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Local or Cloud

Haarness runs entirely on your own machine, for free, with no account. Haarness Cloud is an optional account with paid plans. It adds three things: models without provider keys, Cloud workspaces that run on a hosted machine, and one sign-in shared by the CLI, Desktop and the web.

Which one do you need?

  • Just your machine. You already have a provider key, a subscription such as ChatGPT, or a local model. Connect a provider and you are done.
  • Cloud models on your machine. You keep working locally but use models through your Haarness plan instead of separate provider accounts. Sign in with haarness login, /connect haarness in the terminal UI, or Use Haarness Cloud in Desktop. No API key is needed.
  • Cloud workspaces. The agent runs on a hosted machine that keeps working while your laptop is closed. Start one from the web app, from Desktop, or with haarness cloud workspace create. See Cloud workspaces.
  • Your own router. Run the Haarness Router yourself, pointed at your own provider accounts, with no Haarness account at all. See Run the router yourself.

You can mix them. Cloud models and your own keys can both be connected at once, and you pick the model per chat.

Side by side

Local Haarness Cloud
Where the agent runs Your machine Your machine, or a hosted one for Cloud workspaces
Models Your keys, subscriptions or local models Cloud models, paid in credits
Chats On your disk Local ones stay local. Cloud workspaces live on their hosted machine
Account None Your email address, Google or Apple
Cost Free A monthly plan, with usage in credits

It is the same Haarness either way. Permissions, slash commands, agents, and your project's AGENTS.md and settings work the same on your machine and in a Cloud workspace.

What does signing in send?

  • Your profile: your name and email address.
  • This device: each computer you sign in on appears in your account's device list.
  • Requests to Cloud models: when you use a Cloud model, the request, including your prompt and the code the agent includes, goes through Haarness Cloud to the model provider. Each request is metered, and you can read every charge under Billing → Usage and Ledger in the web app.
  • Cloud workspaces: whatever you put in a Cloud workspace is on a machine Haarness runs for you. Push its work to Git or download files to keep a copy.
  • Usage statistics: the daily summary of usage counts is linked to your account while you are signed in, and anonymous otherwise. It never contains prompts, code, file names or paths, and you can turn it off; see What Haarness shares.

Signing in does not upload your local chats. Chats that use your own keys still go straight to that provider and nowhere else.

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