Self-hosted automation runs on a computer you own; hosted automation runs in the cloud, managed for you. For an intraday system that must be live whenever the market is, the choice is really about uptime and effort.

Self-hosted: control and responsibility

Running it yourself gives maximum control and privacy — the software sits on your machine. The cost is that you are the reliability layer: the computer must stay on, connected, and awake through the whole session, and you handle updates and crashes (a low-latency desktop setup). A dropped connection at the wrong moment is your problem. For a scalping system, that's a real burden (why scalping isn't a manual game).

Hosted: always-on, nothing to install or maintain

A hosted instance runs in the cloud, so it's always on, professionally maintained, and doesn't depend on your laptop being awake — you can close it and the system keeps running. Nothing to install, no machine to babysit. For most people wanting an intraday system, that reliability is the whole point.

An intraday system that isn't running when the setup appears isn't a system — it's a missed trade. Uptime isn't a nicety; it's the product.

Non-custodial either way

Crucially, hosted does not mean handing over your money — a well-built hosted system still trades in your own broker account via API (who holds your money). NoVo runs this way: a hosted instance executes the trades you click in your broker, always-on, nothing to install — you bring only your broker keys (what NoVo is).