The repository
Hermes Agent, from Nous Research (known for the open Hermes models), is one of the most popular AI repositories on GitHub: about 252,000 stars as of October 12, 2026, under the MIT license. On October 8, version v0.21.6 shipped, rolling up about 2,100 pull requests and nearly 8,900 commits since the previous version, a sign of a very active project.
The pitch: a personal agent that learns from use. It runs on your own server (starting at a $5 VPS), not tied to your laptop, and you talk to it via Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal or the terminal.
What it does
- Learning loop: creates skills from complex tasks, improves them during use, keeps agent-curated memory and searches past conversations. It's compatible with the open agentskills.io standard.
- Any model: Nous Portal, OpenRouter, OpenAI or your own endpoint, including local models via llama.cpp. Switch with one command, no code changes.
- Scheduled automations: built-in cron, configured in natural language (daily reports, backups, audits).
- Parallel subagents and Python scripts that call tools.
- Seven execution backends: local, Docker, SSH, Singularity, Modal, Daytona and Vercel Sandbox, some hibernating when idle.
OpenClaw's rival
It's seen as the main open-source rival to OpenClaw (about 391,000 stars). According to a comparison by Avelina, Hermes includes a command to import settings from OpenClaw. The difference in focus: OpenClaw prioritizes the gateway across channels and devices; Hermes, the learning loop and skills.
Caveats
- It's still at version 0.x: expect frequent changes.
- An agent with access to messages, a terminal and files is an attractive target. Run it in an isolated environment (Docker or a VM), with least-privilege accounts and keys.
- The recommended install uses
curl | bash: in companies, review the script first or use the Docker image. - Skills created by the agent are code: review them before letting them run unsupervised.
- Real costs come from whichever model you use.
Why it matters
Personal agents that stay on 24/7, take requests via chat and carry out tasks on their own are no longer demos. For small teams, this can automate reports, monitoring and routines. But it calls for the same care as any system with privileged access.
Sources
- GitHub, NousResearch/hermes-agent: https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent
- v0.21.6 release notes (Oct 8, 2026): https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/releases/tag/v0.21.6
- Avelina (10/10/2026): https://avelina.ai/blog/openclaw-alternative
Want to deploy AI agents safely in your company? KGA IT offers a free consultation: kga-it.com.