SwitchSignal OSS Local Kit vs Hosted MCP: the boundary that keeps agent GTM safe
SwitchSignal separates local-first open source adoption from hosted MCP workspace automation so developers can inspect the core evidence loop without bypassing account scope, entitlement, usage metering, or audit logs.
OSS Local Kit and Hosted MCP are different product surfaces
SwitchSignal has two public developer paths because they solve different adoption problems.
The OSS Local Kit is for local trust. A developer, agency operator, or partner can clone the public repository, run category audits, inspect evidence boundaries, create bounded signals, and generate deterministic campaign packs without a hosted SwitchSignal account. It is the fastest way to understand the product's judgment model before adopting the hosted service.
Hosted MCP is for workspace execution. Claude, Codex, Gemini-style clients, partner agents, and internal automation can call a paid SwitchSignal workspace through a scoped key. The hosted service still owns identity, tenant scope, subscription entitlement, usage metering, rate limits, and audit logging.
Why the split matters
OSS should not require a hosted account, Stripe subscription, or production secret.
- MCP should not become a local bypass around hosted billing, private snapshots, or customer data boundaries.
- Buyers need to see that the evidence discipline is inspectable.
- Operators need to know external agents cannot access another user's workspace.
- Partners need a clean installation path for both local demos and hosted integrations.
What the OSS Local Kit gives you
local category audit
- capture planning
- bounded signal examples
- deterministic campaign-pack output
- optional user-owned LLM provider support
- no hosted account requirement
- no SwitchSignal production credential
Use it when the goal is education, trust, extension, or local experimentation.
What Hosted MCP gives you
user-scoped access to the hosted SwitchSignal workspace
- hosted watchlists and snapshots
- campaign-pack generation governed by plan entitlement
- client report generation
- usage metering and audit events
- API key scopes and rate limits
- the same source-bound service layer used by the web product
Use it when an external agent should operate on real account data or generate workspace artifacts.
Safe source boundary
The OSS kit demonstrates the method. The hosted MCP connector operates against customer-owned workspaces. Neither public repo includes production credentials, private evidence snapshots, customer data, billing rows, operator-only workflows, or proprietary distribution data.
Practical adoption path
1. Clone the OSS Local Kit and run the deterministic demo. 2. Read a public evidence report to see source boundaries and cannot-claim guardrails. 3. Create a hosted SwitchSignal account when you need recurring watchlists, private snapshots, client reports, billing-backed usage, or hosted MCP. 4. Generate a scoped MCP key from Settings. 5. Connect an agent through the public Hosted MCP Connector. 6. Record outcome feedback after the campaign, report, or memo creates a real action.
Outcome feedback path
After using either path, record what happened: a published comparison page, search ad group, community response, sales conversation, client meeting, pipeline movement, or revenue. SwitchSignal's long-term value is not another generated artifact. It is learning which competitor-triggered market dislocations reliably turn into revenue action.