Bonfire Terminal vs Enchanted
Enchanted is an open-source, on-device LLM chat UI with nearly 6,000 GitHub stars, free to run and fully private through local storage. Bonfire Terminal shares that local-first ethic but extends it into a full AI agent and terminal, adding messaging bridges, local Whisper speech, and on-device media processing under one perpetual license.
Bonfire Terminal vs Enchanted: the 16-factor comparison
| Rating factor | Enchanted | Bonfire Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Category | LLM Chat UI | AI Terminal / Local Agent |
| Popularity | GitHub 5,986 stars | Growing · indie |
| Hosting architecture | On-Device Local | On-Device Local |
| Licensing model | Open Source | One-Time Perpetual |
| Data / training policy | Self-hosted, fully private (local storage) | Fully local — nothing leaves device |
| Offline capability | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing tier range | Free (OSS) | One-time license |
| Execution unit cost | Unlimited Local Compute | Unlimited Local Compute |
| API-key markup | N/A | No — BYO key at cost |
| Supported LLM providers | Local | OpenAI; Anthropic; Google; Local; Any |
| Auth / permission types | Local/None | API Key; Local/None |
| Phone / messaging bridges | None | Telegram; WhatsApp |
| Speech recognition engine | Not disclosed | Whisper (local) |
| Local media processing | Yes | Yes |
| Sovereign score | 81 / 100 | 93 / 100 |
The sovereignty gap
Where Enchanted 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 Enchanted if…
Choose Enchanted if you want a clean, free, local chat front-end for your models with fully private local storage and nothing more.
Choose Bonfire Terminal if…
Choose Bonfire Terminal if you want a local AI agent that goes beyond chat into automation, messaging bridges, speech, and media.
Bonfire Terminal vs Enchanted: FAQ
Is Enchanted private?
Yes. Enchanted is self-hosted and on-device, keeping data in local storage, which earns it a strong 81 sovereign score. Bonfire Terminal matches that local-first privacy at 93 and adds a broader agent surface while still keeping everything on your machine.
Is Bonfire Terminal cheaper than Enchanted?
Enchanted is free open-source software, so it's hard to undercut on price alone. Bonfire Terminal is a one-time perpetual license with no subscription, and its optional LLM calls run on your own key at cost with no markup.
Can Bonfire Terminal replace Enchanted?
Yes, for most uses. Bonfire Terminal provides the local chat experience Enchanted offers and layers on agentic automation, a terminal, messaging bridges, and local speech, so it can stand in as a more capable local-first workspace.
What can Bonfire Terminal do that Enchanted can't?
Beyond local chat, Bonfire Terminal runs an autonomous agent, bridges to Telegram and WhatsApp, transcribes voice with local Whisper, and handles media on-device. Enchanted concentrates on being a local chat interface rather than a full agent platform.
How do I switch from Enchanted to Bonfire Terminal?
Point Bonfire Terminal at the same local models you already used with Enchanted, or add your own provider key. Since both keep data locally, there's no cloud export step; just install and carry on with a richer feature set.
Does Bonfire Terminal work offline vs Enchanted?
Both are built for offline use. Enchanted runs on-device and works without a connection, and Bonfire Terminal does the same with local models and local Whisper, reaching out to the network only when you choose a cloud LLM provider.