Hermes Agent: the self-improving AI agent you can run on your own Mac

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Hermes Agent home page with the download and install options

Hermes Agent is a free, open-source AI agent from Nous Research that runs on your own computer, remembers you and writes its own reusable skills. It suits tinkerers and small teams who want a private assistant they can message on Telegram, WhatsApp or Slack. It works in the UK. The software costs nothing, and a local model is free too; cloud models cost extra (paid Nous Portal plans start at $20 a month, about £15, plus VAT). Know this first: it can run commands on your computer, so switch approvals to manual.

Last updated 21 October 2026. Written by Annie, a search and digital marketing specialist. Based on official documentation, pricing pages and video tutorials; I have not tested it hands-on. See the editorial policy.

Key facts

  • What it is: An open-source AI agent with memory, self-written skills and a messaging gateway
  • Made by: Nous Research, Inc., a US company
  • Price: Free software; optional Nous Portal plans at $20, $100 or $200 a month (about £15, £75 or £150), VAT extra
  • Free plan or trial: Free Portal plan (free models only), plus a one-off trial model in the desktop setup chat
  • Runs on: Apple Silicon Macs, Windows 10 and 11, Linux
  • What you need: A computer and a model (local, Nous Portal or your own API key)
  • Open source: Yes, MIT licence
  • Available in the UK: Yes, as of 17 October 2026
  • Best for: A private assistant you message from Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack or email
  • Official site: hermes-agent.nousresearch.com

On this page

What is Hermes Agent?

Hermes Agent is an AI agent: software that takes a goal, plans the steps and uses tools to finish the job, rather than just chatting. Nous Research released it under the MIT licence in February 2026. Its GitHub repository had about 254,000 stars on 17 October 2026.

Don't confuse it with the Hermes parcel firm (which rebranded as Evri in 2022), with Hermès, or with Nous Research's own Hermes language models such as Hermes 4. Those are chat models, and Nous's setup guide says they struggle with multi-step agent work. Sites such as hermes-agent.app are third-party guides, not Nous's own.

How it works:

  • You choose the brain. A free local model on your Mac, Nous's Portal service, or any OpenAI-compatible provider such as OpenRouter.
  • It has tools. Terminal commands, files, web search, a browser and, through Connectors, apps such as Notion and Linear.
  • It remembers. Two small notes files (one about your setup, one about you) plus a searchable chat history, kept in a ~/.hermes folder on your machine.
  • It learns. After a fiddly task it saves the steps as a skill (a reusable instruction file in the open agentskills.io format) and patches it when it finds a better way. This loop is what sets the Hermes AI agent apart.
  • It answers anywhere. One gateway lets you reach the same agent, with the same memory, from Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, email or the terminal.

What's new in Hermes Agent in October 2026?

  • 15 October: version 0.22.2. Fixes the messaging gateway after a reboot and steadies local models on laptops. It replaces 0.22.1, which Nous says was built from the wrong code.
  • 14 October: Connectors announced. Nous claims over 50 app connectors, a count RuntimeWire says its docs don't yet list. No sign-up is needed: Hermes quietly creates a free connectors-only Nous identity.
  • 13 October: version 0.22.0, "The Threshold Release". New desktop installs open a setup chat on a free trial model, so you can start without an API key. It adds one-click local models, signed desktop apps (including the Microsoft Store) and a catalogue of 600 reviewed plugins. Finished chats left untouched for 90 days are now deleted automatically.
  • 11 October: The Verge goes local. Antonio G. Di Benedetto ran Hermes with the Qwen 3.8 Flash Next model on a 256GB M5 Ultra Mac Studio, controlled from Telegram. His morning briefing failed until he realised the Mac was asleep.
  • 7 October: $90m Series B. Robot Ventures led, joined by Nvidia, Microsoft's M12, Samsung, Union Square Ventures, Y Combinator and Menlo Ventures. The Wall Street Journal reported a $1.5bn valuation and over 22 million downloads; Nous says Hermes has been cloned over 24 million times.
  • Mid-September: Hermes Business and Enterprise. Business pools a team's credit, with per-person caps and shared skills, on Nous's servers. Enterprise runs on your own servers with single sign-on.

How much does Hermes Agent cost in the UK?

The agent is free. You pay for the model that does the thinking and somewhere to run it. Nous prices in US dollars, and its terms say fees exclude tax and are non-refundable, so expect VAT on top.

OptionPrice (as of 17 October 2026)In poundsWhat you get
Hermes Agent software$0£0Desktop app and terminal version
Nous Portal Free$0£0Free models only, no credits
Nous Portal Plus$20 a monthabout £15$22 of credits, 200+ models, hosted web search, images, voice and browser
Nous Portal Super$100 a monthabout £75$110 of credits, same features
Nous Portal Ultra$200 a monthabout £150$220 of credits, same features
Hermes CloudBilled daily from credit, $2 minimum to deployabout £1.50 minimumAn always-on hosted agent; model use extra
Hermes Business or EnterpriseNot publishedNot publishedTeam balance and shared skills, or your own servers

Hidden costs:

  • Model bills. With your own API key from OpenRouter, OpenAI or Anthropic, you pay per token (a chunk of text), and agents are hungry. In a July 2026 test by UK firm Antropy, Hermes used about 52,000 tokens to install a web shop; OpenClaw used about 35,000.
  • Hardware. Local models cost nothing per token but need lots of memory. The Verge's Mac Studio costs roughly $12,000 (about £9,000); smaller Macs run smaller, weaker models. See which Mac to buy for local AI.
  • Staying online. Messaging works only while Hermes runs: a Mac that never sleeps, a rented server (the README says Hermes runs on a $5 server, about £3.75 a month, though one that cheap can't run a local model) or Hermes Cloud.
  • Your time. Allow an evening to set it up. Many tutorials push affiliate server deals; check you need one. More in what AI agents cost in the UK.

What do you need to run Hermes Agent?

  • A computer. The desktop app needs an Apple Silicon Mac on macOS 12 or later, or Windows 11 version 22H2 or later. Intel Macs aren't supported. Linux, WSL2 and Windows 10 use the terminal version.
  • A model. Hermes can install a local engine (llama.cpp) and recommends only models that fit your memory, or it can use Ollama. Otherwise use a Nous Portal account or an API key. Local models need a context window (working memory) of at least 64,000 tokens.
  • Messaging, optional. A free Telegram bot, a Slack app or a spare number for WhatsApp.
  • Skills. None for the desktop app; basic typing of commands for the terminal version. Bring patience: The Verge found the sheer choice of models overwhelming.

Our guide to running AI agents on your Mac explains local models.

How do you install Hermes Agent?

On a Mac, the desktop app is the easiest Hermes Agent install:

Hermes Agent install guide showing the terminal install command for macOS and Linux
The official Hermes Agent installation guide on 17 October 2026. Screenshot: aiagents.org.uk.
  1. Download Hermes-Setup.dmg from hermes-agent.nousresearch.com.
  2. Open it and run the setup app, which downloads Hermes and builds the desktop app for you.
  3. Open Hermes. A setup chat starts on a free trial model and asks your name, colours, apps and plugins. Choose Skip setup if you prefer.
  4. Pick a model. For free and private, go to Settings, Providers, Local Models and accept the recommended download. Or sign in to Nous Portal or paste an API key.
  5. In the Safety settings, change approval mode from Smart to Manual.

Success is a reply in the chat window, with your model named.

For the terminal version on a Mac, Linux or WSL2, run these one at a time:

curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash
source ~/.zshrc
hermes doctor
hermes model
hermes --tui

The installer brings its own Python and Node.js. The second line reloads your shell (use ~/.bashrc on Linux), hermes doctor checks for missing parts, hermes model picks a provider and hermes --tui opens the chat. Success is a banner naming your model and a sensible reply. Cautious? Read the install.sh script in a browser first.

On Windows, use the desktop app, the Microsoft Store, or this in PowerShell:

iex (irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1)

Update the terminal version with hermes update; desktop apps update themselves.

How do you connect Hermes Agent to Telegram or WhatsApp?

Get a normal chat working first. Then:

  1. In Telegram, message @BotFather, send /newbot, pick a username ending in "bot" and copy the token. Treat it like a password.
  2. Message @userinfobot to get your numeric user ID.
  3. Run the setup, choose Telegram, and paste in the token and your ID:
hermes gateway setup
  1. Install the gateway as a background service, start it, then check it:
hermes gateway install
hermes gateway start
hermes gateway status
  1. Message your bot. A reply within seconds means it works. A refusal means your ID isn't on the allowed list.

Slack, Discord, Signal and email use the same setup command. WhatsApp has two routes: a quick unofficial bridge that imitates WhatsApp Web (the docs warn of a small risk of account restrictions and suggest a dedicated number), or Meta's official Cloud API, which needs a Meta Business account.

Remember The Verge's lesson: if your Mac sleeps, so does your agent.

How do you use Hermes Agent? First things to try

  1. Morning briefing. "Every weekday at 7.30am, send me a Telegram message with today's calendar, anything urgent in my inbox and the Leeds weather."
  2. Tidy a folder. "Suggest a folder structure for my Downloads. Don't move anything until I approve."
  3. Summarise a document. "Summarise this PDF in five bullets and list every deadline."
  4. Private number-crunching. "Total my spending by category from this bank export." With a local model, the file stays on your Mac.
  5. Make a skill. After a job goes well: "Save what we just did as a skill called monthly-invoices."
  6. Read its memory of you.
cat ~/.hermes/memories/USER.md
  1. Preview an OpenClaw import.
hermes claw migrate --dry-run

Hermes Agent vs OpenClaw: which should you choose?

Both are free, MIT-licensed agents you run yourself and message from chat apps. OpenClaw relies on skills people write and share on ClawHub; Hermes writes and refines its own.

Hermes AgentOpenClaw
Made byNous Research, a venture-backed companyOpenClaw Foundation, a US non-profit
Built withPythonNode.js
MacsApple Silicon (Intel unsupported)Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 15 or later
Chat appsTelegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, iMessage (via BlueBubbles), email and more29 channels, including iMessage
SkillsCreates and improves its ownHuman-written, shared on ClawHub
Paid extrasOptional Portal plans and Hermes CloudNone
Token use (Antropy test, July 2026)About 52,000About 35,000
Security in 2026Several CVEs and an April audit with critical findingsSeveral CVEs since February
Switchinghermes claw migrate imports OpenClaw memories, skills and settingsopenclaw migrate hermes imports Hermes settings, memory and skills

I would pick Hermes on an Apple Silicon Mac if you want one-click local models and an agent that learns your routines. Pick OpenClaw for an Intel Mac or a non-profit with no upsell. Because each can import the other, neither choice locks you in.

Best Hermes Agent video tutorials

Video: Teacher's Tech on YouTube.

Teacher's Tech covers the desktop app on Mac and Windows, a free model, safety settings and your first skill; it predates the 13 October setup chat, so your first screen will differ.

VideoChannelLengthUploadedBest for
How to Set Up Hermes Agent on Your Computer (Desktop App)Teacher's Tech21:207 Sep 2026Beginners: desktop app and safety settings
Hermes Agent Tutorial for Beginners: Install & Build a Telegram BotReact & Next js Projects with Sahand21:4812 Oct 2026Mac desktop app and Telegram
Hermes Agent Locally: No Cloud, No LimitsMervin Praison5:3516 May 2026A free local model with Ollama and Telegram
Install Hermes Agent on Mac in 8 Minutes OpenRouter + DeepSeek SetupAyyazTech8:0327 Sep 2026Fastest terminal install on a Mac
OpenClaw vs Hermes Agent (Don't choose WRONG!)Metics Media9:2915 Jun 2026Choosing between the two
Hermes Agent Desktop: Full Setup + Real Use CasesGreg Isenberg43:496 Jun 2026Real use cases and cost-saving tips

Watch Teacher's Tech first, then Mervin Praison if you want everything local.

LinkWhat it's for
hermes-agent.nousresearch.comOfficial site and desktop downloads
DocumentationThe full user guide
Installation guideInstall commands for every platform
QuickstartFirst chat and choosing a model
Messaging setupTelegram, WhatsApp, Slack and more
Security guideApprovals, sandboxes and allowlists
GitHub repositorySource code and bug reports
ReleasesChangelog for every version
Nous Portal plansFree, Plus, Super and Ultra prices
Privacy policyHow Nous handles Portal data
Hermes Agent GitHub repository from Nous Research, open source under the MIT licence
The Hermes Agent repository on GitHub on 17 October 2026. Screenshot: aiagents.org.uk.

Is Hermes Agent safe? Privacy, security and UK GDPR

Hermes is as safe as your settings, and by default it has real power over your computer.

Permissions. Commands run as you, with your access. Hermes blocks file writes to folders such as ~/.ssh, but its docs admit the terminal can still reach them and that this denylist "does not sandbox a hostile or compromised agent". For real separation, run it in Docker.

Where data goes. Chats, memory and skills stay in ~/.hermes, and model requests go only to the provider you choose. The FAQ says Hermes collects no telemetry (version 0.22 added opt-in failure reports). With a local model, nothing need leave your Mac. Nous Portal differs: its privacy policy (updated 28 September 2026) lets Nous train AI on your prompts and outputs by default unless you switch on Privacy Mode. It doesn't mention UK GDPR or say where data is stored, and the terms follow California law. Hermes Cloud has a London location but picks the nearest one with space.

Incidents. A Cloud Security Alliance note (4 May 2026) listed three Hermes CVEs (public security flaws), the worst rated 5.3 out of 10, and an independent audit (11 April 2026) with four critical findings, including unrestricted shell access. In July 2026, CVE-2026-17432 let attackers bypass the allowlist on the SimpleX chat connector; a fix has been published. Run hermes update regularly.

Day-one settings. Add this to ~/.hermes/config.yaml:

approvals:
  mode: manual
memory:
  write_approval: true
skills:
  write_approval: true

That shows you every command first and makes Hermes ask before saving memories or skills, which it otherwise does freely. Also avoid YOLO mode (hermes --yolo), keep the messaging allowlist to your own ID, and install plugins only from the official catalogue; Nous's security policy says a malicious plugin isn't a flaw in Hermes itself.

Handling customer or staff data? You are responsible for it, so read AI agents and UK GDPR first.

Hermes Agent vs alternatives

ToolMade byOpen sourceRuns whereLocal modelsPrice (as of 17 October 2026)UK?
Hermes AgentNous ResearchYes (MIT)Your computer or Hermes CloudYesFree; Portal $20 to $200 a month (about £15 to £150)Yes
OpenClawOpenClaw FoundationYes (MIT)Your computer or serverYesFree, no paid tierYes
NemoClawNvidiaYes (Apache 2.0)Your machine, in Nvidia's OpenShell sandboxYesFree softwareNo restriction stated
ChatGPT DotsOpenAINoOpenAI's cloud computerNoIn the UK, a Business Premium seat from £75 a month billed yearly, or £90 monthly (two-seat minimum)Business Premium only
Meta MuseMetaNoMeta's cloud, app and WhatsAppNoFree tier; $20 or $100 a month (about £15 or £75)No, US and Canada only
OpenHumanTinyHumansYes (GPL-3.0)Desktop appYesFree app; plans $20 or $200 a monthYes, in beta

Choose Hermes or OpenClaw for control and local models. NemoClaw, one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2026, is a safety wrapper for technical users: it runs OpenClaw by default and also supports Hermes. Dots and Muse need no setup, but your data lives in their clouds and neither is fully open to UK buyers.

Who should use Hermes Agent?

It suits Apple Silicon Mac owners who enjoy tinkering, privacy-minded people who want a local model to handle personal files, small teams wanting one shared agent in Slack or Telegram, and OpenClaw users curious about self-improving skills.

Skip it if you have an Intel Mac, need a supplier with UK GDPR commitments for client data, can't keep a machine running, or expect polish. Local agents still break, as The Verge found.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hermes Agent?

Hermes Agent is an open-source AI agent from Nous Research, released in February 2026. It runs on your own computer or server, uses an AI model you choose, and can run commands, manage files, browse the web and message you on Telegram. Hermes Agent stands out because it remembers you and writes reusable skills from finished tasks.

Is Hermes Agent free?

Yes. Hermes Agent is free under the MIT licence, with no subscription required. The cost is the AI model. A local model costs nothing per use but needs a capable computer. As of 17 October 2026, Nous Portal plans cost $20, $100 or $200 a month (about £15, £75 or £150, VAT extra), or you can pay a provider such as OpenRouter.

How do I install and set up Hermes Agent?

On an Apple Silicon Mac, download the Hermes Agent desktop app from hermes-agent.nousresearch.com, run the installer and follow the setup chat. For the terminal version on a Mac, Linux or WSL2, run the official curl install script, reload your shell and run hermes model to pick a model. Windows users can use the desktop app, the Microsoft Store or a PowerShell installer.

Is Hermes Agent better than OpenClaw?

Neither wins for everyone. Hermes Agent suits people who want an agent that writes and improves its own skills, with a polished app on Apple Silicon Macs. OpenClaw suits Intel Mac owners and anyone who prefers a non-profit project with human-written skills and no paid tier. Hermes Agent can import an OpenClaw setup with hermes claw migrate.

Is Nous Hermes Agent the same as the Hermes models?

No. Nous Research makes both, which causes confusion. The Hermes models, such as Hermes 4, are language models built for chat. Hermes Agent is the software that uses a model to take actions. Nous's own guide advises against running Hermes Agent on Hermes 4, because those chat models handle multi-step tool use poorly. Hermes Agent is also unrelated to the Hermes parcel firm, now Evri.

Can Hermes Agent run offline with a local model?

Mostly, yes. Hermes Agent can run a local model through its built-in llama.cpp option or Ollama, so chats and files stay on your computer. You still need the internet to download the app and models, and for web search, Connectors and messaging apps. Expect local models to be weaker than the best cloud models unless your Mac has plenty of memory.

Is Hermes Agent available in the UK?

Yes. Hermes Agent is downloadable software with no UK restriction as of 17 October 2026. Nous Portal plans are charged in US dollars and the terms say tax is extra, so expect VAT. Nous's privacy policy doesn't mention UK GDPR, so businesses handling personal data should run Hermes Agent with a local model or seek advice first.

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