The short answer
- In the cloud the vendor hosts, updates and monitors everything; you go live fastest.
- On your own servers the application, database and files stay inside your infrastructure, and the AI model is reached through an encrypted API connection.
- WhatsApp and Meta still need a public HTTPS endpoint to deliver messages in either setup.
- Choose by policy and sector requirements, not by instinct; the product should be the same either way.
What "cloud" means here
The vendor runs the application, the database and the file storage, keeps them updated and monitors them. Your data is isolated per workspace from other customers. You and your team log in from a browser; there is nothing to install. With aiyourbusiness, conversations, contacts and knowledge live in a Supabase database and are served through Vercel, and AI replies are generated through Anthropic's Claude API.
What "on-premises" means here
The same application, database and files are installed inside your infrastructure: your data centre or your private cloud. Your IT team controls access, backups and the network. The AI model itself is not installed; the application reaches it through an encrypted API connection, sending only what a reply needs.
With aiyourbusiness, installation on your servers is part of the implementation and covered by the implementation fee. The product is identical in both setups.
What still has to be public
WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger deliver messages through webhooks: Meta's servers call an HTTPS address that must be reachable from the internet. On-premises therefore means a public HTTPS endpoint in front of the application, usually a reverse proxy in your DMZ. The website widget also needs a public address. Everything else, including the dashboard, can stay internal.
What the AI model sees
To generate a reply, the application sends the model the conversation and the relevant knowledge, such as the price list excerpt, over an encrypted connection. The model does not get a copy of your database and nothing is used to train it. For the internal business assistant, the connection to your database is read-only, the assistant queries only the data a question needs, and every request is logged.
Cost and maintenance
In the cloud you pay the subscription and nothing else. On your servers you also provide the machines, the backups, the monitoring and the people who look after them, and updates are scheduled with you instead of arriving automatically. It is the right trade when policy requires it, and an unnecessary cost when it does not.
How to decide
- A written policy or regulator says customer data must stay inside your infrastructure: on-premises.
- You already run a private cloud with an IT team and a change-management process: on-premises is feasible.
- You need to go live this month and have no IT operations team: cloud.
- You are unsure: ask for both options in writing and start with the one your policy allows.