Best CBCT Viewer for Windows: Free and Trial Options

The short answer: for opening a patient’s CBCT on a Windows PC, start with MicroDicom if the use is personal or educational, and look at Weasis if you need an open-source viewer that a practice can install without a separate commercial licence. RadiAnt is the polished paid option with an evaluation mode. Blue Sky Plan is free to download, but it is an implant planning program and a medical device, not a simple viewer. None of them replaces the software that came with your own CBCT unit.

For dentists, technicians and clinic IT staff who receive CBCT scans and need to view them on Windows. Status: Not tested yet. The facts below come from the developers’ own pages and from our verified program pages, checked on 13 October 2026. Prepared by the dentsoftpro editorial team.

The short list

Opening a CBCT from a patient disc

A CBCT disc usually holds a folder of DICOM files and often a DICOMDIR index; some also carry the scanner vendor’s viewer. Copy the whole disc to a local folder and open the copy.

• MicroDicom opens patient CDs and folders of DICOM files. Our step-by-step guide covers it: how to open a dental CBCT disc in MicroDicom.
• Weasis has a dedicated import for discs: File > Import > DICOM CD, which reads the DICOMDIR index.
• JiveX opens images from CDs, USB sticks and folders, according to its manual.
• RadiAnt imports studies from discs and USB drives into its local archive, and its vendor sells a CD/DVD package that runs from the disc without installation.

MicroDicom: the default free choice for one PC

MicroDicom, from MicroDicom Ltd in Sofia, Bulgaria, is a lightweight Windows viewer for CBCT and X-ray images, with measurements, anonymisation and export. Version 2026.3 (10 June 2026) added 3D MPR and 3D volume rendering, which closes the biggest gap it used to have for CBCT work. It is free for personal and educational use; professional use is covered by the vendor’s commercial licence, which a private dental practice is likely to need. The vendor states that MicroDicom has no CE mark or FDA approval and is not for clinical use. Before sharing a case, see our guide to anonymising DICOM files.

Weasis: open source with no licence question

Weasis is an open-source DICOM viewer distributed free under the EPL 2.0 and Apache 2.0 licences, with the source on GitHub. The current Windows download is a 64-bit MSI installer for Windows 10 or later; versions for macOS and Linux exist too. Its feature list includes volume rendering, oblique reconstruction, synchronised views and MIP slabs, and it reads files from a local folder, a USB drive or a DICOM CD. It can also connect to a PACS. The project page makes no statement about regulatory clearance, so do not assume one. Pick Weasis when the licence must be open source or when the same viewer is needed on Windows, Mac and Linux. Developer site: weasis.org.

JiveX DICOM Viewer: a vendor viewer for occasional use

The JiveX DICOM Viewer comes from VISUS Health IT in Bochum, Germany, and runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. Without a licence key it runs as the Personal Edition: free for non-commercial use, limited in functions and limited in time, so we list it as shareware (conditionally free). The download page says there is no PACS connection, no hanging protocols and no technical service, and the manual says it may not be used for reading or therapy planning. Installation needs UAC switched off.

RadiAnt DICOM Viewer: the paid all-rounder

RadiAnt is a Windows viewer for Windows 7 to 11. It reconstructs images in axial, coronal, sagittal and oblique planes and has a 3D volume rendering tool. Version 2026.1, dated 7 August 2026, fixed an out-of-bounds write vulnerability, so update older installs. It is a paid product; its manual describes an evaluation mode that is activated online or offline. We list it as shareware (conditionally free). Its home page makes no CE or FDA statement. Developer site: radiantviewer.com.

Blue Sky Plan: free planning software, not just a viewer

Blue Sky Plan from Blue Sky Bio is free to download in many countries and loads CBCT and CT scans in DICOM format for implant planning and surgical guide design. Exports use export credits ordered from the vendor. The current version, 5.0, installs only on Windows: the vendor says it is no longer available for Mac. Requirements are high for a viewer: Windows 10 64-bit or newer, a quad-core Intel i7 or comparable CPU, at least 16 GB of RAM, a dedicated NVIDIA or AMD card with at least 3 GB of video memory, a 1920×1080 monitor and 5 GB of free space. The vendor describes it as a medical device, cleared in the USA, Canada and the EU, that may only be used by or under the direct supervision of a licensed practitioner. Developer page: Blue Sky Plan.

3DimViewer and research tools

3DimViewer from 3Dim Laboratory in Brno offers MPR, volume rendering, threshold segmentation and STL export, and an early version added support for Planmeca dental CT multi-frame DICOM. It is no longer developed: the last official release is 3.1.1 from January 2017, so do not make it your main viewer.

If you need segmentation or measurements for research, look at MITK (free, BSD, current 2026.06) or the SlicerCMF modules for 3D Slicer. Both are research software, not diagnostic viewers. Our overview of open-source CBCT imaging platforms compares them.

Which one should you use

1. You only need to look at a patient’s scan, personal or teaching use: MicroDicom.
2. A practice needs a free viewer on several PCs without a commercial licence question: Weasis, after checking it with your own scanner’s files.
3. You want a paid viewer with strong 3D and are ready to buy: evaluate RadiAnt.
4. You plan implants or surgical guides: Blue Sky Plan, on a workstation that meets its requirements, or the planning software sold with your CBCT unit.
5. You need a diagnostic report: use the software certified for that purpose by your CBCT vendor. The free viewers above say they are not for clinical use, or say nothing about it.

For Mac users, see OsiriX Lite vs MicroDicom, and for the full list of viewers our hub of free DICOM viewers for dental use.

Limitations

• We have not run these programs on our own scans. Speed, memory use and how each handles a specific scanner’s files are not tested yet.
• Free for personal use does not mean free for a practice. Read the licence of each program before installing it on clinic computers.

FAQ

Is there a free CBCT viewer for Windows?

Yes. MicroDicom is free for non-commercial use and has 3D MPR and volume rendering since version 2026.3. Weasis is free and open source. Blue Sky Plan is free to download but is a planning program.

What is the best free CBCT viewer for dental use?

For quick viewing on one PC, MicroDicom. For a practice that wants an open-source licence, Weasis. Neither is cleared for diagnosis, so the software from your CBCT vendor remains the reference for reporting.

How do I open a CBCT file?

Copy the disc or download to a local folder, then open the folder or its DICOMDIR file in a DICOM viewer. In Weasis use File > Import > DICOM CD; for MicroDicom follow our CBCT disc guide.

Is there a CBCT viewer software that works online?

Browser services exist, but they mean uploading patient data to a third party. Use one only with your privacy officer’s approval.

Can I use a free CBCT viewer on a Mac?

Weasis has a macOS version, and OsiriX Lite is a Mac demo edition of OsiriX MD. MicroDicom runs on a Mac only through its Wine package, and Blue Sky Plan is no longer available for Mac.

Is Blue Sky Plan really free?

The download and planning are free in many countries, according to Blue Sky Bio. Exports are made with credits ordered from the vendor.

Last updated: 13 October 2026 · DentSoftPro editorial team. Licence, version and platform details are checked against each developer's official documentation; none of the tools listed here should be treated as a certified medical device unless its vendor says so.