OsiriX Lite costs nothing to download, and it opens CT, CBCT and MRI studies on any recent Mac. What it is not is a free version of OsiriX MD with a few extras removed. Pixmeo calls it “the complete demo version of OsiriX MD”, and the demo terms shape what you can do with it. The short answer: OsiriX Lite stamps every image “NOT FOR MEDICAL USAGE”, opens only about 800 images per series, runs 3D, networking and CD tools at demo level, caps DICOM connections at two nodes, and may not be used for primary diagnosis or commercial work without the author’s approval. It suits review, teaching and research, not clinical work.
Below, each limit is explained for dental CBCT work, with workarounds. Feature statements come from Pixmeo’s OsiriX MD page, Lite download page and FAQ, checked on 2 October 2026.
The limits at a glance
| Area | OsiriX Lite | OsiriX MD | What it means in a dental office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical use | Not certified for primary diagnosis; “NOT FOR MEDICAL USAGE” on all images | FDA-cleared (Class II) and CE labelled (Class IIa), per Pixmeo | Lite screenshots cannot go into a diagnostic report |
| Series size | About 800 images per series at 512 x 512 (FAQ) | Large series supported | Thin-slice CBCT volumes may load only partly |
| 3D MPR, curved MPR, 3D rendering | Demo | Full | You can learn and present, but expect slower work |
| Speed | “Standard” | “Up to 80% faster” | Large volumes and segmentation take noticeably longer |
| Local database, web server, DICOM services | Demo; two nodes maximum | Unlimited nodes | One scanner and one PACS at most |
| DICOM editing | Not included | Included | You cannot correct a patient name or ID in the header |
| CD creation, PET-CT, JPEG 2000, 32-bit pipeline | Demo | Full | Burning a patient disc is not a reliable Lite workflow |
| 11-bit monitor support | Not included | Included | Matters only on medical-grade grayscale displays |
| User manual, e-mail support, Pixmeo account | Not included | Included | You rely on your own testing and the public FAQ |
| Platforms | macOS 12 to 27, Intel and Apple Silicon; no Windows or Linux | Same: macOS 12 to 27 only | A Windows reception PC cannot run it |
Limit 1: no diagnostic use, and a stamp on every image
The Lite download page is explicit: this version is not certified as a medical device for primary diagnosis, it may be used only as reviewing and scientific software, and all calculations, measurements and images are intended only for scientific research. Every image carries a red “NOT FOR MEDICAL USAGE” tag.
In a dental context this rules out using Lite as the reading station for a CBCT you are billing for, or as the basis for an implant plan. It does not stop you from looking at a referral scan, preparing teaching slides or checking that a patient’s disc contains a usable study. The stamp also appears on exported screenshots.
The licence adds a second restriction that is easy to miss: the software may not be redistributed, sold or commercially used in any other way without prior approval of the author. A practice that wants a Mac viewer for routine clinical work is in OsiriX MD territory, or should use the certified viewer supplied with its own scanner.
Limit 2: about 800 images per series
Pixmeo’s FAQ states that OsiriX Lite can open only about 800 images per series at a 512 x 512 matrix. The MD page ticks “Open 500+ images series” for MD only, and its benchmark shows Lite loading 1,400 images of a large CTA against 6,500 in MD. Big series are where Lite stops.
Dental CBCT is exactly the kind of data that runs into this. A small-field scan may stay under the limit; a large-field or high-resolution export may not. When it happens, the study opens but the volume is incomplete, and the 3D views look truncated.
What to do when a CBCT will not open fully
- Check the image count of the series in the database window.
- Ask the imaging centre or the scanner software for an export with a thicker slice interval or a smaller field of view around the region you need.
- If the scan has to be reviewed at full resolution, open it in a viewer without this limit. On a Windows PC, MicroDicom DICOM Viewer has no series limit stated by its vendor (free for non-commercial use only). On a Mac, the free open-source Horos viewer has no Lite limit.
- For a 3D model of the jaw rather than a view, use a segmentation tool such as MITK (free, open source BSD; Windows, macOS, Linux).
Limit 3: 3D tools at demo level, and slower
3D MPR, 3D curved MPR and 3D rendering are all present in Lite, which is why it is popular for teaching CBCT navigation and for building a panoramic-style curved reconstruction along the arch. Pixmeo marks each of them “Demo” in its comparison table, and lists Lite performance as “Standard” against “Up to 80% faster” for MD.
Pixmeo’s published benchmarks show the gap on segmentation tasks: a 3D region-growing test that takes 22 seconds in Lite takes 5 in MD, and a bone-removal test in volume rendering takes 128 seconds against 31 on the same machine. The tests use medical CT data on older Macs, so treat them as a direction only.
Limit 4: networking, database and DICOM editing
OsiriX can act as a small PACS node: it receives studies, queries and retrieves from other systems, and serves images through a built-in web server. In Lite, DICOM services, the local database and the web server are all demo-level, and both the DICOM node list and the web server are capped at two nodes.
DICOM editing is missing completely. If a CBCT arrives with a wrong patient name, ID or date in the header, Lite cannot correct it. Anonymising a study before sending it to a lab or a colleague is also better done elsewhere; MicroDicom includes anonymisation in its free edition.
Limit 5: exports, CD creation and display
CD creation, PET-CT display, JPEG 2000 DICOM and the 32-bit pixel pipeline are marked “Demo”. Screenshots and 3D renderings for slides work; burning a patient disc is not something to rely on. 11-bit monitor support is MD-only; on a normal Mac display this makes no difference, but it matters if you read on a calibrated medical grayscale screen.
Limit 6: Mac only, and a recent Mac
Pixmeo states that OsiriX runs only on a Mac with macOS. The current line supports macOS 12 to macOS 27 on Intel and Apple Silicon. The MD page gives 6 GB of RAM as the minimum and the FAQ recommends at least 8 GB; for CBCT volumes, more memory helps. There is no Windows or Linux build. For iPhone and iPad, Pixmeo publishes a separate app, OsiriX HD.
Which limits matter for which user
- Dental student or teacher: almost none. The stamp and the demo label are acceptable in a classroom, and curved MPR is useful for showing the arch.
- Clinician reviewing referral scans on a Mac: the series limit and the diagnostic restriction. Ask for smaller exports and keep the formal read with the radiologist or certified software.
- Researcher: the series limit and speed on large datasets.
- Practice IT: the two-node cap, missing DICOM editing and the commercial-use clause. Lite is not a practice PACS client.
Alternatives when Lite is not enough
For a side-by-side look at the two viewers dentists most often compare, see OsiriX Lite vs MicroDicom. On Windows, the JiveX DICOM Viewer (Personal Edition) is another option (shareware, conditionally free; not for reading or therapy planning). For a printable bone model, 3DimViewer exports STL but is no longer developed (last release 2017). The full list, with Linux options, is in our free DICOM viewers for dental CBCT hub.
FAQ
Is OsiriX Lite really free?
Downloading and using it costs nothing, but it is the demo of the commercial OsiriX MD, limited in features and not for diagnosis or commercial use without the author’s approval. That is why we list it as shareware (conditionally free).
Is OsiriX Lite safe to use?
Get it from Pixmeo’s own website and avoid repackaged “OsiriX for Windows” files elsewhere; no Windows version exists. Clinically, use it only as reviewing and scientific software.
Is there OsiriX Lite for Windows or PC?
No. OsiriX runs only on macOS. On Windows, use MicroDicom or the JiveX DICOM Viewer.
What is the difference between OsiriX Lite and OsiriX MD?
MD is FDA-cleared and CE labelled, with no stamp, large series, full-speed 3D, unlimited DICOM nodes, DICOM editing and e-mail support. Lite is the demo.
Can OsiriX Lite open a dental CBCT scan?
Yes, if the series stays within about 800 images at 512 x 512. Larger thin-slice volumes may open only partly; ask for a thicker-slice export or use a viewer without the limit.
Is there OsiriX Lite for iPad?
No. Lite is a macOS application. Pixmeo’s iOS app for iPhone and iPad is OsiriX HD, a separate product.
Last updated: 2 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.
