OsiriX alternative
OsiriX alternatives: Mac viewers and a native iPhone/iPad option
OsiriX is a Mac DICOM viewer: OsiriX MD is a paid workstation (the vendor states FDA and CE clearance for OsiriX MD) and OsiriX Lite is free with limits. Free Mac alternatives are Horos, Weasis and 3D Slicer; without a Mac, Ossidex is an actively developed iPhone and iPad viewer with MPR, 3D and a dental arch. Comparing the iOS apps specifically? See OsiriX HD vs Ossidex. All options side by side: best DICOM viewers in 2026.
The OsiriX family
- OsiriX MD — macOS 10.15 to 26, Intel and Apple Silicon, from $69.99 per month (as listed on the vendor site, September 2026). MPR, volume rendering, curved MPR, PET-CT, PACS and plugins.
- OsiriX Lite — free for macOS, intended by the vendor for scientific use, with a per-series image limit.
- OsiriX HD — free iOS app from the same vendor, version 5.5.6, last updated August 2023; MPR, DICOM networking and DICOMweb; images downsampled to 1536×1536. See Ossidex vs OsiriX HD.
OsiriX alternatives by platform
| Alternative | Platform | Price | When it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horos | macOS | Free, open source | Closest free replacement; derived from the OsiriX code base |
| Weasis | macOS, Windows, Linux | Free, open source | Mixed-platform teams, hospital portals |
| 3D Slicer | macOS, Windows, Linux | Free, open source | Research, segmentation and 3D analysis |
| OsiriX Lite | macOS | Free, with limits | Staying with OsiriX without paying |
| Falcon Mx (Horos Mobile) | iPhone, iPad | Free download | Horos users who want the same family on iOS |
| Ossidex | iPhone, iPad | Free download; Pro subscription | No Mac at hand: discs, archives, links, dental CBCT |
Full list, including Windows and web viewers: best DICOM viewers in 2026.
OsiriX vs Ossidex
| OsiriX MD | Ossidex | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS (plus OsiriX HD on iOS) | iPhone, iPad (iOS/iPadOS 17+) |
| Price | From $69.99/month; Lite free | Free download; Pro subscription (monthly or yearly) for MPR, 3D, arch |
| MPR / 3D | Yes, including curved MPR | Yes (Pro): linked MPR, oblique, slab; 3D volume rendering |
| Dental | Curved MPR can trace a jaw | Panoramic arch with cross-sections, tooth numbering (Pro) |
| PACS | Full DICOM networking | DICOMweb (QIDO-RS / WADO-RS); 3 free downloads, unlimited in Pro |
| Archives and cloud links | Not listed | ZIP, RAR, 7z, ISO; Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, WeTransfer, Yandex Disk, Mail.ru Cloud, direct URLs |
Checked: September 2026, on the vendor sites and the US App Store (sources below). Prices are as listed on the vendor site, September 2026, and may change.
Where OsiriX is the better choice
If you need a Mac workstation with plugins, PET-CT or full DICOM networking, OsiriX MD is built for that and Ossidex is not.
Moving studies from OsiriX to an iPad
OsiriX is usually fed from a PACS or its local database on the Mac. To take a study with you, export it from OsiriX as DICOM files to a folder, AirDrop the folder (or a ZIP) to the iPad and import it in Ossidex; if your archive exposes DICOMweb, Ossidex can also download the study directly. What Ossidex imports — disc folders, archives, share links and DICOMweb — is listed on cloud-link import and formats.
Dental CBCT: curved MPR vs a dedicated arch
OsiriX MD’s curved MPR can be used to follow a jaw and produce a panoramic-like image; it is a general tool that requires placing a curve and adjusting it manually. Ossidex has a dental-specific arch: an automatic curve you edit point by point, a live panorama while you edit, numbered cross-sections along the arch with slice rulers, FDI or Universal tooth numbering, a HU probe with a bone-density guide, and an arch PDF report. Measurements move with the curve when you edit it.
Price and access
OsiriX MD is a subscription on the Mac (from $69.99 per month on the vendor site, September 2026); OsiriX Lite is free with limits; OsiriX HD is free on iOS. The download is free: you can import any study, scroll it in 2D, adjust window/level and measure, and a built-in sample CBCT unlocks every tool so you can try them. MPR, 3D, the panoramic arch, multi-panel layouts and unlimited export are part of Pro, an optional auto-renewing subscription priced in the App Store for your country.
Where Ossidex fits better
- You want a viewer that is native to iPhone and iPad and actively updated.
- You open clinic discs, archives and cloud links away from the Mac.
- You read dental CBCT and want a dedicated panoramic arch with numbered cross-sections.
- You want a free tier for everyday 2D viewing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to OsiriX on a Mac?
Horos is the closest free alternative — it grew out of the OsiriX code base and is open source. Weasis and 3D Slicer are also free on macOS.
Is OsiriX Lite free?
Yes, OsiriX Lite is free for macOS, with limitations such as a per-series image limit.
Is Ossidex a replacement for OsiriX MD?
Not as a Mac workstation. Ossidex is for viewing, measuring and showing studies on iPhone and iPad.
Can I use OsiriX and Ossidex together?
Yes. Read on the Mac in OsiriX, export studies as DICOM when you need them on the go, and open them in Ossidex on iPad or iPhone.
Does Ossidex have plugins?
No. Ossidex is a focused viewer without a plugin system.
Does Ossidex run on a Mac?
The App Store lists the iPad app as installable on Macs with Apple M1 or later, marked “Designed for iPad, not verified for macOS”. We build and test it for iPhone and iPad.
Sources
Related pages
Best DICOM viewers 2026
14 desktop, web and mobile DICOM viewers compared: platforms, price, open source, offline use, PACS and iPad.
Ossidex vs OsiriX HD
OsiriX HD is a free iOS DICOM viewer last updated in 2023, strong on DICOM networking. Ossidex is actively updated with MPR, 3D and a dental arch.
Horos alternative for iPhone and iPad
Horos is a free macOS DICOM viewer; its iPad counterpart Horos Mobile (Falcon Mx) comes from partner iCat Solutions. How both compare with Ossidex, 2026.
MPR and 3D volume rendering on iPhone and iPad
Multi-planar reconstruction with linked crosshairs, oblique planes and slab MIP, plus 3D volume rendering with presets and clipping, for CT, CBCT and MRI.
Dental CBCT viewer
Panoramic arch, cross-sections, MPR and 3D for cone beam CT from any scanner.