Self-Hosted vs Managed
Both options give you a private AI assistant. Here’s how to choose.
Comparison
| Aspect | Self-Hosted | Managed |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 15-30 minutes | We handle it |
| Maintenance | You | Us |
| Updates | You | Automatic |
| Troubleshooting | You | Us |
| Support | Community | Priority |
| Control | Complete | Some limits |
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
Self-Hosted
Pros
- Complete control - Full access to everything
- Lower cost - Just hosting + API
- Customization - Modify anything
- Learning - Understand the system
Cons
- Time investment - Setup, maintenance, troubleshooting
- Responsibility - Security, updates, monitoring
- Knowledge required - Technical skills needed
Cost Breakdown
Cloudflare Workers: $5/mo
API costs: ~$10-30/mo
Your time: ?
Total: $15-35/mo + your timeBest For
- Developers and technical users
- Those who want complete control
- Budget-conscious users willing to invest time
- Learning and experimentation
Managed Hosting
Pros
- Zero DevOps - We handle everything
- Reliability - 99.9% uptime, monitoring
- Support - Priority assistance
- Peace of mind - Focus on using, not maintaining
Cons
- Higher cost - Premium for convenience
- Less control - Some customizations limited
- Dependency - Relying on us
Cost Breakdown
Managed Hosting: $0 for first 7 days (first bot trial)
After trial: $20/mo per active bot; optional +$49/mo support/compliance add-on
API costs still separateBest For
- Non-technical users
- Teams without DevOps resources
- Those who value time over money
- Business-critical deployments
Decision Matrix
| If you… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Are technical and enjoy tinkering | Self-hosted |
| Want to minimize time investment | Managed |
| Have strict budget constraints | Self-hosted |
| Need reliability guarantees | Managed |
| Want complete customization | Self-hosted |
| Prefer “it just works” | Managed |
Switching
Self-hosted → Managed
Contact us. We’ll migrate your setup.
Managed → Self-hosted
Export your data and deploy using our guides.