Deployment options
Where the avatar renders: pick the mode that fits your users and data.
Every mode uses the same avatar and the same API secret. What changes is where the avatar renders, where the conversation runs, and what reaches bitHuman.
Choosing a mode
| You want to | Start here |
|---|---|
| Build for the web, with the fewest moving parts | bitHuman cloud, starting with the web embed |
| Keep audio and video on your network | Your servers or on the device, with the local conversation brain or your own models; what reaches bitHuman: Data flows & privacy |
| Pay the lowest per-minute rate | Render on the device or on your servers (rates) |
| Run with no reliable internet at the site | Fully offline, on the Business and Enterprise plans |
| Plan for a branch or a show floor | Use cases |
Compare
- bitHuman cloudCreator plan or higher
- The avatar renders
- on bitHuman's servers, in the US
- The conversation runs
- on bitHuman's voice service, or with your own provider keys
- What reaches bitHuman
- the session's audio and conversation, to run it
- Network
- required for the whole session
- Price
- 4 credits per minute (Essence 2, Expression 2)
- Products
- web embed, REST API, LiveKit plugin, cloud avatar in your room
- Models
- Essence 2, Expression 2, Essence 1, Expression 1
- Your serversCreator plan or higher
- The avatar renders
- on your own Mac or Linux machines
- The conversation runs
- your choice: the CLI's local conversation brain, your own services, or bitHuman's
- What reaches bitHuman
- a credential check, the avatar download, and usage reports with no audio, video or text
- Network
- to start; rendering continues through a drop of up to 5 minutes
- Price
- 2 credits per minute (Essence 2, Expression 2)
- Products
- CLI, Python SDK, LiveKit plugin (
model_path) - Models
- Essence 2, Expression 2, Essence 1
- On the deviceCreator plan or higher
- The avatar renders
- on the iPhone, iPad, Mac or Android phone in front of the user, or in a WebGPU browser tab
- The conversation runs
- your app's choice; with the web embed, on bitHuman's servers
- What reaches bitHuman
- with your own voice and language services, usage metering only, never audio, video or conversation text
- Network
- to start; rendering continues through a drop of up to 5 minutes
- Price
- 2 credits per minute (Essence 2, Expression 2)
- Products
- Swift package, Android SDK, Flutter plugin, web embed with
render=local - Models
- Essence 2, Expression 2
- Fully offlineBusiness & Enterprise
- The avatar renders
- on your Linux x86_64 computers
- The conversation runs
- agreed with sales for your site
- What reaches bitHuman
- usage is metered on the machine; no reconnection is required
- Network
- off the internet; creating the avatar happens online first
- Price
- from $899 per character; arranged through sales
- Products
- Linux PCs and terminals, Macs with Apple silicon (Python)
- Models
- Expression 2 (Linux x86_64) now; Essence 1 and Essence 2 later
Both models run live on a standard Linux PC with no GPU: CPU only (no GPU). Billing: How billing works. See pricing.
Fully offline
Offline license is only available to Business and Enterprise clients who want to run realtime avatars completely locally, off the internet — e.g. kiosks, trade shows, ATM machines, embedded screens. Linux x86_64: Expression 2 now; Essence 1 and Essence 2 come later. Arranged through sales. Fully offline
The overview to share with your team is on bithuman.ai: where AI avatars run.
This section moved: docs.bithuman.ai/deploy#compare
This section moved: docs.bithuman.ai/deploy/cloud
This section moved: docs.bithuman.ai/deploy/self-hosted
This section moved: docs.bithuman.ai/deploy/on-device
This section moved: docs.bithuman.ai/start