Cloud vs. Local DICOM Storage: Which Is Right for Your Ultrasound Studio?
Should you store ultrasound images on a local server in your studio or in the cloud? Here's an honest look at both approaches for small practices.
Every ultrasound studio that moves beyond USB drives faces the same question: where do the images go? You have two main options — a local server sitting in your studio, or a cloud service that stores images on remote servers accessed over the internet.
Both approaches work. But for small elective studios, the right choice depends on your budget, technical comfort level, and how you want patients to access their images.
Local DICOM Storage
Local storage means running a DICOM server on a computer in your studio. Your ultrasound machine sends images over your local network, and they're stored on that computer's hard drive.
Advantages
- +No monthly fees — once you buy the hardware, storage is “free”
- +Fast transfers — images go over your local network, not the internet
- +Data stays in your building — some owners find this reassuring
- +Works without internet — your studio can operate during outages
Disadvantages
- −Upfront hardware cost — a reliable server costs $500–2,000
- −You're responsible for maintenance — updates, disk failures, backups
- −No remote access — images are only available at the studio (unless you set up VPN or port forwarding)
- −Sharing is harder — patients can't view images on their phone without extra software
- −Disaster risk — fire, theft, or hardware failure could lose all images
Cloud DICOM Storage
Cloud storage means images are sent over the internet to a remote server managed by a service provider. You access images through a web dashboard, and patients get a shareable link.
Advantages
- +No hardware to manage — no server to buy, maintain, or replace
- +Access from anywhere — view your dashboard from home, your phone, anywhere
- +Easy patient sharing — generate a link, text it, done
- +Automatic backups — your data is replicated across servers
- +Scales automatically — never worry about running out of disk space
Disadvantages
- −Monthly subscription — ongoing cost (ranges from $15 to $500/mo depending on the service)
- −Requires internet — no internet means no image transfer (though scanning still works)
- −Data is off-site — you're trusting a provider with your data
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | Local | Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | $500–2,000 | $0 |
| Monthly cost | $0 (+ electricity) | $15–500 |
| Patient sharing | Complicated | Built-in |
| Setup difficulty | High | Low |
| Maintenance | You handle it | Provider handles it |
| Backup | Your responsibility | Automatic |
| Works offline | Yes | No |
Our Recommendation for Elective Studios
For most small elective ultrasound studios, cloud storage is the better choice. Here's why:
- Patient sharing is the whole point. You're not storing images for diagnostic purposes — you're sharing them with excited families. Cloud services make this effortless.
- You don't have IT staff. If a local server breaks at 6 PM on a Friday, who fixes it? With cloud, that's the provider's problem.
- The math works. A local server costs $500–2,000 upfront, plus your time maintaining it. SonoLink costs $15/month — that's $180/year with zero maintenance.
The main exception: if your studio has unreliable internet, local storage may be more practical. But in most areas, a basic business internet connection is more than sufficient for DICOM image transfer.
The Best of Both Worlds
Some studios use a hybrid approach: a local machine stores images as a backup, and a cloud service handles patient sharing. This gives you redundancy without complexity. SonoLink receives images from your machine via DICOM — your machine can simultaneously store copies locally on its internal hard drive. You get the convenience of cloud sharing with the safety net of local backup.
Try cloud image sharing for $15/month
No hardware to buy. No servers to maintain. Just easy patient sharing.
Start Free Trial