Definition
What is self-hosting?
Last updated
Definition
Self-hosting is the practice of running software on infrastructure you control — your own servers, cloud accounts, or VMs — rather than using a managed SaaS provider.
Self-hosting trades operational responsibility for control, cost predictability, and data sovereignty. For AI agents, self-hosting means you own the deployment, the API keys, the data, and the cost structure — and you're on the hook for uptime, security patches, and scaling. Common deploy targets: Docker on a VPS, Cloud Run, GCE, systemd on a single VM, Kubernetes for serious scale.
When self-hosting wins
- Per-client white-label is required (no platform branding)
- Data residency matters (e.g., EU-only or India-only data storage)
- Cost at scale doesn’t fit per-seat or per-call SaaS pricing
- You need to extend the agent in ways the platform doesn’t allow
When SaaS wins
- You don’t want operational responsibility
- Compliance attestations (SOC 2, HIPAA) come pre-built with the SaaS
- Time to first value matters more than long-run cost
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