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

# Local vs Infino Cloud

> Which operations are available on a local Infino connection versus Infino Cloud, and where behavior differs.

The same SDK serves both a local connection (`./data`, `s3://…`) and the hosted
service — you switch by changing only the `connect` target. Almost every
operation is identical on both. This page is the exact list of where they
differ, so you know before you deploy.

The matrix is generated from the hosted API's contract, so it always reflects
what the service actually exposes.

| Operation                  | Local | Hosted | Notes                                                                                                                                     |
| -------------------------- | :---: | :----: | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Create a database          |   ✅   |    ✅   | A no-op on a local connection, so hosted setup code runs unchanged locally.                                                               |
| List databases             |   —   |    ✅   | Account-level; available over REST and the dashboard, not the SDK.                                                                        |
| Delete a database          |   —   |    ✅   | Account-level; available over REST and the dashboard, not the SDK.                                                                        |
| Verify a storage binding   |   —   |    ✅   | Bring-your-own-bucket only: proves the grant end to end; hosted-only by nature.                                                           |
| Create a table             |   ✅   |    ✅   | Send the Arrow schema as `schema_ipc` for any column type, nested included; the JSON `schema` descriptors cover scalar, vector, and list. |
| Drop a table               |   ✅   |    ✅   |                                                                                                                                           |
| List tables                |   ✅   |    ✅   |                                                                                                                                           |
| Describe a table's schema  |   ✅   |    ✅   |                                                                                                                                           |
| Append rows                |   ✅   |    ✅   |                                                                                                                                           |
| Update rows                |   ✅   |    ✅   |                                                                                                                                           |
| Delete rows                |   ✅   |    ✅   |                                                                                                                                           |
| BM25 full-text search      |   ✅   |    ✅   |                                                                                                                                           |
| Token match                |   ✅   |    ✅   | Hosted requires a projection (under review).                                                                                              |
| Exact match                |   ✅   |    ✅   | Hosted requires a projection (under review).                                                                                              |
| Count matches              |   ✅   |    ✅   |                                                                                                                                           |
| Vector search              |   ✅   |    ✅   | Hosted requires a projection (under review).                                                                                              |
| Hybrid search              |   ✅   |    ✅   |                                                                                                                                           |
| Run a SQL query            |   ✅   |    ✅   | SDK method: `query_sql`.                                                                                                                  |
| Optimize (compact) a table |   ✅   |    —   | Managed for you on the hosted service.                                                                                                    |
| Garbage-collect a table    |   ✅   |    —   | Managed for you on the hosted service.                                                                                                    |

## How to read this

* **Local-only** — `optimize` and `gc` run compaction and cleanup yourself on a
  local connection. On the hosted service these are managed for you, so the SDK
  calls aren't available there.
* **Hosted-only** — listing and deleting databases is an account-level action,
  done over REST or the console rather than through the SDK. In the SDK you
  create the database your connection targets with `create_database` (a no-op on
  a local connection, so the same setup code runs either way).
* **Same call, different runtime** — the Notes column flags these. They share
  one signature; only behavior differs.

See the hosted [Quickstart](/docs/cloud/quickstart) and
[Authentication](/docs/cloud/authentication) for the connection details, and the
**REST API** section for the raw HTTP contract.