head to head · open source
ego-lite vs hermes-browser-extension
ego-lite has 21,536 GitHub stars, 1,210 forks, 169 open issues and last shipped yesterday. hermes-browser-extension has 1,774 stars, 169 forks, 15 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. ego-lite leads on adoption by 1,114% (21,536 vs 1,774 stars). ego-lite is written in JavaScript under MIT; hermes-browser-extension is written in JavaScript under MIT. ego-lite has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, hermes-browser-extension 10%. ego-lite was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ai-agent, hermes-agent), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| ego-lite | hermes-browser-extension | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 22K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.2K | ⑂ 169 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick ego-lite if
- You weight community size — 22K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick hermes-browser-extension if
- You want the hermes-browser-extension feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and hermes-browser-extension fits your workflow better
About ego-lite
The fastest browser for AI agents to run browser automation ego (lite) is a browser where you and your AI agents work in parallel. Your agents run multiple browser tasks in their own Spaces while your tabs stay yours, and tasks complete faster on fewer tokens. Existing tools like browser use and agent browser are browser automation frameworks: they need a separate browser to drive, logins never carry cleanly, and you and the agent end up fighting for the same tabs. ego lite is one browser designed from the start for the two of you to share. No extra setup, and the agent can always reach your real logins and tabs…
read the full ego-lite overview →
About hermes-browser-extension
Hermes Browser Extension Browser native side panel for Hermes Agent — connect active web context through a local gateway, Hermes Cloud, or a self hosted remote gateway. Created by Jon Komet ( @abundantbeing ). Community extension for Hermes Agent by Nous Research. Public v0.3.2 · Load unpacked · Local / Hermes Cloud / Remote · Full Hermes runtime tools Not on the Chrome Web Store yet. What it is Hermes Browser Extension is not a browser chatbot. It is a Chrome/Edge/Chromium side panel for the real Hermes Agent runtime. Choose a local gateway, attach to a signed in Hermes Cloud agent tab, or connect to a self…
read the full hermes-browser-extension overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is ego-lite or hermes-browser-extension more popular?
ego-lite has 21,536 GitHub stars and hermes-browser-extension has 1,774. ego-lite has the larger community by that measure.
Are ego-lite and hermes-browser-extension free?
Both are open source. ego-lite is licensed under MIT and hermes-browser-extension under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between ego-lite and hermes-browser-extension?
ego-lite is written in JavaScript and hermes-browser-extension in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, ego-lite or hermes-browser-extension?
Choose ego-lite if you want the larger community (21,536 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose hermes-browser-extension if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.