The costs of running AI yourself depend on several factors: hardware configuration, number of users and usage intensity. Three scenarios illustrate typical configurations and costs.
Scenario 1: Law firm – 2 people → 1× SMALL
- Hardware (one-time): CHF 4’900
- Maintenance: CHF 490 / month → CHF 5’880 / year
- Total costs year 1: CHF 10’780
Cloud comparison (estimated): 2 × CHF 100 / month → CHF 2’400 / year
Assessment:
- CHF 4’900 for a dedicated AI server (S) is very cost-effective
- Clear focus on data protection, confidentiality, data sovereignty
- No pure cost amortisation
- Compliance and security case
Scenario 2: Accountant – 12 people → 2× MEDIUM
- Hardware (one-time): 2 × CHF 17’900 = CHF 35’800
- Maintenance: CHF 490 / month → CHF 5’880 / year
- Total costs year 1: CHF 41’680
Cloud comparison: 12 × CHF 150 / month → CHF 21’600 / year
Amortisation calculation:
- Ongoing On-Prem costs after purchase: CHF 5’880 / year
- Annual cloud costs: CHF 21’600
- Savings: CHF 15’720 / year
- Break-even: ~2.5 years
Scenario 3: Software engineers – 14 people → 1× LARGE
- Hardware (one-time): CHF 79’000
- Maintenance: CHF 1’900 / month → CHF 22’800 / year
- Total costs year 1: CHF 101’800
Cloud comparison (Claude Code): 14 × CHF 500 / month → CHF 84’000 / year
Amortisation calculation:
- Ongoing On-Prem costs after purchase: CHF 22’800 / year
- Annual cloud costs: CHF 84’000
- Savings: CHF 61’200 / year
- Break-even: ~16 months
Important note on cloud costs
Cloud prices are not guaranteed stable. Token models, limits and model upgrades typically lead to rising costs. On-Premise is predictable, independent and not tied to users or tokens.
Summary
- SMALL: extremely affordable entry into your own AI (CHF 4’900) + maximum data protection – order now
- MEDIUM: economically sensible from ~2.5 years – order now
- LARGE: clear cost lever from ~16 months, especially for engineering teams – order now
Next steps
Contact us – Get a quote