> ## Documentation index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://haarness.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 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](https://haarness.ai/docs/start/connect-a-provider.md) 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](https://haarness.ai/docs/cloud/workspaces.md).
- **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](https://haarness.ai/docs/cloud/self-hosted-router.md).

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](https://haarness.ai/docs/cli/stats-and-insights.md#what-does-haarness-share-with-haarness-cloud).

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

## Next

- Staying local: learn the [terminal UI](https://haarness.ai/docs/tui/tour.md) or [Desktop](https://haarness.ai/docs/desktop/the-conversation.md)
- [Get started with Cloud](https://haarness.ai/docs/cloud/overview.md)
- [Sign in and secure your account](https://haarness.ai/docs/cloud/sign-in.md)
- [Credits and plans](https://haarness.ai/docs/cloud/credits-and-plans.md)