Portable DICOM Viewer
A DICOM viewer and portable PACS on a pocket-sized SSD — no installation, no network, no admin rights.
Plug SoftDicom into any Windows, macOS or Linux machine and your studies open from the drive itself. Nothing is written to the host computer and nothing travels over a network, so the same device works in the cath lab, at a workstation you do not own, and on a laptop with no connectivity at all.
Quick Summary
SoftDicom is a portable DICOM viewer that runs from an external SSD on Windows, macOS and Linux without being installed. The viewer, the study database and the images all live on the drive, so it needs no admin rights, no PACS connection and no internet. It is a portable PACS rather than a viewer alone: studies are searchable on the device instead of opened as loose folders.
What makes it genuinely portable
Nothing to install
Plug the drive into any Windows, macOS or Linux machine and the viewer runs from the device itself. No installer, no admin rights, no IT ticket — which is what makes it usable on a workstation you do not own.
The same drive on every platform
One device covers Windows 10/11, macOS 11+ and Ubuntu 20.04+. Most portable DICOM viewers are Windows-only, so moving between a reporting station and a personal laptop means a second tool and a second copy of the study.
Works with the network unplugged
Studies are read from the drive, not streamed from a server. There is no login, no VPN and no PACS connection in the path, so it behaves identically in a cath lab, a conference room or on a flight.
A portable PACS, not just a viewer
The device carries its own study database, so you can search and organise an image library on it rather than opening loose DICOMDIR folders one at a time.
Why an installed viewer is not a portable one
Most DICOM viewers described as portable are still installers — a smaller download, but one that writes to the host machine and often needs administrator rights. On a hospital workstation that is exactly the permission you do not have, and on a colleague's laptop it leaves patient data behind after you walk away.
SoftDicom moves the whole environment onto the drive instead. The viewer runs from the SSD, the studies stay on the SSD encrypted with AES-256, and unplugging it removes every trace from the host. If you are comparing against a specific tool, the RadiAnt comparison and the Weasis comparison cover the differences in detail.
Portability specifications
Full imaging, software and security specifications are on the technical specifications page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a portable DICOM viewer?
A portable DICOM viewer runs without being installed on the host computer, so it can be carried between machines. SoftDicom does this from an external SSD: the viewer and the study database live on the drive, and the host only supplies power and a screen. Plug it in and it runs on Windows, macOS or Linux.
Does a portable DICOM viewer need admin rights to run?
SoftDicom does not. Because nothing is installed and no service is registered, it runs on locked-down hospital workstations where you cannot install software. This is the usual reason an installed viewer is not an option in the first place.
Can I use the same portable device on Windows, Mac and Linux?
Yes. The same SoftDicom drive runs on Windows 10/11, macOS 11+ and Ubuntu 20.04+. You do not need a separate copy of the study for each platform, and the drive does not have to be reformatted when you move between them.
Does it need an internet connection?
No. Studies are read directly from the drive, so the viewer is fully functional offline. Connected capabilities such as cloud backup and direct console transfer exist, but they are opt-in and inert until an administrator enables them — the device does its whole job with the network unplugged.
How fast does a study open from the portable drive?
The drive is a USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSD rated up to 1050 MB/s read, so studies load from local flash rather than over a network. Standard CT and MRI series open in under a second on a USB 3.2 port.
How much storage do I need?
SoftDicom ships in 480 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB capacities. Capacity is the only difference in what the drive can hold — the viewer software and every feature are identical across the three.
Carry your studies, not your workstation
One drive, every platform, no installation. Choose a capacity and it ships ready to use.