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Healthcare · head to head

DHIS2 vs Visage Imaging

DHIS2 logo

DHIS2

Healthcare

Open source health information platform run from the University of Oslo and used by national ministries

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Visage Imaging logo

Visage Imaging

Healthcare

Server-side streaming PACS built for radiologists reading very large studies over thin connections

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only DHIS2 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: DHIS2 the licence is free and the implementation is not; national rollouts routinely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in configuration, hosting, training and support, and budgets built on the word free fail immediately.; Visage Imaging pricing is per exam against a minimum annual volume, so an organisation whose imaging activity is flat pays a floor while a growing one sees the software line rise every year rather than amortise.
  • They diverge on capability: DHIS2 covers Aggregate data reporting, Visage Imaging covers Server-side rendering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DHIS2 and Visage Imaging actually diverge.

Attributes where DHIS2 and Visage Imaging differ
AttributeDHIS2Visage Imaging
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Android, Self-hosted, CloudWindows, macOS, Web, iOS, Cloud

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in DHIS2

  • Aggregate data reporting
  • Tracker
  • Android capture app
  • Dashboards and analytics
  • Metadata packages
  • Data quality tools
  • GIS mapping
  • Interoperability

Only in Visage Imaging

  • Server-side rendering
  • One Viewer
  • Native multi-dimensional tools
  • Digital breast tomosynthesis reading
  • Open archive
  • Cloud PACS operations
  • AI accelerator
  • On the fly patient jacket

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

DHIS2

  • A ministry of health replacing paper monthly reporting from thousands of facilities with a national routine systemnot Visage Imaging
  • A donor-funded HIV or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districtsnot Visage Imaging
  • A disease surveillance unit needing weekly case reporting with outbreak alerting and mappingnot Visage Imaging
  • An NGO running individual patient follow-up in a programme where facilities are frequently offlinenot Visage Imaging

Visage Imaging

  • An academic health system whose radiologists read from home and cannot tolerate a thousand slice CT taking minutes to opennot DHIS2
  • A breast imaging service moving to tomosynthesis where study sizes have made the existing PACS unusable at volumenot DHIS2
  • A teleradiology group covering many client sites that needs one viewer rather than a client-specific workstation per contractnot DHIS2
  • A health system mid migration that needs priors from three legacy archives assembled into one patient jacket before the data move finishesnot DHIS2

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

DHIS2

  • The licence is free and the implementation is not; national rollouts routinely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in configuration, hosting, training and support, and budgets built on the word free fail immediately.
  • HISP UiO introduced a Shared Services Fee in 2025, so organisations that depend on DHIS2 are now being asked for an annual contribution that did not previously exist in their plans.
  • Development funding comes from a small set of donors including Norad, the Global Fund and the Gates Foundation, which concentrates the platform's long-term direction in the priorities of those funders.
  • Implementation capability is concentrated in regional HISP groups, so a country whose local HISP group is overstretched has few alternative suppliers with equivalent expertise.
  • Analytics performance depends heavily on how metadata was designed at the outset, and a poorly structured initial configuration produces slow dashboards and bad indicator definitions that are painful to correct years later.

Visage Imaging

  • Pricing is per exam against a minimum annual volume, so an organisation whose imaging activity is flat pays a floor while a growing one sees the software line rise every year rather than amortise.
  • Module breadth outside radiology is narrower than at Sectra or the large modality vendors, so a group planning to digitise pathology on the same platform will not find it here.
  • Server-side rendering shifts the cost to central infrastructure, so the saving on radiologist workstations is partly offset by what you spend on servers or cloud compute.
  • Pro Medicus concentrates on very large contracts, and smaller imaging groups report long sales cycles and little appetite from the vendor for deals below a certain volume.
  • Diagnostic AI is third party, surfaced through the accelerator framework rather than developed in house, so algorithm licensing, validation and monitoring remain the buyer problem.

Pricing, plan by plan

DHIS2

Free
  • DHIS2 softwareFree
    • BSD licence
    • All modules including Tracker
    • No user or facility limits
  • Shared Services Fee$undefined/year
    • Voluntary annual contribution introduced by HISP UiO
    • Funds shared global infrastructure and platform sustainability
    • Amount agreed with the HISP Centre
  • Implementation and support$undefined/year
    • Delivered by regional HISP groups or private implementers
    • Configuration, metadata design, hosting, training and support
    • Quoted per programme, commonly the dominant cost

Visage Imaging

On request
  • Visage 7 enterprise contract$undefined/year
    • Transaction pricing per exam with a minimum annual volume commitment
    • Seven to ten year terms typical for health system contracts
    • Contract totals for major deals are disclosed by Pro Medicus to the ASX

Which should you pick?

Choose DHIS2 if

  • You need aggregate data reporting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Android, Self-hosted, Cloud.
  • You also want tracker.
DHIS2 review

Choose Visage Imaging if

  • You need server-side rendering.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Cloud.
  • You also want one viewer.
Visage Imaging review

Questions people ask

Is DHIS2 or Visage Imaging better?
Neither clearly leads. DHIS2 starts at Free and Visage Imaging at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DHIS2 or Visage Imaging?
DHIS2 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for DHIS2 and On request for Visage Imaging.
Does DHIS2 or Visage Imaging run on more platforms?
DHIS2 runs on Web, Android, Self-hosted, Cloud. Visage Imaging runs on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Cloud.
Can I use DHIS2 for free?
Yes. DHIS2 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Visage Imaging starts at On request.
What is DHIS2 best used for?
DHIS2 is most often used for a ministry of health replacing paper monthly reporting from thousands of facilities with a national routine system, a donor-funded hiv or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districts, a disease surveillance unit needing weekly case reporting with outbreak alerting and mapping, an ngo running individual patient follow-up in a programme where facilities are frequently offline. Of those, a ministry of health replacing paper monthly reporting from thousands of facilities with a national routine system and a donor-funded hiv or tuberculosis programme that must report standard indicators across several districts are not what Visage Imaging is typically brought in for.
What can DHIS2 do that Visage Imaging cannot?
DHIS2 covers Aggregate data reporting, Tracker, Android capture app, Dashboards and analytics. Visage Imaging covers Server-side rendering, One Viewer, Native multi-dimensional tools, Digital breast tomosynthesis reading.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DHIS2: Who owns and develops DHIS2?

The HISP Centre at the University of Oslo, funded by donors including Norad, the Global Fund, the Gates Foundation and Wellcome.

Visage Imaging: Who owns Visage Imaging?

Pro Medicus Limited, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. That listing means major contract values and terms are publicly announced.

DHIS2: Is DHIS2 free?

The software is free under a BSD licence. Implementation, hosting, training and support are not, and are the dominant cost.

Visage Imaging: How is Visage priced?

Per exam, against a minimum annual volume, on multi-year terms. Because Pro Medicus discloses large contract totals and durations to the market, buyers can estimate a per exam rate before entering negotiation.

DHIS2: What is the Shared Services Fee?

A voluntary annual contribution introduced by HISP UiO in 2025 to fund shared global infrastructure and long-term platform sustainability.

Visage Imaging: Is Visage 7 FDA cleared for diagnostic interpretation?

Yes, Visage 7 holds 510(k) clearance for diagnostic viewing including mammography and tomosynthesis on validated displays. Confirm the exact cleared modality list for your intended use.

DHIS2: Can I buy commercial support?

Yes, from regional HISP groups or private implementers such as Devotta, which is contracted by HISP UiO for core platform development and also works independently.

Visage Imaging: Does it work as a full cloud PACS?

Yes, Visage 7 runs complete PACS operations in the cloud rather than cloud viewing over an on-premise archive.

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