OpenBot vs Hermes Agent: A Hermes Agent Alternative

OpenBot runs the provider tools you already use, with the plans you already pay for: Codex with your ChatGPT plan, Claude Code with your Claude plan, Gemini with your Google AI Pro or Ultra plan, and Grok CLI with your Grok account or an xAI API key. OpenCode runs free models, or your own model on any OpenAI-compatible server, also one on your computer. You choose the provider, the model and the reasoning effort for each agent. When you move an agent to a different provider, it keeps its role, workspace and conversation.

Hermes Agent calls a model through an API. It works with many providers, OpenRouter and Nous Portal, and with local models on any OpenAI-compatible server, such as Ollama or vLLM. It can sign in with a ChatGPT account, a SuperGrok or X Premium+ subscription, or GitHub Copilot. As its own model, a Claude plan works only on Max, and then it uses only the extra usage credits that you buy; with Claude Pro, you need an API key. There is no way to use a consumer Gemini plan: Gemini needs a Google API key.

OpenBot runs on the computer that hosts it. Agent workspaces, conversations and app data stay on that computer, so it must stay on while its agents work. Run it on a desktop or a server that stays on, and your agents keep working while your laptop is closed. Local-first is not offline: an agent that uses a hosted provider still sends its requests to that provider.

Hermes Agent runs on your computer, on a server, or in Docker. Its commands can run on that computer, in Docker, over SSH, or in cloud sandboxes such as Modal and Daytona. Hermes Cloud runs it on a computer that Nous Research hosts, for a daily price, and the models and tools it uses cost extra. On a laptop, tasks stop while Hermes is stopped.

The OpenBot apps for iPhone and Android connect to the computer that runs your agents. From anywhere, you chat with them, follow their progress and send files. The connection goes directly between your devices when it can, it is encrypted, and no cloud stores your chats or files. Remote access needs an OpenBot account.

Hermes Agent reaches your phone through messaging apps: Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal, Slack, SMS, email, iMessage through BlueBubbles, and many more. Your messages then go through the messaging service that you choose. Hermes Desktop can also connect to a Hermes backend on another computer. The documentation states no native iPhone or Android app.

In OpenBot, each agent is a full coding agent: Codex, Claude Code, Gemini, Grok CLI or OpenCode, each with its own job and workspace. A lead agent can give parts of a task to other agents in a shared channel. You follow their work and step in when a decision needs you. For a team of people, one computer runs the host and the others join it; the chats and files stay on the host.

Hermes Agent starts up to 10 subagents at once by default, and you can set a higher limit. In Bot Mode, each Bot has its own role, model, memory and skills; Bots talk in group chats of up to six and send messages to each other. Bundled skills can give coding work to Claude Code, Codex or OpenCode. Several people can use one Hermes instance through messaging apps such as Slack or Telegram, and an allowlist controls who can talk to it.

OpenBot keeps workspaces, conversations, attachments and browser data in a SQLite database on the computer that runs it. There is no copy on OpenBot's side. An account holds only your profile, team memberships, invitations, sign-in sessions and the settings that let devices find each other.

Hermes Agent keeps conversations, memory and skills in ~/.hermes on the computer that runs it, with its sessions in SQLite. Nous Research says Hermes Agent collects no telemetry, usage data or analytics, and API calls go only to the provider that you set up.