> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://rapidreview.io/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Choose your setup

> Pick where the brain runs and how agents run before you install anything. Most people take the defaults.

Two decisions, made once. The defaults are in bold.

## Where the brain runs

| Brain            | **Hosted** (default)                                           | Self-hosted                                                             |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| What you install | The Merv plugin in your coding agent                           | The plugin, plus the brain stack (brain, Postgres, S3-compatible store) |
| Sign-in          | Browser OAuth from the agent; no keys to copy                  | Same clients, same OAuth — you point the MCP `url` at your brain        |
| Sandboxes        | Provisioned by the hosted brain with your provider credentials | Provisioned by your brain                                               |
| Best for         | Getting started, small teams                                   | Data-residency requirements, air-gapped labs, hacking on Merv itself    |

Same open-source code either way. Self-hosting starts at [Self-host → Overview](/docs/merv/self-host/overview).

## How agents run

| Agents              | **Interactive** (default)                                            | Auto-run                                                                                   |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| What runs the agent | You, in Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, … with the Merv plugin           | A paired machine running the Merv runner, dispatching agents from a queue                  |
| Install             | One plugin command per client — [Quickstart](/docs/merv/start/quickstart) | One installer command, then a pairing code in the UI — [Auto-run](/docs/merv/guides/auto-run)   |
| Sign-in             | Browser OAuth                                                        | Pairing code — the machine mints its own key locally, only its digest is sent to the brain |
| Best for            | Working alongside the agent, reviewing as you go                     | Letting experiments run overnight or across a fleet                                        |

You can use both: work interactively on your laptop and pair a workstation or a remote box for auto-run. See [Auto-run](/docs/merv/guides/auto-run).

## Where experiments execute

Wherever the agent is, an experiment can run:

* **Locally**, in the agent's checkout, for cheap runs.
* **In a cloud sandbox** the brain provisions on your provider account (GPU or CPU, with a lease). The agent runs commands over SSH and pulls outputs back. See [Sandboxes](/docs/merv/concepts/sandboxes).

<Tip>
  If you're new: hosted brain, interactive agent, local runs. Add sandboxes when a run needs a GPU, and auto-run when you want experiments to keep going while you sleep.
</Tip>

Next: [Quickstart](/docs/merv/start/quickstart).