Local mode, cloud AI or Ollama: which should you use?

Use Local mode when you need searchable evidence and counted reports without a cloud API key. Consider an optional model when you want generated explanations and understand the additional processing involved.

There is no need to choose the most complicated setup before testing the basic workflow.

Start with the output you need

If your task is “find the paragraph mentioning a renewal date”, document search and source excerpts may be sufficient. If the task is “explain the tradeoffs across these notes”, a language model can add interpretation, but you still need to verify its sources.

CiteSilo’s Local mode includes keyword search, local OCR, bundled document embeddings, project tags and counted reports. It does not bundle a general-purpose model that writes all-purpose reasoning.

This makes Local mode a practical starting point for checking whether the available evidence is useful.

Understand the cloud option

An optional cloud provider receives selected context for requested AI work. Depending on the feature and settings, that context can include text and sampled screenshots. Enabled background summaries or scheduled reports can also initiate processing.

Review the provider and capture settings before using sensitive material. A locally stored history does not imply that every optional analysis stays on the device.

Provider charges can be separate from CiteSilo’s free beta. Check the provider’s own account and pricing before enabling a workflow that makes repeated requests.

Understand the Ollama option

Ollama can provide AI-written answers through a separately installed compatible local model. It requires a running local service, model files and enough memory for the chosen model.

Performance and quality depend on the computer and model. A configuration that works well on one machine may be slow on another. Installing CiteSilo alone does not install a general-purpose Ollama model for you.

Test with non-sensitive sample material and confirm the selected provider before using real work.

Compare the modes on one small task

Choose a document you understand. First find a passage in Local mode. Then, if you need an explanation, ask an optional model a focused question about that material.

Compare the answer with the original. Was the extra interpretation helpful? Did it preserve conditions and dates? Did the additional setup justify its use for this task?

You can decide that local retrieval is enough for most of your work without treating that as a limitation to fix.

Recheck settings after an upgrade

Fresh CiteSilo 0.1.7 installations start in Local mode with background summaries off. Existing installations retain saved provider choices. Check your actual configuration rather than assuming the current default applies.

Update checks are separate from content processing, so “Local mode” is not a claim of zero network activity.

Read what local-first means for an AI desktop app and how to verify an answer using its sources before choosing a more automated workflow.