head to head · open source
OpenClaw vs Hermes Agent
OpenClaw has 389,982 GitHub stars, 81,978 forks, 6,671 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Hermes Agent has 246,492 stars, 51,615 forks, 41,784 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenClaw leads on adoption by 58% (389,982 vs 246,492 stars). OpenClaw is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Hermes Agent is written in Python under MIT. OpenClaw has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, Hermes Agent 21%. OpenClaw was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (ai), 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
| OpenClaw | Hermes Agent | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 390K | ★ 246K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 82K | ⑂ 52K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenClaw if
- You weight community size — 390K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Hermes Agent if
- You want the Hermes Agent feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Hermes Agent fits your workflow better
About OpenClaw
OpenClaw is an open source, self hosted AI assistant in the AI & Machine Learning / AI Interaction & Interfaces category that runs on hardware the user controls and meets them inside the messaging channels they already use, for individuals who want a personal assistant on a laptop and teams that want a shared deployment.
read the full OpenClaw overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenClaw or Hermes Agent more popular?
OpenClaw has 389,982 GitHub stars and Hermes Agent has 246,492. OpenClaw has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenClaw and Hermes Agent free?
Both are open source. OpenClaw has no licence declared in this registry, and Hermes Agent is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between OpenClaw and Hermes Agent?
OpenClaw is written in TypeScript and Hermes Agent 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, OpenClaw or Hermes Agent?
Choose OpenClaw if you want the larger community (389,982 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Hermes Agent if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.