Explainer
Cloud vs local live face swap: where the model runs
Cloud and local live face swap differ in hardware, privacy and cost. The trade-offs to weigh, and what a cloud session means for your stream.
The one-line difference
In a cloud swap, your camera frames are processed on a server and the swapped video comes back over the network. In a local swap, the same kind of model runs on your own graphics card. Everything else — hardware, privacy, cost, maintenance — follows from that.
Hardware and setup
Cloud: a webcam, a browser and a connection. Local: a capable GPU, current drivers, a software install and the time to keep it working; model downloads and setup can be substantial.
Neither path is hard for everyone, but the local path asks for more before you see the first frame.
The data path
Cloud sends frames off your machine. At LiveFaceSwap.co the camera stream is not recorded and the session ends when you stop, but the frames still travel to and are processed by the service. Local keeps frames on the machine; the trade-off is that you rely on the software and on your own machine's security.
Both approaches process images of your face, so rights, consent and AI disclosure apply either way. The honest framing is trust: a cloud session asks you to trust the operator's handling of your frames, while a local tool asks you to trust the software you installed and your own maintenance.
Cost model
Our cloud sessions are billed per live second at 0.6 credits per second, about 1.67 seconds per credit. New accounts get 10 free credits. One-time packs are $10 for 1,000 credits, $59 for 4,000 and $119 for 10,000 and never expire; quarterly subscriptions run from $10/month for 650 credits up to $46/month for 7,500.
A local tool may cost nothing to download but asks for the graphics card and the hours. Commercial local tools can also be subscriptions. Compare on the cost of what you already own, not only on the sticker price. On our side a short test session costs little because billing is per live second, which makes comparing looks cheap.
Control, consistency and how to decide
A managed cloud model is one fixed version — LiveFaceSwap V1 — across all three modes. You do not tune it, and you do not have to keep it running. A local setup gives you the opposite: a choice of model versions, plugins and settings, plus updates, compatibility work and a GPU budget. Neither automatically produces a better result; a clean reference, even light and a face fully in frame matter for both.
- Want zero setup, a normal laptop and a consistent model: use the cloud studio.
- Have the GPU, enjoy tuning and want frames to stay local: run a local tool.
- Need a system virtual camera: not available from our browser studio yet; the desktop app is coming soon.
FAQ
- Does the cloud record my camera?
- No. The camera stream is not recorded. The session ends when you stop it.
- Do cloud credits expire?
- One-time credit packs do not expire. Sessions are billed per live second and unused reservation is returned when you stop.
- Is a local tool better quality?
- It depends on the model and settings you run. A local setup can be excellent, but quality becomes your configuration problem rather than the provider's.
- What happens at the session limit?
- A single session is capped at 900 seconds. You can stop earlier, and the unused part of the reservation goes back to your balance.