Bonfire Terminal vs Lorikeet
Lorikeet is a cloud-hosted conversational AI for customer support on a monthly, per-task subscription, built on Anthropic and pledging no training on customer data. Bonfire Terminal is sovereign instead: on-device execution, one-time license, your own LLM key at cost with no markup, and data that never leaves your device.
Bonfire Terminal vs Lorikeet: the 16-factor comparison
| Rating factor | Lorikeet | Bonfire Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Conversational AI | AI Terminal / Local Agent |
| Popularity | Not disclosed | Growing · indie |
| Hosting architecture | Cloud-Hosted | On-Device Local |
| Licensing model | Monthly Subscription | One-Time Perpetual |
| Data / training policy | No training on customer data | Fully local — nothing leaves device |
| Offline capability | No | Yes |
| Pricing tier range | Not disclosed | One-time license |
| Execution unit cost | Per-Task | Unlimited Local Compute |
| API-key markup | N/A | No — BYO key at cost |
| Supported LLM providers | Anthropic | OpenAI; Anthropic; Google; Local; Any |
| Auth / permission types | SSO;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 | 32 / 100 | 93 / 100 |
The sovereignty gap
Where Lorikeet 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 Lorikeet if…
Choose Lorikeet if you run customer support and need a hosted, Anthropic-powered agent that resolves complex tickets with a no-training data pledge.
Choose Bonfire Terminal if…
Choose Bonfire Terminal if you want a private on-device agent for your own work, with no per-task billing and no markup on models.
Bonfire Terminal vs Lorikeet: FAQ
Is Lorikeet private?
Lorikeet says it does not train on customer data, but it is cloud-hosted, so support conversations run through its servers on Anthropic. Bonfire Terminal executes on your device, so your data never leaves your machine and no vendor handling promise is required.
Is Bonfire Terminal cheaper than Lorikeet?
Lorikeet bills per resolved task on a subscription, scaling with support volume. Bonfire Terminal is a one-time perpetual license plus at-cost model calls with no markup, which for personal or non-support use is generally cheaper than usage-based enterprise pricing.
Can Bonfire Terminal replace Lorikeet?
Not for customer support operations. Lorikeet is a purpose-built support-desk agent with ticketing integration. Bonfire Terminal is a personal on-device agent. If you want private general-purpose AI rather than an automated support queue, Bonfire Terminal fits.
What can Bonfire Terminal do that Lorikeet can't?
Bonfire Terminal runs on-device with your own key at cost, does local Whisper speech recognition and media processing, bridges Telegram and WhatsApp, and works offline. Lorikeet is a cloud support agent with no local execution, offline mode or bring-your-own-key model.
How do I switch from Lorikeet to Bonfire Terminal?
Since these serve different jobs, migration means separating personal AI tasks from customer support. For personal tasks, install Bonfire Terminal and add your Anthropic key. Keep Lorikeet if you still need automated support resolution.
Does Bonfire Terminal work offline vs Lorikeet?
Lorikeet has no offline capability and needs its cloud. Bonfire Terminal runs its agent, Whisper and media processing locally, so those work offline; only calls to a hosted provider require a connection.