Bring your JATOS online
If you want participants to be able to run your studies, you need to bring JATOS online and make it accessible via the Internet. There are several ways to do this, each with its own pros and cons. We discuss these options in depth on their own pages, but here is an overview:
| Setup time | Setup difficulty | Cost | Number of JATOS users / workers | Expected running time | Reliability | Privacy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Expose your local JATOS | Fast | Easy | None | You / Few † | Hours to a few days | Medium to low | As good as your computer |
| 2. Cloud server | Fast to medium | Depends on vendor | Yes | Many / Many ‡ | Hours to years | High | Medium |
| 3. Own server | Medium to slow (depends on your IT) | Needs admin skills | Ask your IT | Many / Many ‡ | Months to years | High | High |
† Depends on your computer and Internet connection
‡ Depends on your server
1. Expose your local JATOS to the Internet
This is the easiest, but also the least reliable option. If you just want to run an experiment online for a couple of hours or days, and it's not critical if things break, this method is for you.
More information: Expose your local JATOS
2. Cloud server
This option can still be fast and easy (depending on your cloud vendor and your skills), but it might not align with your privacy requirements. It is reliable and can run for a long time (as long as you pay), and it can serve many JATOS users.
Learn more: JATOS on DigitalOcean or JATOS on AWS (or any other cloud vendor).
3. Own server
Installing JATOS on a dedicated server at your institute is probably the safest and most reliable way, but it usually takes the most time and requires the most admin skills to set up.
More information: Install JATOS on a server