head to head · open source
Hermes Agent vs row-bot
Hermes Agent has 246,618 GitHub stars, 51,659 forks, 41,784 open issues and last shipped today. row-bot has 1,495 stars, 172 forks, 31 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Hermes Agent leads on adoption by 16,396% (246,618 vs 1,495 stars). Hermes Agent is written in Python under MIT; row-bot is written in Python under Apache-2.0. Hermes Agent has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, row-bot 12%. Hermes Agent was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| Hermes Agent | row-bot | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 247K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 52K | ⑂ 172 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Hermes Agent if
- You weight community size — 247K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick row-bot if
- You want the row-bot feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and row-bot fits your workflow better
About Hermes Agent
Hermes Agent is a desktop AI agent developed by Nous Research that maintains persistent memory and self improving capabilities across sessions and platforms. It operates as a local first, cross platform interface for LLMs, integrating with multiple model providers and deployment environments without vendor lock in. The agent implements a closed learning loop where it curates its own memory, creates and refines skills from experience, and supports cross session recall via full text search and summarization.
read the full Hermes Agent overview →
About row-bot
Row Bot (formerly Thoth) Row Bot is a local first desktop AI assistant for doing real work with models, memory, and tools. Its name is the operating model: Reason through messy context, Orchestrate tools and model providers, and Work inside the files, repos, workflows, and channels you choose. It combines chat, durable memory, tool use, Agent Profiles, Goal Mode, automatic parent led agent orchestration, profile first workflows, Developer Studio, Designer Studio, Smart Skills, Skills Hub, Custom Tools, Plugin System v2, progressive external tool and skill discovery, context metering and rolling compaction, provid…
read the full row-bot overview →
More in AI & Machine Learning
Related comparisons
More AI Interaction & Interfaces projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the AI Interaction & Interfaces field.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hermes Agent or row-bot more popular?
Hermes Agent has 246,618 GitHub stars and row-bot has 1,495. Hermes Agent has the larger community by that measure.
Are Hermes Agent and row-bot free?
Both are open source. Hermes Agent is licensed under MIT and row-bot under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Hermes Agent and row-bot?
Hermes Agent is written in Python and row-bot in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Hermes Agent or row-bot?
Choose Hermes Agent if you want the larger community (246,618 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose row-bot if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.