Local
Direct control, local constraints.
- Runs on your own hardware
- No recurring server costs
- May require capable hardware for local models
- Harder to access on the go
The AI Harness Decision Guide
Stop renting
your context.
Choose local, VPS, managed, or hybrid—and know what your AI should remember, connect to, and keep portable.
01 · Deployment
Where should Hermes run?
You want privacy without babysitting a server. Here is the honest local, VPS, managed, and hybrid tradeoff—and what we recommend for most operators.
VPS
Always on, always yours.
- Runs on a rented cloud server
- Available from any device
- Predictable monthly cost
- Requires basic Linux skills to maintain
Managed
Low-maintenance starting point.
- Hosted for you
- Turnkey setup and updates
- Less control over the underlying OS
- Highest recurring cost
Hybrid
Control where it matters; availability where it helps.
- Splits work between local hardware and hosted services
- Balances availability, control, and capability
- Requires clear boundaries and documented routing
- Best when the tradeoffs justify added complexity
02 · Memory
Permissioned memory, not surveillance.
Every morning you rehire an assistant with no memory of yesterday. We use a permissioned memory structure to stop it without creeping you out.
What It Remembers
The Context that Compounds
- Your preferences and formatting rules
- Active projects and their current states
- Decisions you've already made
- Workflows and skills that are proven to work
What It Forgets
Consent to Forget
- Temporary scratchpad thoughts
- Unapproved drafts or concepts
- Context you explicitly ask to clear
- Personal data not relevant to the mission
03 · Portability
If your AI disappeared tomorrow, what would you lose?
Provider chats are convenient, but durable context is easier to inspect, back up, and move when it lives in formats and systems you control.
Model Independence
Make model changes survivable.
Keep memory, skills, project state, and operating rules outside any one model. Switching still requires testing, but it should not require rebuilding the whole system.
File-Based Truth
Keep the durable truth inspectable.
Prefer readable, exportable files for important context and document every external integration. You should be able to inspect, correct, back up, and remove what the system retains.
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