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Guide
March 6, 2026•7 min read

When to Use Cloud APIs vs Local AI for Meetings

Cloud is fastest to start. Local is best for privacy and control. This guide helps you choose the right setup for each kind of meeting.

ST

Scribely Team

Notes, product updates, and practical guides

BlogGuide

There is no single best AI setup for every meeting. The right choice depends on what you optimize for: speed of setup, privacy, reliability, operating cost, or the ability to work offline.

Scribely is valuable because it does not force one answer. You can use hosted APIs when convenience matters most, switch to local models for sensitive conversations, or combine the two in a hybrid workflow.

Simple rule

Use cloud APIs when you want the fastest path to value.

Use local AI when the meeting content is sensitive, the network is unreliable, or you need tighter control over where data goes.

Cloud vs Local at a Glance

Option A
Cloud API
Option B
Local AI
Setup time
Best for getting started today. Add an API key and you are ready.
Takes longer upfront because you need local models and a local provider.
Privacy
Meeting data goes to the hosted provider you choose.
Best for sensitive calls because transcription and chat can stay on your Mac.
Offline support
Requires internet and provider uptime.
Best for offline or unreliable-network environments.
Cost profile
Usage-based. Great for occasional meetings or quick trials.
Fixed setup cost in time and hardware, then minimal marginal cost.
Latency and feel
Usually fast enough, but still dependent on round-trips to the API.
Can feel more immediate once models are running well on your machine.
Model control
Pick from hosted providers and their supported models.
Best for teams that want control over models, updates, and data flow.

Choose Cloud APIs If

  • You want to get started in the next five minutes.
  • You are evaluating Scribely for the first time and do not want to install local models yet.
  • Your meetings are not especially sensitive and hosted providers are acceptable for your workflow.
  • You prefer usage-based pricing over managing local model downloads.

For most people, cloud is the easiest on-ramp: add your OpenAI API key, optionally use hosted transcription, and start using the product immediately.

Choose Local AI If

  • You handle confidential customer, legal, product, or hiring calls.
  • You want transcripts and prompts to stay on-device.
  • You need your setup to work without a reliable internet connection.
  • You want predictable marginal cost once your local environment is configured.

Local mode typically means using Whisper for transcription and a local chat provider such as Ollama or LM Studio. It takes more setup up front, but it gives you much tighter control afterward.

Hybrid Is Often the Best Default

Many teams do not need to choose one side forever. A hybrid setup is often the most practical operating model.

  • Use local transcription when raw audio sensitivity is the highest concern.
  • Use a hosted LLM when you want a broader model ecosystem or faster experimentation.
  • Keep a local-only preset for private calls and a cloud preset for everyday meetings.

A Good Decision Framework

  1. Ask whether the meeting content is sensitive enough to avoid sending it out.
  2. Ask whether you need the fastest setup or the most control.
  3. Ask whether the team can tolerate internet dependency.
  4. Pick the lightest setup that still matches the risk of the call.

How to Set It Up in Scribely

If you want the easiest path, start with the cloud route from Download.

If you want a local stack, the setup guide walks through Ollama and LM Studio in a few minutes.

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