nodeterm vs Rivault: Features, Pricing & Which Is Better (2026)
A side-by-side comparison of nodeterm and Rivault — features, pricing, and ideal use cases — to help you decide which AI tool fits your workflow.
nodeterm
Enes Kırca
A node-based terminal manager that puts real terminals and coding agents as draggable nodes on an infinite canvas, with tmux-backed persistent sessions.
Key features
- Everything Is a Node: Right-click the infinite canvas to open a terminal, an AI agent, a sticky note, a Monaco editor, a diff view or a web/video node, then arrange them spatially like a map instead of stacking tabs.
- Persistent tmux Sessions: Every node runs in its own tmux session, so quitting the app or restarting the machine restores each terminal and agent exactly where it left off.
- Hook-Driven Agent Status: Pulsing RUNNING and NEEDS YOU badges come from agent hooks rather than output scraping, with subagent cards showing live transcripts, a per-node context meter, OS notifications and MacBook notch presence.
- In-Node Permission Prompts: Click the notification when an agent blocks, answer the permission prompt directly in the node, and get told the moment the turn completes.
- Kanban View of Live Sessions: Toggle any project between canvas and a Trello-style board with a keyboard shortcut; cards are the running sessions and open into the real terminal with members, due dates, priority and comments.
- Wired Agent Context: Draw an edge between two agent nodes so each can read the other's context on demand, and branch a conversation into a fresh node without losing the original thread.
- Three Surfaces, One Session: Run nodeterm as a macOS/Linux desktop app, as a self-hosted browser app via Server Edition, or from an iOS companion paired by QR code that continues the same live session end-to-end encrypted.
- On-Device Voice Input: Hold a keyboard shortcut to dictate to a terminal using on-device Whisper, review the transcription and send it, with audio never leaving the machine.
Best for
- Parallel Agent Supervision: Run Claude, Codex and Gemini side by side as canvas nodes and see at a glance which one is working and which one is waiting on you.
- Long-Running Session Recovery: Keep multi-hour agent runs and build shells alive across app restarts and machine reboots without rebuilding your terminal layout.
- Multi-Project Context Switching: Give each project its own canvas of grouped terminals, notes and diffs so switching projects restores the whole mental model rather than a tab bar.
- Agent Work Tracking: Manage in-flight agent tasks on a kanban board where each card is a real running session, moving work across columns without interrupting it.
- Remote Development Access: Self-host Server Edition and reach the same live sessions from a browser or the iOS companion when away from the main machine.
- Context Handoff Between Agents: Wire one agent node into another so a research agent's findings feed an implementation agent without copy-pasting transcripts.
Rivault
Rivault
A zero-knowledge vault that lets AI agents request sensitive data on demand, unlocked by Face ID or passkey and redacted after each task.
Key features
- Zero-knowledge Vault: Sensitive data is encrypted client-side so Rivault never has access to the underlying values by default.
- Per-request Auth: Every agent access triggers a fresh authorization request that you approve with Face ID or a passkey.
- Deterministic Redaction: Data is scoped to a single task and redacted from the agent's context after completion.
- Agent-agnostic Integration: Works with chat-based AI agents and Computer Use Agents that automate browser or desktop flows.
- Ownership of PII: Store SSN, payment info, phone numbers, and emails once and reuse without leaving copies in session logs or memory.
- Biometric Unlock: Face ID or passkey approval keeps the human in the loop for every sensitive field release.
Best for
- Agent-driven Bookings: Approve passport and card details on-demand when an agent books flights or hotels.
- Automated Form Fill: Let CUAs complete government or insurance forms without leaving PII in browser logs.
- Customer Support Delegation: Grant scoped access to account numbers when an agent handles a service call for you.
- Recurring Task Automation: Reuse stored credentials across many agent workflows without pasting them each time.
- Enterprise Agent Deployments: Add a consent + audit layer for teams deploying agents that touch sensitive employee or customer data.