Bonfire Terminal vs @desplega.ai/agent-swarm
Built as an open-source autonomous-agent swarm, @desplega.ai/agent-swarm runs hybrid, private when self-hosted, and costs nothing locally or roughly EUR30-100 monthly in the cloud. Bonfire Terminal takes the sovereign path instead: strictly on-device, any provider at cost with no markup, and a single perpetual license rather than a cloud subscription.
Bonfire Terminal vs @desplega.ai/agent-swarm: the 16-factor comparison
| Rating factor | @desplega.ai/agent-swarm | Bonfire Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Autonomous Agent | AI Terminal / Local Agent |
| Popularity | Not disclosed | Growing · indie |
| Hosting architecture | Hybrid | On-Device Local |
| Licensing model | Open Source | One-Time Perpetual |
| Data / training policy | Self-host = private | Fully local — nothing leaves device |
| Offline capability | No | Yes |
| Pricing tier range | $0 self-host / EUR30-100/mo cloud | One-time license |
| Execution unit cost | Subscription | Unlimited Local Compute |
| API-key markup | No | No — BYO key at cost |
| Supported LLM providers | OpenAI;Anthropic;Google;Any | OpenAI; Anthropic; Google; Local; Any |
| Auth / permission types | API Key | API Key; Local/None |
| Phone / messaging bridges | None | Telegram; WhatsApp |
| Speech recognition engine | None | Whisper (local) |
| Local media processing | No | Yes |
| Sovereign score | 69 / 100 | 93 / 100 |
The sovereignty gap
Where @desplega.ai/agent-swarm lands on each weighted pillar (its bar) — the red marker is Bonfire's score. Auto-derived from the 16 factors above.
Which should you choose?
Choose @desplega.ai/agent-swarm if…
Choose @desplega.ai/agent-swarm if you need orchestrated multi-agent swarms across many providers and are comfortable self-hosting or paying a monthly cloud tier.
Choose Bonfire Terminal if…
Choose Bonfire Terminal if you want one sovereign on-device agent with messaging bridges and local speech, without cloud tiers or swarm ops overhead.
Bonfire Terminal vs @desplega.ai/agent-swarm: FAQ
Is @desplega.ai/agent-swarm private?
@desplega.ai/agent-swarm is private when you self-host, since it is open-source and hybrid; the managed cloud tier changes that calculus. Bonfire Terminal removes the ambiguity by being local-first only, so your prompts and data never leave the device except for model calls you authorize.
Is Bonfire Terminal cheaper than @desplega.ai/agent-swarm?
Self-hosting @desplega.ai/agent-swarm is free, while its cloud runs about EUR30-100 monthly. Bonfire Terminal is a one-time perpetual license with providers billed at cost and no markup, so it undercuts the recurring cloud tier over time.
Can Bonfire Terminal replace @desplega.ai/agent-swarm?
For single-operator agent work, yes. Bonfire Terminal delivers on-device autonomy with bridges and local media. It is not a distributed multi-agent swarm framework, so heavy orchestration workloads may still favor @desplega.ai/agent-swarm.
What can Bonfire Terminal do that @desplega.ai/agent-swarm can't?
@desplega.ai/agent-swarm offers no messaging bridges, speech engine, or local media. Bonfire Terminal adds Telegram and WhatsApp bridges, local Whisper transcription, on-device media processing, and a guaranteed local-only footprint rather than a hybrid one.
How do I switch from @desplega.ai/agent-swarm to Bonfire Terminal?
Since @desplega.ai/agent-swarm already uses bring-your-own API keys across OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, point those same keys at Bonfire Terminal. Install locally, and you drop the hybrid cloud dependency while keeping your at-cost billing.
Does Bonfire Terminal work offline vs @desplega.ai/agent-swarm?
@desplega.ai/agent-swarm lists no offline capability. Bonfire Terminal is local-first and can run local models, with Whisper speech and media processing fully offline; only calls to remote providers require a connection.