Remote vs. Local MCP
The difference between an MCP server running on your machine versus one hosted in the cloud that ChatGPT can reach
A local MCP server runs on someone's own computer, usually a developer's, and only that machine can talk to it. A remote MCP server lives in the cloud at a public URL, so an assistant like ChatGPT or Claude can reach it from anywhere.
The shorthand: local is for testing on your laptop. Remote is what real buyers actually connect to.
Why it matters for the ChatGPT funnel
If a buyer is going to find you and book a meeting inside ChatGPT, your MCP server has to be remote. A local server is invisible to the outside world, so it can never be the app the assistant picks at the moment of intent.
Remote is the only version that turns AI-search demand into pipeline. Local never leaves the dev's machine.
This also means the boring-but-critical parts get real: hosting, uptime, login, and security all have to work for strangers, not just for you.
How drio fits
You don't pick remote or local. drio runs your connector remotely by default, hosted and reachable, so the assistant can find it and book the lead. The infrastructure is handled. You focus on the funnel.
Related terms
Win the answer, not just the ranking
drio turns the ChatGPT and Claude conversations your buyers are already having into booked calls. Build the app that gets you picked.
Sell inside ChatGPT