Cloud AI comparison
Would a cloud API be enough? Compare four practical factors and indicative costs to find an approach that suits your organization.
Compare four key factors
Choose the approach that fits your work and requirements.
| Comparison factor | Cloud API-based generative AI | Sovereign GaiXer (on-premises AI) |
|---|---|---|
| Three-year total cost | Cost grows with usage. Regular adoption can increase the bill. | Japan appliance reference: JPY 3,806,400 excluding tax. Cost per use falls as usage grows. Electricity and optional services are separate. |
| Where data resides | Data is sent to an external cloud. Confidential and personal data may require usage restrictions. | AI processing runs on the appliance. Internal data is not sent to the internet. |
| Deployment speed | Contracting, account setup, usage guidelines and departmental permissions. | Japan delivery: 1–2 business days after dispatch. Follow the initial setup guide; overseas timing requires confirmation. |
| Usage charges and operation | Usage or credit-based billing. Managing quotas and prepaid balances adds operational work. | No additional AI usage charges under the Japan offer; no usage-budget cap to manage. |
Three-year cost estimates by scenario
Illustrative estimates for a 50-person company, excluding tax and using API list-price equivalents. All amounts are JPY references for Japan.
| Usage scenario | Cloud unit cost | Assumed monthly usage | Three-year cloud total | Sovereign GaiXer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Research (research report generation) | Approx. JPY 323/task | 50 people × 10/month = 500 tasks | Approx. JPY 5.81 million | JPY 3,806,400 (fixed reference) |
| Agent mode (automated task execution) | Approx. JPY 194/message | 100 tasks/month, assuming 10 messages/task | Approx. JPY 6.97 million | JPY 3,806,400 (fixed reference) |
| Chat with internal data (RAG) | Approx. JPY 28/question | 50 people × 20 questions/day = 20,000/month | Approx. JPY 20.04 million | JPY 3,806,400 (fixed reference) |
| Contract and PDF review | Approx. JPY 44/item | 5,000 items/month | Approx. JPY 7.84 million | JPY 3,806,400 (fixed reference) |
* Historical reference rates based on official information as of July 4, 2026, using approximately USD 0.04 per credit and JPY 161.37/USD at API list prices. Sources: OpenAI's official rate card and API pricing pages. Actual cloud bills may be lower due to seat pricing, caching discounts or other factors. These approximate planning examples do not compare the quality of specific services.
* The Sovereign GaiXer amount of JPY 3,806,400 is the Japan-market price excluding tax. Overseas availability, pricing, shipping, warranty and support require confirmation.
Are top-tier cloud models more capable?
They can be for some tasks. Consider these three factors as well.
REASON 1
Some data cannot leave your organization
When policy prevents confidential or personal data from being sent to the cloud, cloud capability cannot be used for that workflow. Usability within your constraints comes first.
REASON 2
Everyday work may not need the highest-end model
A dedicated local environment can handle everyday tasks such as summarizing, drafting and searching internal documents. Evaluate output against your own requirements.
REASON 3
Repeated tasks accumulate usage charges
For some workloads, increasing usage or credit charges can outweigh the benefit of a more capable model. Fixed pricing can be valuable for routine, high-volume work.
A practical approach is to use both
Use cloud models for advanced analysis of public information and Sovereign GaiXer for confidential, high-volume, repeatable work. Matching each tool to its role can balance cost and security.
Take this comparison to your team
The Japanese Cloud AI Comparison PDF brings together the four-factor table, scenario estimates and guidance on combining approaches. Use it for internal approval and management discussions. No personal details required.
Questions about the comparison
Learn more: FAQ · Evidence and security →
Where can I check the calculation assumptions?
The notes below the estimate table identify unit prices, conversion rates and sources. For more detail, see the Japanese comparison PDF and the AI and Money series.
We already use cloud AI. Can we use both?
Yes. A practical approach is to move confidential, high-volume, repeatable workloads to Sovereign GaiXer while retaining cloud AI for advanced analysis of public information.
Where can I find security details?
Evidence and security provides information about data location, encryption and vulnerability handling. A Japanese security questionnaire response document is also available.