Persistent personal agents
Keep sessions, memories, skills, preferences, and project knowledge across repeated work rather than starting every chat from scratch.
Independent tool overview
Hermes Desktop at a glance
Hermes Desktop is Nous Research's free, open-source graphical app for Hermes Agent. It brings the same sessions, memory, skills, tools, model providers, schedules, and multi-agent features from the Hermes command-line system into a native interface for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Visit the official Hermes Desktop site ↗
- Developer
- Nous Research
- Platforms
- macOS 12+, Windows 10/11, and Linux
- Software price
- Free and open source
- License
- MIT
- Account required
- No for the base app
- Paid Portal plans
- $20, $100, or $200 per month
Overview
What Hermes Desktop is
Hermes Desktop is a full interface for the Hermes Agent core rather than a separate lightweight chatbot. Work started in the desktop app shares the same configuration, API keys, conversations, skills, and memory as the CLI, terminal UI, and gateway.
The app is designed for persistent agent workflows. Hermes can remember project context, create and refine reusable skills, run scheduled jobs, work through tools, coordinate separate agent profiles, and continue conversations across its desktop, terminal, web, and messaging surfaces.
The desktop software itself is free under the MIT license. Users can connect their own supported model provider, use free models, or sign into Nous Portal for one account covering hundreds of models, hosted tools, usage credits, and optional cloud hosting.
Use cases
Who Hermes Desktop is best for
The strongest fit depends on the job you need the product to complete, not the size of its feature list.
Tool-using desktop workflows
Let an agent work with files, terminals, web tools, MCP servers, scheduled tasks, and generated artifacts from one interface.
Model-flexible setups
Choose Nous Portal, OpenRouter, OpenAI, local OpenAI-compatible endpoints, and other supported providers instead of committing to one model vendor.
Advanced self-hosting
Run the agent locally, on a remote machine, or in cloud infrastructure while using the desktop app as the main client.
Capabilities
Core Hermes Desktop features
Persistent memory and skills
Store useful facts across sessions and turn successful workflows into reusable skills that Hermes can improve over time.
Streaming agent workspace
Follow live tool activity, inspect structured tool summaries, queue prompts, and preview files or web outputs beside the conversation.
Files, terminal, and Git review
Browse project files, keep persistent terminal sessions, inspect diffs, stage changes, create commits, and manage worktrees inside the app.
Profiles and multiple agents
Maintain isolated configurations and sessions, run several profiles concurrently, and coordinate agents through Bot Mode and the Command Center.
Scheduling and messaging
Create recurring jobs and connect Hermes to supported messaging channels so an agent can run and report outside the desktop window.
Provider and model choice
Manage accounts and API keys in settings and select from the models supported by the Hermes core for each profile or session.
Computer use and plugins
Extend the agent with plugins, MCP servers, and background desktop-control capabilities on supported operating systems.
Process
How the Hermes Desktop workflow works
Step 1
Choose a deployment
Decide whether Hermes should run locally, connect to an existing remote backend, or use Nous Portal and optional Hermes Cloud.
Step 2
Install the desktop app
Use the official macOS or Windows installer, install from the terminal on Linux, or launch it from an existing Hermes setup.
Step 3
Configure a model
Sign into Nous Portal, add a supported provider key, or point Hermes to an approved local endpoint, then select a sensible default model.
Step 4
Set permissions and workspace scope
Restrict repository scanning, tools, directories, credentials, network access, and command approvals before assigning autonomous work.
Step 5
Build memory deliberately
Review what Hermes stores, separate profiles by context, and remove sensitive or outdated memories instead of allowing uncontrolled accumulation.
Step 6
Review every consequential action
Keep command approvals enabled, inspect file and Git changes, test outputs, and reserve unattended automation for narrow, reversible tasks.
Cost
Hermes Desktop pricing and free plan
Hermes Desktop is free under the MIT license. The optional Nous Portal offers Free at $0, Plus at $20 per month with $22 in monthly credits, Super at $100 with $110 in credits, and Ultra at $200 with $220 in credits. Model calls, hosted tools, and Hermes Cloud use credits; bringing another provider may create separate charges.
Hermes Desktop
Free
Open-source desktop app and Hermes Agent core.
- MIT license
- No base-app account required
- Bring a provider or use a compatible local model
- Compute and third-party model costs are separate
Nous Portal Free
$0
Portal access limited to free models and standard rate limits.
- $0 monthly credits
- Free models only
- Standard rate limits
Nous Portal Plus
$20/month
Entry paid Portal plan for regular Hermes model and tool use.
- $22 monthly credits
- $10 rollover cap
- 200+ listed models
- Hosted tool usage
- High rate limits
Nous Portal Super
$100/month
Higher-credit plan for heavier recurring use.
- $110 monthly credits
- $50 rollover cap
- 200+ listed models
- Hosted tool usage
- High rate limits
Nous Portal Ultra
$200/month
Largest listed monthly credit allowance.
- $220 monthly credits
- $100 rollover cap
- 200+ listed models
- Hosted tool usage
- High rate limits
Pricing checked . Check current pricing at the source ↗
Assessment
Hermes Desktop strengths and limitations
Where it stands out
- Free, MIT-licensed agent and desktop application
- Persistent sessions, memory, skills, profiles, and scheduled jobs
- Works across macOS, Windows, and Linux
- Supports many model providers instead of one closed model stack
- Rich desktop interface for files, artifacts, terminals, Git, agents, and settings
- Can run locally or connect to remote and cloud-hosted backends
- No Nous account is required for the base app
What to consider
- The app is free, but model inference, hosted tools, remote compute, and cloud hosting can create ongoing costs
- A capable autonomous agent has broad access to files and commands, so permissions and review matter
- YOLO mode bypasses dangerous-command approval prompts and should not be enabled casually
- Persistent memory may retain sensitive or outdated context unless users actively review and separate profiles
- Self-hosted and bring-your-own-provider setups require more configuration than a closed consumer assistant
- Linux installation uses the terminal rather than a packaged installer from the product page
- Switching models mid-conversation can invalidate prompt caches and increase provider cost
Compare
Hermes Desktop alternatives
The right alternative depends on the specific output, workflow, controls and budget your project requires.
Agents
OpenClaw
Choose OpenClaw when a messaging-first personal agent and its connector ecosystem matter more than a desktop-native workspace.
Explore OpenClaw →Coding
Claude Code
Choose Claude Code when the primary job is terminal-based software engineering with Anthropic's agent rather than a broad persistent assistant.
Explore Claude Code →Business Operations
ChatGPT
Choose ChatGPT when you want a managed general assistant with minimal local setup and do not need an open-source agent runtime.
Explore ChatGPT →Questions
Hermes Desktop FAQs
What is Hermes Desktop?
Hermes Desktop is the native graphical interface for Nous Research's Hermes Agent. It uses the same sessions, skills, memory, settings, and tools as the command-line and gateway versions.
Is Hermes Desktop free?
Yes. The app and Hermes Agent core are free under the MIT license. Model APIs, hosted tools, and cloud infrastructure may still cost money.
Do I need a Nous account?
No. The base app can run without one using a supported provider or local endpoint. Nous Portal is optional and bundles model access, hosted tools, credits, and cloud services.
How much does Nous Portal cost?
Current plans are Free at $0, Plus at $20 per month, Super at $100 per month, and Ultra at $200 per month. Paid plans include $22, $110, and $220 in monthly credits respectively.
Can Hermes Desktop control my computer?
Hermes supports computer-use and command tools on supported systems. Keep approvals enabled, restrict its workspace and credentials, and review actions because these capabilities can make consequential changes.
Bottom line
Our Hermes Desktop verdict
Hermes Desktop is one of the more capable options for technical users who want an open, persistent, model-flexible agent without living in a terminal. Its free core is genuinely useful, but the flexibility comes with setup, usage-cost, memory, and permission responsibilities that a managed consumer assistant handles for you.
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