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A free OsiriX alternative for Mac and the browser
OsiriX MD is a DICOM viewer for macOS, cleared by the FDA for diagnostic imaging and sold from $69.99 a month; OsiriX Lite is its free demo. dcmage is free, runs on a Mac and in the browser, and is built for editing, de-identifying and inspecting files rather than for reading studies. It is not a medical device.
Side by side
dcmage and OsiriX compared
| Topic | dcmage | OsiriX |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | A native Mac app, and a web app for any modern browser | macOS 12 to macOS 27, on Intel and Apple Silicon |
| Price | Free, including commercial use | OsiriX MD from $69.99 a month. OsiriX Lite is a free demo that shows "NOT FOR MEDICAL USAGE" on every image and opens series of about 800 images. |
| Tag editing | Tag tree with search, VR checks and nested sequence editing. Edits are written to a new file. | A DICOM fields editor that changes or adds any field in a study or series |
| De-identification | The full DICOM PS3.15 Basic Profile, HIPAA Safe Harbor, consistent UID remapping, and OCR for text burned into the pixels | Anonymizes studies for research or teaching. The technical sheet does not say which attributes it removes. |
| Viewing | Axial, sagittal, coronal and oblique MPR with synchronized crosshairs, MIP and MinIP slabs, 3D volume rendering, cine playback, RT dose overlay, and measurements including probe, arrow and Cobb angle | MPR, curved MPR, volume and surface rendering, 3D endoscopy, PET-CT and SPECT-CT fusion, cine loops |
| PACS | None yet. PACS and DICOMweb are planned for a later paid tier. | Query, retrieve and send over the DICOM network, plus WADO and worklists |
| NIfTI export | Exports a series as .nii.gz with RAS orientation | Not listed in the technical sheet, which lists TIFF, JPEG, PNG and movie export |
| Regulatory status | Not a medical device. For research, data management and technical review. | OsiriX MD is FDA-cleared (Class II) and CE-marked (Class IIa). OsiriX Lite is not certified for primary diagnosis. |
Pick OsiriX
When OsiriX fits better
- You read studies for diagnosis and need a cleared medical device.
- You need PACS networking, curved MPR, PET-CT fusion or plugins.
Pick dcmage
When dcmage fits better
- You want a free viewer without a watermark for research or technical review.
- You need to edit or de-identify files before sharing them, with a record of every change.
- You are not on a Mac, or need NIfTI output for FSL, SPM or AFNI.
Sources
Where the OsiriX facts come from
Checked on against the pages below. Prices, versions and platforms change, so check them before you decide.