Cloud agent
Runs entirely on a provider’s servers. Convenient to start, but your data, context and keys live with the vendor.
Concept
Local-first AI agents
A local-first AI agent runs on your own machine instead of a vendor’s cloud. Here is what that means, how it compares to cloud and self-hosted setups, and why it matters for privacy, cost and control.
What is a local-first AI agent?
A local-first AI agent does its work on your device. The agent loop, its memory and your keys stay on the machine you control, and nothing is sent to an external service by default. You can still connect a hosted model when you want to, but the default is local. Veyllo (VAF) is built this way: install it, and the agent runs in its own window on macOS, Windows or Linux.
The difference
Cloud vs self-hosted vs local-first
Three ways to run an agent, and where your data lives in each.
Self-hosted agent
Runs on infrastructure you operate, usually a server you manage. Control is on your side, but you run and maintain the server.
Local-first agent
Runs on your own machine, in its own window. The installer sets up a local server and account for you, and your data stays with you. No remote infrastructure to provision or maintain. This is how Veyllo runs by default.
Local-first and self-hosted overlap: both keep control on your side. Local-first specifically means the agent runs where you are, on your device. With Veyllo you can do both, run locally or self-host the framework on your own server.
Local, not single-user
One host, your whole team.
Local-first does not mean one person. Even the desktop app opens to your network with one switch, no separate server install needed. Your machine, a spare box at home, or a company server becomes the host, and everyone on the LAN reaches it over HTTPS.
✓
One switch to share. Flip a toggle in the app (or run
vaf server on) and VAF is reachable across your LAN over HTTPS. A plain desktop install is enough, no separate server needed.✓
A separate account per user. Every person gets their own isolated space with separate memory, tasks and preferences. No one sees anyone else’s.
✓
No subscription per seat. One instance serves the whole team or household. You run it once instead of paying for each user.
Why it matters
What local-first gives you.
✓
Privacy. Your prompts, files and memory stay on your machine. Nothing leaves by default.
✓
Control. Your keys, your data, your machine. You decide what connects to the outside.
✓
Cost. Run a local model and there is no per-token cloud bill for everyday work.
✓
Works offline. With a local model the agent keeps working without a connection.
How Veyllo does it
A full agent that runs on your machine.
Veyllo turns a language model into a working agent locally: a persistent vector memory that remembers across sessions, a full toolset (web, code, files, browser) plus anything you connect over MCP, delegable sub-agents, and sandboxed code execution. Run it on a local model, or point it at the hosted, OpenAI-compatible Veyllo API when you want a cloud backend. It is open-source, AGPL-3.0 with a commercial license available.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
What is a local-first AI agent?
A local-first AI agent runs on your own machine instead of a vendor’s cloud. With Veyllo, the agent, its memory and your keys stay on your device, so your data does not leave your machine by default.
Is a local-first agent the same as self-hosting?
Local-first and self-hosted overlap but are not identical. Veyllo runs as a desktop app on your machine, and you can also self-host the framework on your own server. Both keep control on your side rather than on a hosted platform.
Do I need to send my data to the cloud to use Veyllo?
No. Veyllo is local-first: you can run the agent entirely on your own machine, models included. The hosted Veyllo API is optional: it provides the models VAF runs on (text, vision, and speech) if you would rather not run your own.
Can more than one person use a single Veyllo install?
Yes. Turn on network sharing and VAF is reachable across your LAN over HTTPS, even from a plain desktop install. Each person gets their own account with isolated memory and tasks, so one host serves everyone without a per-seat subscription.
Can I use the OpenAI SDK with the Veyllo API?
Yes. The Veyllo API is OpenAI-compatible. Point any OpenAI SDK or HTTP client at api.veyllo.app/v1 and use your Veyllo key. Chat and vision are supported.
What license does Veyllo use?
The Veyllo Agent Framework (VAF) is dual-licensed: AGPL-3.0 for open-source use, plus a commercial license for teams that need different terms.
Which operating systems does Veyllo support?
Veyllo runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, as a desktop app, on a server, or from the terminal.