from Hacker News

Ask HN: Is there a market for LLM-powered local programs instead of SaaS?

by amunozo on 10/23/24, 8:20 AM with 6 comments

I'm developing several LLM-powered tools for a friend who manages a social media account to streamline his workflow. Initially, I used the OpenAI API, but I believe some tasks could be handled by local models. Since these tools could be useful to others, I'm considering creating a SaaS offering. However, as I also plan to develop a local version, I’m unsure whether to commercialize it as a SaaS product or as a traditional software program that runs locally.
  • by haebom on 10/23/24, 12:04 PM

    It is in demand by military installations and public organizations that value closed networks and security. In fact, I'm running a company that will be installing a local LLM on-premise in 2024, and we're currently working on a B2G contract.
  • by JohnFen on 10/23/24, 2:46 PM

    > I’m unsure whether to commercialize it as a SaaS product or as a traditional software program that runs locally.

    Why not both?