Deployment options

Compare Cloud, local server, and embedded execution

Concept

Every deployment option runs the same queries with the same SDKs, so you can develop against one and deploy to another without changing application code. Choose based on where the engine runs, where data is stored, and who operates it.

Mode	Best for	Interface	Storage	Availability
Helix Cloud	Production services with managed operations	HTTPS	Managed object storage	Highly available
Local server	Development, production-shaped testing, and self-hosting	HTTP	Memory or S3-compatible storage	Single node
Embedded	In-process applications and local tools	Native SDK call	Memory, disk, or object storage	In process

Helix Cloud

Helix Cloud runs a highly available cluster that provides managed deployment, storage, database authentication, and read scaling. It supports multi-tenant and single-tenant deployments; BYOC is coming soon.

Local server

The local server runs the standalone HelixDB container on your own machine or infrastructure. It exposes the same POST /v2/query interface as Helix Cloud, which makes it the default development target: code written against it works unchanged in Cloud.

Embedded

Embedded clients open the engine inside your process and skip HTTP entirely. Rust, TypeScript, and Python ship embedded runtimes; the Go SDK is currently HTTP-only.

Which should I use?

• Building a networked application? Develop against the local server.
• Going to production? Use Helix Cloud for managed operations and high availability.
• Shipping a tool or app that owns its data? Use embedded mode when process-local execution simplifies your architecture and the SDK’s native packaging fits how you distribute.

Next steps

Local server

Run the server locally with memory or persistent storage.

Helix Cloud

Create a managed database and connect to it.

Embedded

Open a writer or reader and review current SDK availability.