Images conversion
Convert DICOM to AVIF
DICOM is the format MRI, CT, and X-ray scanners save images in, readable only with specialized software. AVIF is a compact image format that browsers and photo apps open natively. To convert, open the DICOM file in a converter and export it as AVIF, on your own computer, so the scan and its patient details never reach anyone else's server.
All 2,748 conversions verified on macOS, Windows, and Linux against the shipping release, this one included. Every conversion runs entirely on your own computer.
- Extension
- .dcm
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Medical scans (MRI, CT, X-ray)
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .avif
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Next-gen web images
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- Supported
Convert DICOM to AVIF on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
One-time purchase, no subscription. 14 days to change your mind.
How to convert DICOM to AVIF
- Open Morphjet and drag in the DICOM file, or a whole folder of scan slices, at once.
- Choose AVIF as the output format.
- Convert. The AVIF images are written next to your originals, and nothing leaves your machine.
DICOM vs AVIF: what actually changes
| DICOM | AVIF | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens everywhere | No, needs specialized medical imaging software to view | Mostly, modern browsers and photo apps display it natively |
| File size | Large, little or no compression to preserve full detail | Much smaller, compressed for sharing and web use |
| Quality | Lossless, exact pixel data as captured by the scanner | Lossy, compressed on export with some loss of fine detail |
| Bit depth | Often 12 or 16-bit grayscale for precise diagnostic detail | Typically 8-bit, fine for viewing but not for diagnosis |
| Patient and scan metadata | Yes, patient name, ID, and scan details are embedded in the file | No, that information isn't part of the AVIF format |
| Transparency | No | Yes, though rarely needed for a scan image |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert DICOM to AVIF when you want to share, present, or publish a scan image, for a research paper, teaching slide, or website, and you don't need the original diagnostic file.
Keep the original DICOM for any clinical or diagnostic purpose, since AVIF drops the higher bit depth and patient metadata that make DICOM suitable for actual patient care.
Why not just use an online converter?
DICOM files carry patient metadata right inside the file, name, ID, date of birth, and scan details, the medical equivalent of the location data hidden in a phone photo. Send that file to an online converter and the patient's information travels to their servers along with it. Converting on your own computer keeps the scan, and who it belongs to, off the internet entirely.
Questions
Does converting DICOM to AVIF lose quality?
Yes, some. DICOM stores lossless, high bit depth scan data, and AVIF compresses it and typically reduces it to 8-bit, which is fine for viewing but not for diagnosis.
Will the AVIF keep the patient information?
No. AVIF has no fields for patient name, ID, or scan metadata, so that information stays behind in the original DICOM file rather than carrying over.
Can I open a DICOM file without medical software?
Not easily. DICOM needs a dedicated viewer or converter, since ordinary photo and web apps don't recognize it. Converting it to AVIF makes it viewable anywhere.
Can I convert a whole folder of DICOM slices at once?
Yes. Morphjet can convert a whole folder of DICOM files in one batch, so you don't have to handle each slice individually.
Can I convert DICOM to AVIF without uploading the scan anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app does the conversion on your own computer, so the scan and the patient's details never leave the machine.
Morphjet runs this conversion and 2,747 others, all on your machine. Available now.
One-time purchase, no subscription. 14 days to change your mind.