| Advantages | Disadvantages | |||
| Stand-Alone Analog | cost effective | limited versatility | ||
| turnkey | cost of prints | |||
| ease of use | single location | |||
| reliable | no digital storage | |||
| Stand-Alone Digital | cost effective | single location | ||
| turnkey | more complicated | |||
| versatile | data-loss more likely | |||
| digital storage | less reliable | |||
| output choices | ||||
| Networked Analog | multiple locations | limited versatility | ease of use | no digital storage |
| reliable | cost of prints | |||
| Networked Digital | versatile | high cost | ||
| digital storage | complicated | |||
| system integration | less reliable | |||
| output choices | ||||
| data compilation |