Not all development needs to happen on your laptop. Here’s how to decide when the cloud is worth it.

Introduction

Every developer has a local machine. But is that always where your code should live and run?

From performance-hungry builds to remote collaboration, there's a growing shift toward cloud-based development environments. Still, local dev isn't going anywhere and for good reason.

In this post, we’ll break down the key differences between local development and cloud-based virtual machines (VMs). We’ll help you answer the question:

When should I use a cloud VM instead of my own machine?

Local Development: Pros & Cons

Running code on your local laptop is fast, familiar, and free (after you’ve bought the hardware). It’s great for:

When to Stay Local:

• Quick prototyping and tutorials
  Got 20 minutes and a new idea? Nothing beats local speed.

• Offline work
  On a train or plane? You’ll want your dev tools local.

• Tight integration with OS-level tools
  Tools like macOS Keychain or WSL2 on Windows often work best locally.

Limitations:

• Resource constraints
  Your laptop's CPU, RAM, or disk can bottleneck builds, tests, and containers.

• Battery and thermal issues
  Heavy workloads quickly drain laptops and push them to their thermal limits.

• Environment inconsistencies
  "It works on my machine" is a meme for a reason.

Cloud VMs: Pros & Cons

Cloud-based development means spinning up a fresh environment anytime, anywhere, independent of your physical device.

At Raff Technologies, we see developers using VMs for everything from full-stack app hosting to automated test environments.

When to Go Remote:

• Running resource-heavy tasks
  Long builds, parallel testing, container orchestration these perform better on dedicated cloud instances.

• Using low-power or secondary devices
  Whether you're on an iPad, a Chromebook, or an old laptop, a VM makes it powerful.

• Multiple isolated environments
  Different projects may require different OS versions, software stacks, or runtimes.

• Team access and collaboration
  Shared remote environments make pair programming, demos, and testing easier.

• Instant scalability
  Get more CPU or memory on demand, and shut it down when you're done.

Considerations:

• Needs a stable internet connection
  Cloud development is only viable when you're reliably online.

• Costs can add up if unmanaged
  Be sure to shut down unused VMs or configure auto-shutdown.

A Decision Framework

Here's a practical reference:

Real-World Example: A Developer on a Budget

Imagine you’re learning backend APIs on a 6-year-old laptop. You install Docker, VS Code, MongoDB, and run a full build.

Your CPU throttles. Your fan goes into overdrive. Eventually, your terminal crashes.

Now imagine spinning up a clean Ubuntu VM with:

• 2 vCPUs

• 4 GB RAM

• Preinstalled Docker and Node

• Remote access through VS Code

You get performance, reliability, and a distraction-free experience all without upgrading your machine.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to choose one over the other. Many developers use both local and remote environments depending on context.

But knowing when to go remote can:

• Save time

• Preserve your hardware

• Improve performance and focus

Try Raff Cloud VMs Today

With $200 in free trial credits, you can launch your first VM in minutes no complex setup, no long-term commitment.

Start building smarter: rafftechnologies.com