Technical users who want a self-hosted agent that builds its own skills can run it free under MIT, paying only for models.

Kenning's take

What it does

Hermes Agent is a free, open-source autonomous agent from Nous Research that keeps a memory of projects and writes its own reusable skills. It can be reached from the terminal, a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux, or messaging apps such as Telegram, Slack and WhatsApp. Users plug in their own model provider or buy credits through Nous Portal.

• Persistent memory and self-written skills
• Works in Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal and email
• Scheduled tasks in plain language
• Subagents and sandboxed execution
• Hermes Desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux

Who it suits. Developers and technical users who want a self-hosted agent that learns over time.

Key facts

Category

Developer tools

Made by

Nous Research

Launched

2025

How to get it

free download (desktop app or terminal install); optional Nous Portal account and cloud hosting

Works on

macos, Windows, Linux, cli

In the UK

Yes

Free plan

yes, free and open source

API price

none: pay your chosen model provider or Nous Portal

FAQ

Facts from the maker's own pages and the sources listed. Checked 2026-10-11.