Local LLM or cloud: how to choose a model for business
Running locally does not mean free, and the cloud does not necessarily mean losing control. The choice starts with data, latency, and operating requirements — and only then the model's name.
- Essence
- A local model wins where isolation, predictable load, and operation close to private data matter.
- Risk
- The team compares token prices with hardware prices and forgets updates, observability, quality, and redundancy.
- Action
- Run a two-week pilot on one process and calculate the cost of a successful operation, rather than the cost of running the model.