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Citenook vs Backbencher

A side-by-side comparison built from both listings. Blank cells mean the company has not given that detail; we never guess.

Citenook compared with Backbencher
DetailCitenook logo CitenookBackbencher logo Backbencher
What it doesPrivate AI for Mac that answers questions from your own files with exact source citations Local code intelligence that shows its evidence
StageNot given Not given
FoundedNot given Not given
Based inIN Not given
Pricing modelFreemium Free
PricingFree for 30 days with all features. Then Standard $9.99/month or $79/year; Pro $19.99/month or $149/year; Pro+ $29.99/month or $229/year. Billed in US dollars. Not given
Key features
  • Support for multiple file types including PDF, Word, Excel, text, Markdown, Apple Notes, Obsidian, web pages, YouTube and recordings
  • Supports 50 languages with 53 registry IDs
  • 16 SQLite tables for symbols, source bounds, imports and relationships
  • 16 MCP agent tools for code analysis
  • AST-based code indexing
  • Incremental re-indexing with automatic freshness tracking
  • Call-graph analysis
  • Respects .gitignore and .bbignore files
  • Shows file, line and evidence for every answer
  • Local storage with no cloud required
  • Optional embedding provider integration for semantic search
What makes it different
  • Every answer shows the exact sentence and page number it came from
  • Works completely offline with no internet connection required
  • No account needed when using models on your Mac, no tracking or analytics
  • Preview exactly what will be sent to online AI services before it goes
  • Every answer includes file location, line number and the relationship walked to get there
  • Fully local operation with no cloud requirements
  • Open source under MIT license
  • Free to use with no paid plans or cost
Free planNot given Not given
Open sourceNot given Not given
PlatformsNot given Not given
Public APINot given Not given
Community votes00
DR (Domain Rating by Ahrefs)6 +1 (up) since last checkNot checked yet
Trust Flow (Majestic)00
Citation Flow (Majestic)110
Referring domains (Majestic)10

4 details filled in for both companies.

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