Bonfire Terminal vs Faraday
Faraday, now Backyard AI, is a freemium on-device local LLM runner that is fully private offline and runs Llama-family models locally, with paid cloud tiers. Bonfire Terminal shares the local-first foundation but is a complete terminal with bring-your-own-key at cost, bridges, local Whisper, and a one-time license.
Bonfire Terminal vs Faraday: the 16-factor comparison
| Rating factor | Faraday | Bonfire Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Local LLM Runner | AI Terminal / Local Agent |
| Popularity | unknown (now Backyard AI) | Growing · indie |
| Hosting architecture | On-Device Local | On-Device Local |
| Licensing model | Freemium | One-Time Perpetual |
| Data / training policy | Fully private on-device | Fully local — nothing leaves device |
| Offline capability | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing tier range | $0 local / paid cloud | 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;Meta/Llama | OpenAI; Anthropic; Google; Local; Any |
| Auth / permission types | Local/None | API Key; Local/None |
| Phone / messaging bridges | None | Telegram; WhatsApp |
| Speech recognition engine | None | Whisper (local) |
| Local media processing | No | Yes |
| Sovereign score | 67 / 100 | 93 / 100 |
The sovereignty gap
Where Faraday 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 Faraday if…
Choose Faraday if you want a friendly, on-device local LLM runner focused on private, offline Llama-family chat.
Choose Bonfire Terminal if…
Choose Bonfire Terminal if you want a full sovereign terminal with bridges, Whisper, and a perpetual license beyond local chat.
Bonfire Terminal vs Faraday: FAQ
Is Faraday private?
Yes. Faraday runs models fully on-device, so local chat stays private, though its optional cloud tier changes that. Bonfire Terminal is local-first throughout, keeping all data on the machine, and scores 93/100 for sovereignty.
Is Bonfire Terminal cheaper than Faraday?
Faraday is free for local use with paid cloud tiers. Bonfire Terminal is a one-time perpetual license with no markup on your own keys, so it is not free locally but avoids subscriptions and cloud upsells.
Can Bonfire Terminal replace Faraday?
For private local chat, yes. Bonfire Terminal runs local models on-device and adds much more. Faraday's character-focused local chat experience may still appeal to users who want exactly that, but Bonfire covers the core.
What can Bonfire Terminal do that Faraday can't?
Bonfire Terminal bridges Telegram and WhatsApp, transcribes with local Whisper, processes media locally, and supports bring-your-own cloud keys. Faraday focuses on running local Llama-family models, without bridges, speech, or media processing.
How do I switch from Faraday to Bonfire Terminal?
Install Bonfire Terminal and load the same local models you ran in Faraday, keeping offline privacy. You additionally gain messaging bridges, local Whisper, media processing, and the option to bring cloud provider keys at cost.
Does Bonfire Terminal work offline vs Faraday?
Both work fully offline. Faraday runs local models on-device with offline support, and Bonfire Terminal is local-first with local Whisper and media processing, so neither requires a connection for local use.