hermes-agent logo
hermes-agent
★ 256.0k
vs
OpenClaw logo
OpenClaw
★ 392.7k

hermes-agent vs OpenClaw

hermes-agent: Hermes Agent is a self-improving AI agent from Nous Research with a built-in learning loop: it creates skills after complex tasks, improves them during use, searches its own past sessions and builds a model of the user over time. It works with any model provider, talks through a terminal UI or Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp and Signal, and runs on local, Docker, SSH or serverless backends.; OpenClaw: OpenClaw is a self-hosted personal AI assistant that runs on your own devices and responds on the messaging channels you already use. It supports 20+ channels including WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, iMessage, WeChat, and Signal, with native voice support on macOS, iOS, and Android. The Gateway serves as a control plane while the assistant stays local, fast, and always-on.

01

TL;DR

hermes-agent logo
hermes-agentWorkflow Automation · ★ 256.0k

A personal assistant on a cheap VPS that you talk to from Telegram

OpenClaw logo
OpenClawWorkflow Automation · ★ 392.7k
When to choose:
  • You want a self-hosted personal AI assistant that lives inside 20+ messaging apps you already use (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, iMessage, Signal, Teams).
  • You want your state, memory, and credentials kept on your own machine, with optional companion apps on macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux for voice and screen actions.
When to skip:
  • You want a zero-ops cloud-hosted chatbot without managing a local Node.js 24+ Gateway and API keys.
  • You only want a desktop multi-provider chat GUI on your computer rather than messaging-channel gateways; Cherry Studio is simpler for desktop chat.
02

Side-by-Side Comparison

Field
hermes-agent logohermes-agent
OpenClaw logoOpenClaw
Category
Workflow Automation
Workflow Automation
Stars
★ 256.0k
★ 392.7k
License
MIT
MIT
Install Command
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
Updated
1d ago
1d ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Tags
agent-framework, ai, ai-agent
Personal AI Assistant, Multi-channel Messaging, Self-hosted
03

Features

hermes-agent logohermes-agent
01Autonomous skill creation after complex tasks, with skills that self-improve during use
02FTS5 session search with LLM summarization and Honcho user modeling for cross-session recall
03Single gateway for Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal and CLI
04Built-in cron scheduler with delivery to any platform
05Seven terminal backends: local, Docker, SSH, Singularity, Modal, Daytona, Vercel Sandbox
06Switch model providers with hermes model, no code changes
OpenClaw logoOpenClaw
01Responds on 20+ messaging channels: WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, iMessage, WeChat, Signal, and more
02Native voice input/output on macOS, iOS, and Android
03Live Canvas rendering for visual AI outputs you can interact with
04Fully self-hosted — runs on your own devices with no cloud dependency
05Extensible via QVeris capability routing and skill system
04

Use Cases

hermes-agent logohermes-agent
↳A personal assistant on a cheap VPS that you talk to from Telegram
↳Unattended daily reports, backups and audits defined in natural language
↳Generating tool-calling trajectories for model training research
OpenClaw logoOpenClaw
↳Running a privacy-first personal AI assistant across all your messaging apps
↳Getting AI responses directly in WhatsApp or Telegram without switching apps
↳Building a voice-enabled home or office AI assistant on your own hardware
05

Best For

hermes-agent logohermes-agent
Most Popular
OpenClaw logoOpenClaw
Most PopularTrending
FAQ

FAQ

What is the difference between hermes-agent and OpenClaw?
Both hermes-agent and OpenClaw are in the Workflow Automation category. hermes-agent has 256.0k stars, while OpenClaw has 392.7k stars.
Which is better, hermes-agent or OpenClaw?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose hermes-agent if A personal assistant on a cheap VPS that you talk to from Telegram, and OpenClaw if Running a privacy-first personal AI assistant across all your messaging apps.
Is hermes-agent free or open source?
Yes, hermes-agent is open source on GitHub (MIT).
Is OpenClaw free or open source?
Yes, OpenClaw is open source on GitHub (MIT).
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