Cloud services: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
- The strongest models, nothing to install.
- Great for writing, translation, analysis and programming.
- Your data goes to the service — privacy settings matter, and so does uploading only what is needed.
- Teams usually need paid plans.
Local models: Ollama, LM Studio
- They run on your own computer — data goes nowhere.
- No subscription: you only need suitable hardware.
- Weaker than the most powerful cloud models.
- They need setting up and updating — I take care of that.
How to choose
- General tasks and texts without personal data — a cloud service.
- Client documents, passports, medical details — a local model.
- Programming and automation — cloud tools like Claude Code, with data kept local.
- Often the best option is a combination of both.
What I use myself
Claude Code for programming and big tasks, ChatGPT and Claude for writing and quick questions, and local models in LM Studio and Ollama for confidential data. The same toolkit can be put together for your company.
FAQ
Questions and answers
Can we use AI for free?
Yes, to start with: cloud services have free versions, and local models are free in themselves.
Which is safer?
For confidential data, a local model: the data never leaves your computer.