Local vs cloud tools
Local tools process information on your device. Cloud tools send it to remote servers, which can be useful but introduces additional data handling.
Quick answer
A local tool processes working data on your device; a cloud tool sends some data to a remote service for processing or storage. Many products combine both approaches, so check what each feature sends rather than relying on the product label. (Ink & Switch, “Local-First Software”)
What changes when data goes to a cloud service?
The service may store data, logs, backups, or operational metadata under its own retention and access rules. Cloud processing can enable collaboration and recovery, but it adds another system and organisation to assess.
How can you tell where processing happens?
Read the privacy and technical documentation, inspect browser network requests with harmless sample data, and test a feature offline after loading it. A page can request assets while still processing your input locally.
Which approach should you choose?
Choose based on data sensitivity, collaboration needs, recovery requirements, and your threat model. Local processing reduces transmission for that task; it does not protect a compromised device or guarantee secure backups.