ChatGPT Business or your own server? The honest numbers.
For a 10-person office, renting AI seats costs $1,680 to $3,600 a year [23][24][25]. Owning costs $6,199 in year one, before a NAS, a UPS and tax [26][40]. Renting can cost less. Owning buys control, export and a clean exit.
Prices 2026-09-29
What renting AI costs
Renting means a monthly fee for each person. These are three public prices, checked 2026-09-29.
- ChatGPT Business
$25 per user per month billed monthly, $20 billed annually [23].
- Google Workspace
Business Standard is $14 per user per month on an annual plan. It includes Gemini app access [24].
- Microsoft 365 Copilot
$30.00 per user per month, paid yearly [25]. We saw this in a search snippet, not on the full page.
| Plan | Per user per month | 10 people, one year |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Business, annual | $20 | $2,400 |
| ChatGPT Business, monthly | $25 | $3,000 |
| Google Workspace Business Standard | $14 | $1,680 |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | $30 | $3,600 |
These are software prices only. Google's cheaper Business Starter plan lists $7 per user per month from January 12, 2027 [24]. From January 1, 2027, California sales and use tax generally applies to digital products [22]. These prices exclude tax. We do not know how California will treat your subscriptions, so ask your tax adviser.
Our view: seats do not put your scattered files in one place. Each seat sees only what you feed it.
What owning AI costs
Owning means buying hardware once and paying for setup. A server is a computer that stays on and holds your shared files and records. Here is what we can price today, dated 2026-09-29.
Server not sold by us
- DGX Spark
One option for the server is the NVIDIA DGX Spark. Its Founders Edition price rose 18% to $4,699, up from $3,999 [26]. That is a supplier price, not a MeshVault price.
- Memory and power
It has 128 GB of unified memory and a 240 W external power supply [27].
- NAS
A NAS is a storage box for extra backup copies. Synology says its DS925+ has built-in backup for 3-2-1 setups: three copies, on two kinds of media, one kept elsewhere [29]. We did not verify a US price. Unverified
- UPS
A UPS is a battery that keeps the server up through a short power cut. We did not verify a US price. Unverified
- Setup
The one-week install is $1,500 as of 2026-09-29, requote before use [40]. It does not cover hardware, taxes or work after the week. Ask for those lines in writing.
- Power use
Power use adds a running cost. We have no measured figure yet. Unverified
The server can be a small office computer or a network storage box. We pick the one that fits your size and budget [B].
Our view: the box should be in your name and on your books, so you can move it.
Own or rent: side by side for 10 people
| Question | Rent AI seats | Own with MeshVault |
|---|---|---|
| First-year cost | $4,699 box [26] plus $1,500 setup [40], before NAS, UPS and tax | |
| Cost in later years | Same each year | Small, but unmeasured. Unverified |
| Who holds your files | The vendor's cloud | You, on your hardware |
| Leaving | Export what the vendor allows | You keep hardware, files and memory [40] |
| Setup effort | Minutes | One week |
| Who fixes problems | The vendor | One operator, by written agreement |
Renting may cost less. A 10-person ChatGPT Business plan billed annually is $2,400 a year [23]. The box and setup together are $6,199 before extras [26][40]. That gap takes years to close, and only if you keep using the box.
Ownership buys control, export and exit. It also costs you a server to keep running.
Local models may be less capable than hosted ones. We have not measured this for your work. Unverified
Rent for a chat window. Own for scattered files.
Our view: rent if you only want a chat window. Own if your files are scattered and you want them under your control.
Rent if
- You want to start in minutes.
- You only need answers and drafts.
- Your current tools already cover files, records and backup.
Own if
- Your customer data sits in email, shared drives, phones and apps.
- You want one place for it, a backup you have watched restore, and a way out that leaves you the hardware, files and memory.
Four questions to put to any vendor, us included
- Who holds my files, and where?
- If I stop, what do I leave with?
- Who fixes a problem, and under what written agreement?
- What can leave my server, and who decides?
The limits, stated first
State as of- No clients yet
We have no paying install clients yet.
- No insurance yet
We have no insurance policy yet.
- Draft contract
Our client contract is a draft. It is with our lawyer now.
- Pre-release
The iPhone app is pre-release. TestFlight, by invite only. No App Store listing. No release date.
- Approvals
Approvals lower risk. They do not remove it.
- No promises
We do not promise savings, speed or accuracy.
Our view: if that risk is too high for you today, wait. We would rather lose a sale than surprise you.
Questions people ask before they choose
Is MeshVault a ChatGPT replacement?
Not one for one. MeshVault sets up a server you own, pairs Hermes Desktop and an iPhone app to it, and keeps a backup that we have tested. It is not a chat window you subscribe to. We have not measured a local model against a hosted one for your work.
Does owning cost less than ChatGPT Business?
Does my data stay on my server?
Local AI runs on your server, so a local job is read on your own hardware. A job may go outside for four stated reasons only: the local model cannot do it well enough, is too busy, is down, or a named person says so. You choose which reasons are allowed, and you can allow none [B].
Who makes Hermes Desktop?
Can I buy the iPhone app?
No. It is pre-release, on TestFlight by invite only, with no App Store listing and no release date. The only waitlist is the iPhone waitlist. There is no Mac app and no Mac waitlist. You do not need the phone app to use MeshVault; Hermes Desktop is the main door.
What if I stop?
You keep the hardware, the files and the memory [40].
What you can buy today
Three offers are live, each dated 2026-09-29.
-
The one-week install
$1,500As of 2026-09-29
Requote before use.
Server first, backup tested with you watching, devices paired, first approved job tried. The written quote governs.
Not included: hardware, taxes, work after the week.
-
Agent Skills Starter Pack
$49 onceAs of 2026-09-29
Requote before use.
Editable Markdown files that also work with ChatGPT, Claude or Hermes. You supply your own tools and accounts.
Checkout may show "coming soon" until fulfillment is configured.
-
Local Agent Desk guide
$79 onceAs of 2026-09-29
Requote before use.
A digital playbook, not an installed app.
Not an install and not the skills pack.
Not for sale Monthly software and care plans. Prices as of 2026-09-29, requote before use.
Sources
Each source was fetched 2026-09-29. Recheck before you rely on it.
- [25]
- Microsoft 365 Copilot plans and pricing Seen in a search snippet, not on the full page.
- [B]
- The MeshVault Book, Edition 3 (2026-09-29). Pages behind this page: p008, p009, p010, p015, p016, p017, p020, p021, p022, p024, p035.