Choosing a PACS
Cloud PACS or on-premise PACS?
Both can store and distribute medical images. The important difference is who operates the archive, how your team reaches it and which costs and responsibilities remain with you. Compare the proposed setup, not just the product label.
Discuss your PACS setupCompare the work behind the archive.
Scroll the comparison sideways.
| Decision | Cloud PACS | On-premise PACS |
|---|---|---|
| Operation | The provider operates the hosted archive. Confirm monitoring, updates and support in the agreement. | Your organisation or its IT partner operates the server environment and coordinates maintenance. |
| Access | UnoPACS users access studies in the browser. Access controls, displays and intended tasks still need to be agreed. | Access depends on the deployed viewer and remote-access setup; a local PACS may also offer a browser viewer. |
| Connections | Traditional DICOM equipment may need a connector in the local network and a reliable internet connection. | Local equipment connects to the local infrastructure. External access and partner connections need their own setup. |
| Costs | Compare the subscription, storage, connectors, migration and support over the same period. | Compare hardware or hosting, licences, maintenance, backups, IT work and future replacement over that period. |
| Backups and recovery | Ask who holds backups, how restoration is tested and what recovery commitments apply. | Assign responsibility for backups, off-site copies, restore tests and recovery after a failure. |
| Leaving or changing | Confirm DICOM export, transfer volume, timing, charges and access during the transition. | Confirm how studies and associated information can be exported and who operates the old system during migration. |
Choose around your operating requirements.
Consider cloud when…
Several sites or external clinicians need access and you want the provider to operate the archive. Check network reliability, data location and the actual support scope.
Consider local operation when…
Your organisation requires local infrastructure or has specific local-availability requirements. Include the staff, resilience and remote-access work needed to sustain that choice.
What determines a useful PACS quote?
There is no single price for every practice. Give each supplier the same inputs so you can compare the complete setup.
Studies and retention
Studies per month, typical file sizes, existing archive volume and how long studies must remain available.
People, sites and sources
Users, locations, imaging devices, external senders and the patient-record systems to connect.
Migration and service
Historical data transfer, parallel operation, training, support hours and required recovery commitments. Ask what is included and what is priced separately.
A practical route from your current PACS.
A switch is a data and workflow project. Agree these steps before setting a go-live date.
Inventory and decide
Map sources, patient identifiers, archive volume and interfaces. Decide whether the old archive stays available, is partly migrated or is replaced.
Test a representative sample
Check transfer, patient assignment, access to prior studies, viewing and sharing with approved example data. Resolve mismatches before moving the whole archive.
Agree the handover
Document responsibilities, migration stages, fallback access and the final export. Confirm that your team can find the studies it needs before retiring the old setup.
Before deciding
Questions worth settling before a contract.
Ask for answers against your proposed configuration.
Is cloud PACS always cheaper?
No. Compare the same storage volume, retention, users, connections and support period. A low subscription alone does not describe migration, local connectors or your internal work.
Does cloud PACS mean no local components?
The viewer runs in the browser, but traditional DICOM equipment can require a connector in the practice network. Confirm installation, network and internet requirements for your sources.
Can UnoPACS work alongside our existing archive?
That can be part of the integration plan. Agree which system stores each study, how prior studies are reached and whether any historical transfer is required.
Does cloud hosting establish clinical suitability?
No. Confirm the intended use, viewer capabilities, displays and applicable requirements separately. Do not infer a certification or diagnostic approval from the hosting model.
Compare with your own workflow on screen.
Bring your system list, study volume and one typical handover. We will review the UnoPACS archive, inbox, viewer and the proposed connection.
Discuss your PACS setup