RadiAnt DICOM Viewer alternative — free, in-browser, zero install
- The RadiAnt job without the per-PC subscription — open a study, scroll slices, anonymize, export PDF
- Nothing to install, any operating system
- Free for everyday use — exports use a one-time license
- Private by design — patient data never leaves your device
Drag & drop a DICOM folder here
a whole study at once — loose files, extensionless files and DICOMDIR work too
Your files never leave your device — everything is parsed locally in your browser.
Series
License active ✓| # | Patient | Study date | Modality | Series | Slices | Size |
|---|
Series
Scroll: slices · Drag: contrast (window) · Right-drag: pan · Ctrl+scroll: zoom · Double-click: reset · Arrow keys / PgUp / PgDn: navigate
DCMView vs RadiAnt DICOM Viewer
Facts about RadiAnt come from its official website and store (radiantviewer.com); both tools read files locally — the difference is install, platform and how you pay.
| RadiAnt DICOM Viewer | DCMView (this page) | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Windows installer (~7 MB); also a CD/DVD/USB autorun package | None — runs in the browser tab you're reading now |
| Platform | Windows 7–11 only | Any OS with a modern browser — Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS |
| Pricing model | Per-PC time-based subscription after the trial: €5 / 1 month, €11 / 3 months, €20 / 6 months, €39 / 1 year (multi-year plans to 5 years; manual renewal, no auto-charge) | Viewer, single-slice exports and single-file anonymizing free; batch exports (PDF report, study ZIP) free up to 300 files, unlimited via a one-time $9.99 lifetime license |
| Privacy | Desktop app — files are read locally on your PC | Files are parsed locally in the browser tab — nothing is ever uploaded, which you can verify in the Network tab |
| Advanced imaging | MPR, 3D volume rendering, PET-CT fusion, DSA, measurements, cine | 2D slice viewing: window/level presets, zoom, pan, cine-style scroll, full metadata |
| Extras | PACS query/retrieve client, local archive, 20+ languages | Built-in anonymizer and PDF/PNG/JPG export, in the same page |
When RadiAnt is the better choice
- Diagnostic reading and advanced reconstructions — MPR, 3D volume rendering, PET-CT fusion and measurement tools are RadiAnt territory; DCMView is a 2D file viewer and is not intended for diagnostic use.
- A PACS-connected workstation — RadiAnt queries and retrieves studies from PACS directly (C-ECHO/C-FIND/C-MOVE/C-STORE) and keeps a local archive; this site works on folders you already have.
- Managed Windows environments — if your hospital standardizes on Windows desktops with installed software, a licensed desktop viewer fits that procurement model.
- Distributing studies on CD/DVD/USB — RadiAnt sells a permanent-license autorun package for media; DCMView runs from a URL instead.
For a quick look at a study on any machine — especially one where you cannot or do not want to install anything — the browser tab above is the faster path.
How it works
Drop a study folder
A whole CT/MR study at once — files are parsed on the spot by JavaScript in this tab and grouped into series, in the scanner's own slice order. Nothing is uploaded, ever.
Read it like a workstation
Scroll the mouse wheel to step through slices, drag on the image to adjust window/level (contrast), use the Soft tissue / Lung / Bone / Brain presets, zoom with Ctrl+scroll — the same gestures RadiAnt and every desktop viewer use.
Anonymize or export
Strip identifying tags from a file free, export the current slice as PNG/JPG/PDF free, or unlock the series level: the whole study anonymized as a ZIP, or the full series as one PDF report with a cover page.
Simple pricing
The viewer, single-slice exports (PNG/JPG/PDF) and the single-file anonymizer are free — and so are batch exports up to 300 files per batch. A one-time $9.99 lifts the limit: unlimited batch size, GB-scale studies — no per-PC subscription, no renewal.
Free
$0
- Open whole study folders, unlimited files
- Scroll slices, window/level, zoom, full metadata
- Single-slice exports: PNG, JPG, one-page PDF
- Single-file anonymizer — strip identifying tags
- PDF reports + anonymized ZIPs up to 300 files per batch
- No account, no upload, no watermark
Lifetime license
$9.99 one-time · forever
- Unlimited batch size — whole folders with directory structure
- GB-scale studies in one export
- Full-series PDF reports + anonymized ZIPs, any size
- Pay once, use forever — no subscription
By purchasing you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Full refund within 14 days if it can't handle your files.
Frequently asked questions
Is DCMView a free RadiAnt alternative — what's the catch?
The viewer itself is free with no catch: open whole study folders, scroll slices, window/level, zoom, full metadata, single-slice exports (PNG/JPG/one-page PDF) and single-file anonymizing — no account, no watermark. The only paid part is scale: batch exports (a full-series PDF report or a whole-study anonymized ZIP) are free up to 300 files per batch and unlimited with a one-time $9.99 lifetime license. RadiAnt, by contrast, is licensed per PC as a time-based subscription (from €5 for one month or €39 for a year, per its official store) once the trial period ends.
What can RadiAnt do that this site can't?
Plenty, honestly: RadiAnt is a full diagnostic desktop application — MPR (multiplanar reconstruction), 3D volume rendering, PET-CT fusion, measurements, a PACS query/retrieve client and a local archive. DCMView is deliberately simpler: fast 2D slice viewing with window/level, the full metadata table, anonymizing, and PDF/PNG/JPG export. It is a file-format utility, not a medical device, and is not intended for diagnostic use.
Can I use it on macOS, Linux, or a PC where I can't install software?
Yes — that is the main reason to pick the browser route. RadiAnt is a Windows-only desktop application (Windows 7 through 11, per its website). DCMView runs in any modern browser on Windows, macOS, Linux or ChromeOS, needs no installation and no admin rights, and works the same on a locked-down hospital or office PC.
Do my files get uploaded anywhere?
No. The files are parsed and rendered entirely by JavaScript running in your browser tab; no file bytes are ever transmitted. You can verify this yourself: open your browser's developer tools (Network tab), load a study, and watch — nothing is sent anywhere. Details in the privacy policy.
Can it open the CD my hospital gave me?
Yes. Copy the CD contents to a folder (or open it in place), then drop the whole folder onto the box above — loose files, extensionless files and the DICOMDIR index all work. Files are grouped into series in the scanner's own slice order. Two honest limits: slices stored with JPEG/RLE compressed pixel data or a YBR color space show their full metadata but not the image, and the viewer says so explicitly.
Is the anonymizer included?
Yes — it is built into the same viewer: open a series and pick "Anonymized .dcm" from the Export menu. A single file downloads scrubbed and free; a whole-study anonymized ZIP is free up to 300 files per batch and uses the one-time $9.99 license beyond that. There is also a dedicated anonymizer page. RadiAnt added its own anonymization feature in the 2024.1 beta, so for tag scrubbing either tool works — DCMView just needs no install.