Desktop or cloud host?
Where your work physically runs, and how to choose.
Some Foreman work needs a machine of its own: Studio projects, long-running execution, anything that should continue when you close your laptop. That machine is a host. You have two options and they are not exclusive.
| Desktop | Cloud host | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Your Mac | Hardware Foreman provisions |
| Costs | Nothing extra | Billed while it exists |
| Available | While your machine is awake | Always, sleeping when idle |
| Your files | On your disk, openable in your editor | On the host |
| Best for | Building, iterating, working locally | Overnight and unattended work |
How to choose
Start with desktop if you are building something and want the files on your own machine.
Move to a cloud host the first time you want work to continue after you close the laptop. That is usually the honest trigger — not performance, but availability.
Run both if it suits: a desktop for interactive Studio work and a cloud host for scheduled runs.
Gotchas
- A desktop host that goes to sleep pauses work. Nothing is lost; it resumes on wake.
- A cloud host is billed for existing, not for being busy. Deprovision one you have finished with.