Where Your Support Goes (and Why This Tool Is Free)
If you have ever left a hospital with a stack of imaging CDs, you know the small panic that comes later. Where is that disc? Will the next doctor be able to open it? MIA Toolkit takes that worry off your plate. It copies your hospital imaging CDs, builds a simple inventory, and assembles one clean, standards-compliant DICOMDIR archive on a USB drive that almost any radiologist's PACS or viewer can open.
It is made by the Fritanga collective. It runs on macOS and Windows. And it is free. That last part tends to raise an eyebrow, so let's be honest about how this works.
The Tool Is Free, and It Always Will Be
We made a promise early on, and we want it in writing: we will never put a paywall between a person and their own medical records. Your images belong to you. Organizing them and carrying them to your next appointment should not cost you anything.
So the download is free. No trial that expires. No locked features waiting behind a "Pro" button. One click, and it is yours. If money is tight, stop reading here if you like. Go download it. You owe us nothing.
What MIA Toolkit Actually Does (and Doesn't)
Plain version, no fine print games: MIA Toolkit helps you gather, organize, and hand over your own medical images. It is not a medical device. It does not read, interpret, or diagnose anything in your scans. It does not replace a radiologist. It comes with no warranty. What it does is make sure the right files reach the right doctor in a format they can actually open.
It is also built to be private. The app works fully offline. There is no account, nothing goes to the cloud, and there is no tracking. Your images stay on your machine, because there is nothing to send us.
So Why Ask for Support at All?
Free to use does not mean free to build. A few real costs keep this project alive, and voluntary support covers them:
- Code-signing certificates. This is the big one. Unsigned software triggers scary "unidentified developer" warnings. Your support already helped get the macOS app signed and notarized, so it opens cleanly; Windows signing is the next goal — the one cost we're still closing. Signing costs money every year, and it is what lets the apps open without frightening a worried family member.
- Translations. People dealing with medical paperwork are often doing it in a second language, or helping a parent who speaks another one. Good translations make the tool usable for more families.
- Maintenance time. Operating systems change, disc formats are stubborn, and bugs need fixing. Keeping things working takes ongoing hours.
That is the whole list. No marketing budget, no growth team.
The Idea: Those Who Can, Help Those Who Can't
Here is the part we are proudest of. Support is a cross-subsidy. The people who can chip in (and the clinics or NGOs who sponsor us) keep the tool free and properly signed for the people who can't: an older parent abroad sending scans to a specialist, a family already paying out of pocket and counting every dollar, a small clinic with no software budget. Your support means none of them ever hit a paywall to handle their own records.
If you would like to be one of the people who keeps it open, here are the options. All optional, all in US dollars:
- Coffee — $5.99 (one-time)
- Supporter — $15.99 (one-time)
- Patron — $50.99 (one-time)
- Monthly supporter — $5/month
Every tier does the same thing: it pays for upkeep and keeps the door open for someone who can't pay.
No Pressure, Really
We mean it. The free download is always one click away, and it is the same full app whether you give a dollar or nothing. Support is a thank-you and a way to pay it forward, not a toll. If MIA Toolkit saved you a headache and you can give back, we would be grateful. If not, we hope it helps anyway.
You can download it free — with a step-by-step guide. If you can, support the project on the support page. The only email is support@miatools.tech.
FAQ
Is the app really free? Yes. The full app is free to download and use, with no expiring trial and no locked features. It always will be free. We will never paywall a person's access to their own medical records. Support is optional and only helps cover certificates, translations, and maintenance so it stays free for everyone.
Where exactly does my support go? Three things: yearly code-signing certificates so the apps open without scary warnings, translations so more families can use the tool, and maintenance time to keep it working as operating systems change.
Does MIA Toolkit read or diagnose my scans? No. It organizes and delivers your own medical images and assembles a standards-compliant DICOMDIR a radiologist's viewer can open. It is not a medical device, it does not interpret images, and it does not replace a radiologist. It comes with no warranty.