Cancelled $80/mo in AI subs last month. The math: 3 ChatGPT Plus = $60, 1 Claude Pro = $20. Replaced with LockStack at $147 once. Llama 3.2 3B Q8 handles marketing copy fine. Pays back month 2. Local AI isn't always cheaper — but when it is, it really is.
Honest take: local AI isn't always the answer. GPT-4 reasoning → cloud wins. 200K-context legal review → cloud wins. Marketing copy on NDA'd decks → local wins. Drafts referencing private client info → local wins. LockStack is built for the second list.
What runs LockStack on your laptop: 8GB RAM (16GB comfy), 4-core CPU from 2018+, 5GB disk, no GPU required. 12 tokens/sec on a 2024 MacBook Air — faster than you can read. Llama 3.2 3B Q8, 100% on-device. lockstack.net
