The tools
Each row says what the tool does, what it deliberately does not do, and where to get the underlying data when there is any. Every tool is built from the same rule: your files stay in your browser, there is no sign-up, and none of it is for diagnostic use.
| Tool | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Free DICOM viewer | Opens .dcm files, whole folders or ZIP archives in the browser, groups them by series, and lets you scroll slices, adjust window and level, measure in mm when Pixel Spacing is present, probe pixel values, play cine and export the current slice as PNG. Decodes JPEG baseline, JPEG lossless, JPEG-LS, JPEG 2000, RLE and deflated files. | Not for diagnosis: no display calibration, no audit trail, no reporting. Files never leave the browser tab. No account. JPEG Extended 12-bit, HTJ2K and MPEG video are not decoded; the viewer names the reason under the image. |
| DICOM to JPEG converter guide | Explains why a DICOM file will not open like a photo and walks through four real ways to get it into JPEG or PDF: a free desktop viewer, the dcmtk and ImageMagick command line for batches, online converters, and export from inside a PACS. Covers when lossy JPEG is the wrong answer. | It is a guide, not an upload box. For a one-off conversion without installing anything, the free viewer above exports a PNG of the current slice with your window applied. Converted files are for sharing a picture, not for reading from. |
| DICOM transfer syntax UID list and viewer decode matrix | The complete PS3.6 registry of transfer syntax UIDs with codec and byte order, plus a tested matrix of which free DICOM viewers decode JPEG, JPEG-LS, JPEG 2000, RLE and deflated files. | Reference tables only; nothing to upload. HTJ2K, JPEG XL and the video syntaxes were not tested in the matrix. |
| Cloud PACS cost calculator | Compares rented cloud PACS spend against self-hosted MiniPACS over the term you choose, using public MiniPACS pricing, with every assumption exposed and study volume kept separate from the license. | Runs in the page; nothing is sent anywhere and no account is needed. It is an estimate built on the assumptions it shows, not a quote. |
| PACS pricing index | Every published price for PACS, cloud PACS, hybrid and DICOM viewer products, each with the price the vendor shows on its own page, the pricing model and the capture date. Vendors that publish no price are recorded as a finding. | Only what vendors publish; quotes obtained privately are not in the price column. Dated rows, so name the capture date next to any number you quote. |
| PACS and medical imaging statistics | Single-sentence facts about PACS, DICOM, imaging volume, market size, cloud adoption, storage, compression, breaches, regulation and the radiology workforce. Every fact links to its primary source and carries a verification label. | A finding aid, not the primary source: for a formal citation, cite the source the row links to and use this page to find it. |
How these tools handle your files
Only one tool on this page takes a file: the free DICOM viewer. Everything in it happens in your browser tab. The files are parsed by JavaScript on your machine, rendered to a canvas, and thrown away when you close the page. There is no upload endpoint, which you can verify in the browser's network panel. The extra decoders for compressed formats are fetched as code to your browser, the same way the page itself is; the images still never leave the device.
The calculator takes numbers you type and computes in the page. The converter guide, the transfer syntax reference, the pricing index and the statistics take nothing at all. Many online DICOM tools work the other way, uploading the study to their server first, which is a real difference when the study belongs to a patient.
- No account, login or email gate on any tool.
- No diagnostic use: the viewer has no display calibration, audit trail or reporting workflow.
- Patients opening a disc from an imaging center: the step-by-step guide is at how to open a DICOM CD.
Reuse and citation
The data pages are published under CC BY 4.0: the transfer syntax tables and viewer decode matrix, the PACS pricing index and the PACS statistics. Cite by linking to the page you took the number from and naming the capture or test date next to it. Each page ships its rows as CSV, linked in the table above. Found a wrong cell, a changed price or a newer viewer version? Write to contact with the URL and it gets re-captured.
When a free viewer stops being enough: MiniPACS is a standards-based DICOM archive and server, and any scan opens in any browser in about 0.6 seconds with nothing installed.
FAQ
Is the DICOM viewer really free?
Yes. There is no account, no trial clock, no watermark and no upload quota, because the files never reach a server and there is nothing to meter. MiniPACS earns money on the PACS product for clinics, not on the free tools.
Is it safe to open patient files in these tools?
The viewer parses files on your own device with JavaScript in the browser tab and has no upload endpoint, which you can verify in the browser's network panel. The other tools on this page are guides and reference tables and never ask for a file at all. Before putting patient data into any other web tool, check whether it uploads.
Can I use the viewer clinically?
No. It is a review and education tool, not a medical device. It has no display calibration, no audit trail and no reporting workflow, all of which diagnostic reading requires. Primary diagnosis belongs in the clinic's PACS viewer on a proper display.
Can I cite or reuse the data?
Yes. The transfer syntax tables, the viewer decode matrix, the PACS pricing index and the PACS statistics are CC BY 4.0. Link to the page you took the number from and name the capture or test date next to it. Each page ships its rows as CSV.
Do I need an account?
No. None of the tools on this page has a sign-up, a login or an email gate. Open the page and use it.