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Best free DICOM viewer for medical students: what to look for.
The right free DICOM viewer for a student is one that runs on the computers you actually have and costs nothing to use for study. This page lists what students usually need, then compares nine free viewers using each product's own website (checked October 2026).
What students usually need
- No install, for university or library PCs where you may not be allowed to add software.
- A viewer that works on a personal Mac or Chromebook as well as a Windows laptop.
- Multiplanar reconstruction (MPR), to scroll a CT or MRI in more than one plane.
- Window presets, to switch quickly between brain, lung, bone and soft-tissue settings.
- Measurements, such as length and angle.
- Free use for study.
Options compared
| Viewer | Runs on | Install needed | Free use terms | Oblique MPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NoustaView | Runs in the browser (Chromium recommended) | No install | Free (viewer, MPR, measurements, Exam Mode, image export) | Yes |
| RadiAnt DICOM Viewer | Windows | Yes (installer) | — | Yes |
| Horos | macOS | Yes (desktop install) | Free and open source (LGPL 3.0) | — |
| OsiriX Lite | Mac | — | Free demo version of OsiriX; OsiriX MD is commercial | — |
| MicroDicom | Windows | Installer or portable | Free for non-commercial use | Yes |
| Weasis | Standalone and web-based | — | Free (EPL 2.0 / Apache 2.0) | Yes (oblique reconstruction) |
| 3D Slicer | Desktop app, also runs in a web browser | — | BSD-style licence | — |
| IMAIOS DICOM Viewer | Browser | No installation | Free for personal and non-commercial use | — |
| OHIF Viewer | Web-based | — | Open source (MIT licence) | — |
— means the product's website doesn't state it. Checked October 2026 against each product's official website. Product names belong to their owners; NoustaView isn't affiliated with any of them.
The full table, with MIP, exam mode, case-share links and source links, is on free DICOM viewers compared.
Where NoustaView fits
NoustaView runs in the browser, so there is nothing to install and no account to make. Open a file, a folder or a .zip from your drive, or drag it onto the viewer.
- Oblique MPR: axial, sagittal and coronal planes, freely rotatable around any axis.
- Built-in CT window presets on keys 1 to 7, including brain, lung and bone.
- Length, angle and HU probe measurements.
- Exam/Class Mode, for teachers who want to run a set of cases as an exam or a class.
- Share Case, a Supporter and Pro feature, for sending a teaching link. A de-identified copy goes up only after a preview you confirm, and the recipient needs no account.
The viewer, MPR, measurements, Exam Mode and image export are free. Use a Chromium browser (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera); Safari and Firefox open the viewer, but folder loading may not work in them.
Before you load a real study
Only load studies you are allowed to use. Check your course or hospital rules first. NoustaView is for viewing and teaching.
Related
It is not a certified medical device and is not intended for primary diagnostic use, and it does not replace a calibrated diagnostic workstation.