used because unfortunately there aren't any free viewers that run on both!
DICOM stands for 'Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine'. It is the standard for handling, storing, printing, and transmitting information in medical imaging. DICOM viewing software allows radiology trainees and consultants to view and manipulate medical images (such as radiographs or MRI scans) on their own PC, laptop or tablet. In the hospital environment, this forms part of the picture archiving and communication system (PACS), which doctors will be familiar with!
A popular software for radiologists working in the UK is currently a programme called 'Horos'. This is a free open source version of the software used by the Royal College of Radiologists for the viva part of the Final FRCR 2B exam, so obviously it makes sense to use it for teaching as well. This programme is only available on Apple computers, hence why so many radiologists own MacBooks.
There is a paid version of Horos called 'OsiriX MD', which is produced by Pixmeo, however it is expensive so not ideal for basic teaching purposes, although has great functionality. Pixemo also produce a free demo version called 'OsiriX Lite', however there are major limitations placed on this including pop-ups asking you to upgrade to the paid version, performance restrictions, image viewing restrictions and inability to edit the meta-data attached to DICOM images - for example you can't easily re-order series within a study, which may be important if you are preparing cases for teaching or examinations. It is for these reasons that we do not list OsiriX Lite in our recommendations.
Software for Apple MacOS
Radiology Cafe's top pick:
Main features
System requirements
Horos should run on any Mac brought within the last 3 years.
Why we like it
We really like Horos as it is a free open source version of the same software as that used by The Royal College of Radiologists for the viva part of the final FRCR (Part B) exam. Becoming familiar with Horos will help radiology trainees when preparing for this exam. Horos is easy to use and as a full 64-bit medical image viewer for Mac there is a huge amount of functionality contained within. It is updated regularly. We believe Horos is the best free DICOM viewer for Apple MacOS.
Interestingly, Horos is named after the Egyptian god Horus, son of Osiris and Isis. Horos is a based on OsiriX (a similar paid-for medical viewer), named after Osiris. The developers obviously appreciate Egyptian and greek mythology!
Visit the Horos website to download the Horos DICOM viewer!
Software for Microsoft Windows
Radiology Cafe's top pick:
Main features
System requirements
Why we like it
We really like RadiAnt as it is free, simple, easy to use and very fast. Watch this YouTube demonstration video to see RadiAnt in action. It is downloaded as a single compact application with an installer size of approximately 5MB. The application can even run directly from a USB stick! This basic DICOM viever does all the things you would expect and is perfect for revision purposes for radiology trainees.
Visit the RadiAnt website to download the RadiAnt DICOM viewer!
Radiology Cafe's one to watch:
Main features
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System requirements
Why we like it
We like Pro Surgical 3D as it is fast and easy to use. Although it is designed for surgeons, it's easy to view patient scans quickly. It works well with studies on CD/DVDs, USB sticks and local DICOM files.
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Visit the Pro Surgical 3D website to download the Pro Surgical 3D DICOM viewer!
Online Software
Radiology Cafe's top pick:
Main features
System requirements
Why we like it
Radiant Dicom Viewer Free Download Mac
We really like Collective Minds Radiology as it is a bit different to other sites. It's a radiology collaboration service and centered around sharing cases with other professionals for expertise, advice or teaching. It is free with unlimited storage, easy to use and fast. As it is cloud based, you can access it on pretty much any device. The service is restricted to medical professionals and sharing can be done to specific groups e.g. your hospital community. The ability for users to comment and tag images is particularly unique and great for learning and teaching.
Visit the Collective Minds website to use the Collective Minds Radiology viewer!
So there you have it!
Radiant Dicom Viewer Download For Mac
Radiology Cafe's 'top pick' and 'one to watch' free DICOM viewers for Microsoft Windows, Apple MacOS and online. Please send us your suggestions for other great free DICOM viewers!
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