Having trouble logging in? Sign up for a free account Get unlimited access on Medscape. DICOM / PACS viewing software The best free software solutions for DICOM images Sometimes it is useful to be able to view and manipulate medical images such as CT scans on your own PC, laptop or tablet.  This is particularly important when preparing teaching files or practising for the FRCR 2B exam. 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 have grouped them according to the operating system used because unfortunatly there aren't any free viewers that run on both! What is DICOM viewing software The most popular software for radiologists working in the UK is a programme called OsiriX.  This is this software used by the Royal College of Radiologists for the First FRCR Anatomy and Final FRCR 2B exams so obviously it makes sence to use it for teaching as well. 

This programme is only available on Apple computers, hence why so many radiologists own MacBooks.  Unfortunately there are a few major problems with OsiriX.  The first problem with OsiriX is that it costs $699! "Whoa, Hold on!", I hear you say.  I thought this page was about free DICOM viewing software!  Where did the $699 come from?!? Well $699 is the cost of the full version of OsiriX (called 'OsiriX MD'), however there is also a free version called 'OsiriX Lite'.  It's the free version that the vast majority of radiologists use, however recently there have been major limitations placed on this programme to encourage users to pay for the full version.  These limitations include adding 'NOT FOR MEDICAL USE' in red letters to every image, performance restrictions (OsiriX Lite is only 32-bit, not 64-bit) and image viewing restrictions.  More frustratingly, in OsiriX Lite you cannot edit some of the meta-data attached to DICOM images - for example it is now difficult to re-order series within a study, which may be important if you are preparing teaching cases or examinations.

It is for these reasons and more that we have decided to give our recommendations to help you decide which programme is best for you!Homes For Sale On Arrowhead Trail Sinking Spring Pa The OsiriX UK user group are a group of Radiologists in the UK who are keen on digital radiology eduction and use OsiriX/Horos for teaching.  Bully Dog For Sale LahoreThe aim is to achieve a nationally agreed consensus on how cases are collected, organised and used for teaching and examination and thereby achieve a collective common ground/platform/standard for radiology education across the country.  Concerta Weight Loss DoseThe resources on this site are amazing so we recommend you visit it now! Horos should run on any Mac brought within the last 3 years.

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 first FRCR anatomy exam and final FRCR (Part B) exams.  Becoming familiar with Horos will help radiology trainees when preparing for these examinations. Horos is easy to use and there is a huge amount of functionality contained within.  It is based upon OsiriX, however it doesnt have the software restrictions that 'Osirix Lite' has meaning that it is a fully functional 64-bit medical image viewer for MacOS X.  It was released in 2015 and 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, named after Osiris.  The developers obviously appreciate egyptian and greek mythology! Visit the Horos website to download the Horos DICOM viewer! Radiology Cafe's one to watch: OsiriX Lite DICOM Viewer

OsiriX Lite should run on any Mac brought within the last 3 years. We like Osirix Lite as it is a free version of the same software as that used by The Royal College of Radiologists for the first FRCR anatomy exam and final FRCR (Part B) exams.  Osirix is easy to use and there is a huge amount of functionality contained within as a result of over 10 years of research and development.  The main disadvantages of OsiriX Lite over Horos is that the software has been dumbed-down (unless you fork out $699 for the full version of OsiriX MD).  OsiriX Lite is only 32-bit (not 64-bit) meaning that it doesnt take full advantage of modern computing power.  There is a 4GB upload limit and it will not display series of 500+ images.  More frustratingly every image has "NOT FOR MEDICAL USAGE" displayed and you are constantly being asked to upgrade to OsiriX MD.  Even so, we believe OsiriX Lite is a good free DICOM viewer for Apple MacOS and you will not be disappointed. Visit the OsiriX Lite website to download the OsiriX Lite DICOM viewer!

A third option to consider: OsiriX LXIV DICOM Viewer OsiriX LXIV should run on any Mac brought within the last 3 years. OsiriX LXIV is a free 64-bit open-source build of OsiriX without the 'NOT FOR MEDICAL USAGE' logo.  The LXIV in the name refers to the fact it is 64-bit not 32.  The reason we recommend Horos rather than OsiriX LXIV is that Horos is in active development with new features and updates added all the time.  Unfortunatly OsiriX LXIV has not been updated since May 2015 and there are currently no plans to continue its development.  We would advise you choose Horos or OsiriX Lite as they are likely to be more future proof than OsiriX LXIV. Visit the OsiriX LXIV website to download the OsiriX LXIV DICOM viewer! 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 just over 2MB. The application can even run directly from a USB stick!