Bonfire Terminal vs Reor
Reor is a free, open-source, local-first AI note-taking app that runs entirely on-device, fully private, with offline capability and support for local, OpenAI, or any provider. Bonfire Terminal shares that local-first sovereignty and broadens it into a full agent terminal with BYO key at cost, a one-time license, local Whisper, and messaging bridges.
Bonfire Terminal vs Reor: the 16-factor comparison
| Rating factor | Reor | Bonfire Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Category | RAG/Knowledge | AI Terminal / Local Agent |
| Popularity | GitHub 8.6k stars | Growing · indie |
| Hosting architecture | On-Device Local | On-Device Local |
| Licensing model | Open Source | One-Time Perpetual |
| Data / training policy | Local-first fully private | 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 | No | No — BYO key at cost |
| Supported LLM providers | Local;OpenAI;Any | OpenAI; Anthropic; Google; Local; Any |
| Auth / permission types | API Key;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 | 83 / 100 | 93 / 100 |
The sovereignty gap
Where Reor 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 Reor if…
Choose Reor if you want a private, local-first note-taking app that connects and searches your notes with AI, fully offline.
Choose Bonfire Terminal if…
Choose Bonfire Terminal if you want a broader on-device agent with voice, media, and messaging beyond AI-augmented note management.
Bonfire Terminal vs Reor: FAQ
Is Reor private?
Reor is local-first and fully private, running on-device without training on your data, and it works offline. Bonfire Terminal shares this exact posture, keeping everything on the machine, while extending it from notes into a general assistant with voice and messaging.
Is Bonfire Terminal cheaper than Reor?
Reor is free and open-source. Bonfire Terminal is a one-time perpetual license, so it costs more upfront, but there is no subscription and your LLM key is billed at provider cost with no markup, keeping any cloud usage as cheap as possible.
Can Bonfire Terminal replace Reor?
Partially. Reor specializes in local-first, AI-connected note-taking and knowledge management. Bonfire Terminal is a general on-device agent, so it can help with notes and much more but is not a dedicated note-linking and retrieval app.
What can Bonfire Terminal do that Reor can't?
Bonfire Terminal adds local Whisper speech recognition, local media processing, Telegram and WhatsApp bridges, and a full agent core. Reor focuses on note-taking with no voice, media handling, or messaging, so Bonfire covers a much wider workflow.
How do I switch from Reor to Bonfire Terminal?
They differ in focus, so switching means adopting Bonfire Terminal for general on-device agent work rather than porting notes. Install Bonfire, add your own key at cost, and use voice and messaging. Keep Reor for local-first note management.
Does Bonfire Terminal work offline vs Reor?
Reor works fully offline with local models. Bonfire Terminal likewise runs its agent, local Whisper, and media processing on-device, functioning without a connection and needing the network only when your chosen cloud LLM is called.