Decision guide · Updated November 2026
Private LLM vs ChatGPT Enterprise.
Both are good answers to different questions. ChatGPT Enterprise gives staff a capable assistant quickly. A private LLM puts a model inside your own environment for workflows that touch sensitive data. Here is how to decide.
Side by side
How they compare.
General characteristics; check each provider's current terms.
| Factor | ChatGPT Enterprise (and similar) | Private or self-hosted LLM |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Provider's cloud | Your cloud account or your premises |
| Data control | Business terms; not used for training by default | Full control of storage, retention and access |
| Time to start | Days | Weeks: deployment, evaluation and integration |
| Customisation | Custom GPTs, connectors, instructions | Fine-tuning, retrieval over your systems, custom tools |
| Cost shape | Per-seat subscription | Infrastructure plus engineering; low cost per task at volume |
| Best for | Staff productivity across the company | Regulated data, high-volume workflows, integration into ERP and CRM |
Our recommendation
Most Indian companies need both.
Give staff a general assistant for writing, research and analysis. For anything that touches customer records, financial data, health data or legal files, run the workflow on a model inside your own environment, with logging and access control.
MNB Intelligence sits between your applications and the models. It routes each request to the right model, keeps personal data where it should be, and lets you change providers without rewriting your systems.
Decide with your own data.
We map your top workflows and tell you which belong on a hosted assistant and which need a private model.
Questions
Frequently asked.
Is ChatGPT Enterprise a private LLM?
No. ChatGPT Enterprise is a hosted service with business data protections; your data is not used for training by default, but the model runs on the provider's infrastructure. A private LLM runs on infrastructure you control.
Which is cheaper?
For light, general use by staff, ChatGPT Enterprise or a similar subscription is usually cheaper. For high-volume, repetitive workflows, or where data cannot leave your environment, a private or routed deployment usually costs less per task.
Does a private LLM help with the DPDP Act?
It can make compliance simpler, because personal data stays inside systems you control and you set retention and access. It does not replace the Act's other obligations such as notice, consent and grievance handling.
Can we use both?
Yes, and many companies should: a staff assistant for general work, and private or routed models for workflows that touch customer or regulated data. A gateway such as MNB Intelligence can route each request to the right place.