---
title: "OpenClaw vs Hermes: Which AI Assistant Platform is Right for You?"
description: "An in-depth comparison of OpenClaw and Hermes agent platforms to help you choose the right self-hosted AI assistant for your needs."
---

# OpenClaw vs Hermes: Which AI Assistant Platform is Right for You?

Choosing the right AI assistant platform can significantly impact your productivity, privacy, and total cost of ownership. Both OpenClaw and Hermes offer powerful self-hosted AI agent capabilities, but they take fundamentally different approaches to architecture, monetization, and feature access.

This guide breaks down the key differences to help you make an informed decision.

## Quick Comparison

| Feature                       | OpenClaw                                                                                   | Hermes                                         |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **Messaging Channels**        | 16+ (Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, WhatsApp, Teams, Matrix, Voice, and more) | Limited (primarily Telegram-focused)           |
| **Pricing Model**             | Free and open-source                                                                       | Subscription-based tool access via Nous Portal |
| **Tool Access**               | All tools included, no gates                                                               | Premium tools require subscription             |
| **Deployment**                | Docker Compose, one command                                                                | Self-hosted or managed                         |
| **Privacy**                   | No data collection, fully self-hosted                                                      | Self-hosted option available                   |
| **License**                   | MIT-adjacent (open-source)                                                                 | Open-source with subscription features         |
| **Multi-Agent Orchestration** | Paperclip (production-ready)                                                               | Standard agent loop                            |
| **Extension System**          | Native extension system                                                                    | Configuration-based                            |

## When to Choose OpenClaw

**OpenClaw is ideal if you:**

- **Need multi-channel reach** — You want your AI assistant available across Telegram, Discord, Slack, Teams, Signal, and other platforms without managing separate bots
- **Value privacy and control** — You require zero telemetry, no external data collection, and complete ownership of your data
- **Want predictable costs** — You prefer a one-time setup with no recurring subscription fees for tool access
- **Run complex workflows** — You need advanced multi-agent orchestration with Paperclip's proven agent coordination system
- **Build custom extensions** — You plan to develop custom integrations using OpenClaw's extension API
- **Prefer TypeScript/Bun toolchain** — Your team works with modern JavaScript/TypeScript and wants fast, type-safe development

### OpenClaw's Strengths

#### 1. Unmatched Multi-Channel Coverage

OpenClaw supports 16+ messaging platforms out of the box, making it the most comprehensive self-hosted AI assistant for omnichannel communication:

- **Core channels**: Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, WhatsApp Web
- **Enterprise**: Microsoft Teams, Matrix
- **Regional**: Zalo (Vietnam)
- **Voice**: Native voice call support on macOS/iOS/Android

This means one deployment serves all your communication channels — no need to maintain separate bot instances or API integrations.

#### 2. True Privacy-First Architecture

OpenClaw collects zero telemetry and requires no external services to function:

- **Gateway runs on your infrastructure** — Netcup VPS, your own VPS, or local Docker
- **No phone-home behavior** — No analytics, no crash reporting, no usage tracking
- **Bring your own API keys** — Direct OpenAI, Anthropic, or local LLM integration
- **Complete data sovereignty** — Chat history and agent memory stay on your database

For organizations with strict compliance requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2), OpenClaw's architecture means your data never leaves your control.

#### 3. No Subscription Paywalls

While Hermes recently moved to a subscription-based model for tool access (web search, image generation, TTS, browser automation), OpenClaw provides all features without artificial gates:

- **All tools included** — Web search, code execution, file access, API integrations
- **No tiered pricing** — Same features for all users
- **Predictable costs** — Pay only for your LLM API usage (OpenAI, Anthropic) or run local models for free

The only recurring costs are your cloud infrastructure (if not self-hosted) and LLM API usage — both of which you control.

#### 4. Production-Ready Multi-Agent Coordination

OpenClaw ships with **Paperclip**, an enterprise-grade agent orchestration platform that powers MINION's 20+ internal agents:

- **Agent-to-agent collaboration** — Supervisors, researchers, implementers working together
- **Resource management** — Budget tracking, billing codes, priority queues
- **Audit trail** — Complete run history, checkout system, dependency tracking
- **Proven at scale** — Handles concurrent agent runs with proper isolation

This is the same system that coordinates MINION's development team — battle-tested for real-world complexity.

## When to Choose Hermes

**Hermes may be better if you:**

- **Prefer managed tool access** — You want Nous to handle tool infrastructure and don't mind subscription fees
- **Focus on Telegram** — Your primary use case is Telegram-based interaction
- **Want simpler onboarding** — Hermes has streamlined setup flows and comprehensive documentation
- **Need subscription support** — You prefer vendor-managed tool gateway with support included

### Hermes's Strengths

#### 1. Managed Tool Gateway

Hermes's v0.10.0 release introduced a subscription-based Tool Gateway through Nous Portal:

- **Managed infrastructure** — Nous handles web search, image generation, TTS, and browser automation
- **No API key management** — Tools are pre-configured and rate-limited per subscription tier
- **Support included** — Issues with tools are handled by Nous support team

This is convenient if you prefer outsourcing tool infrastructure rather than managing your own API keys and rate limits.

#### 2. Streamlined Onboarding

Hermes has invested heavily in documentation and setup flows:

- **Comprehensive tool docs** — Detailed eligibility, setup, precedence rules, status checking
- **Curses-based prompts** — Interactive terminal UI for configuration
- **Self-hosted fallback** — Option to use your own API keys if you outgrow subscriptions

For users new to self-hosted AI assistants, Hermes's guided setup can reduce initial friction.

## Architecture Comparison

### OpenClaw Architecture

```
┌─────────────────┐
│   Messaging     │ ← Telegram, Discord, Slack, Teams, Signal...
│   Channels      │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
    ┌────▼────────────────┐
    │  OpenClaw Gateway   │ ← Bun HTTP, Docker + systemd
    │  (Self-Hosted)      │
    └────┬────────────────┘
         │
    ┌────▼─────┐  ┌──────────┐
    │  Turso   │  │ Paperclip│ ← Agent orchestration
    │ (LibSQL) │  │ (Docker) │
    └──────────┘  └──────────┘
         │
    ┌────▼────────────┐
    │  LLM Providers  │ ← Anthropic, OpenAI, Ollama
    └─────────────────┘
```

**Key characteristics:**

- **Stateless gateway** — Horizontally scalable
- **Edge database** — Turso provides low-latency global read replicas
- **Orchestration layer** — Paperclip handles complex multi-agent workflows
- **Pluggable LLMs** — Switch providers without refactoring

### Hermes Architecture

```
┌─────────────┐
│  Telegram   │ ← Primary channel
└──────┬──────┘
       │
  ┌────▼────────────┐
  │ Hermes Agent    │ ← Python-based
  └────┬────────────┘
       │
  ┌────▼─────────────────┐
  │ Tool Gateway (Paid)  │ ← Nous Portal subscription
  │ OR Self-Hosted Keys  │
  └────┬─────────────────┘
       │
  ┌────▼────────┐
  │ LLM Provider│ ← Configurable
  └─────────────┘
```

**Key characteristics:**

- **Monolithic agent** — Single agent loop per instance
- **Tool gateway** — Centralized tool access via Nous or self-hosted
- **Subscription model** — Premium features require Nous Portal account

## Feature Deep Dive

### Tool Access

**OpenClaw:**

- All tools included by default
- Bring your own API keys (Brave Search, ElevenLabs, etc.)
- No artificial feature gates
- Local tools (code execution, file access) work offline

**Hermes:**

- Free tier: limited tools
- Paid tier: web search, image gen, TTS, browser automation
- Per-tool opt-in flags (`use_gateway`)
- Self-hosted alternative available but requires manual setup

**Winner:** OpenClaw for cost predictability and feature completeness

### Multi-Channel Support

**OpenClaw:**

- 16+ messaging platforms
- Unified identity graph across channels
- Cross-channel conversation threading
- Channel-specific features (voice on Telegram, slash commands on Discord)

**Hermes:**

- Primarily Telegram
- Limited multi-channel documentation
- Telegram-first design

**Winner:** OpenClaw for organizations using multiple communication platforms

### Memory & Context

**OpenClaw:**

- SQLite FTS5 memory search
- Cross-session context retention
- Markdown-based memory storage
- Roadmap: Letta-inspired memory system (Q3 2026)

**Hermes:**

- Standard conversation history
- Configuration-based memory limits
- No advanced memory architecture documented

**Winner:** Tie (both use standard approaches; OpenClaw has stronger roadmap)

### Voice Capabilities

**OpenClaw:**

- Native voice support on Telegram, Discord, iMessage
- Whisper.cpp integration for local STT
- macOS/iOS voice call support
- Roadmap: Real-time voice with sub-100ms latency (Q3 2026)

**Hermes:**

- TTS via Tool Gateway (subscription required)
- Standard voice message handling

**Winner:** OpenClaw for native voice integration and local processing

### Developer Experience

**OpenClaw:**

- TypeScript + Bun (fast, type-safe)
- Extension API for custom integrations
- MCP (Model Context Protocol) native support
- Hot reload in development
- Comprehensive TypeScript types

**Hermes:**

- Python-based
- Configuration-driven customization
- Standard Python package ecosystem

**Winner:** Depends on team preference (TypeScript vs Python)

## Cost Analysis

### OpenClaw Total Cost of Ownership (1 year)

| Component                                  | Cost                              |
| ------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------- |
| Infrastructure (Netcup VPS or self-hosted) | $60-120/year (or $0 self-hosted)  |
| Domain + SSL                               | $15/year (optional)               |
| LLM API (Anthropic Claude)                 | ~$50-500/month (usage-based)      |
| Tool APIs (Brave Search, etc.)             | $0-50/month (usage-based)         |
| **Total Year 1**                           | **$675-6,195** (depends on usage) |

**OpenClaw cost drivers:**

- LLM API usage (largest variable)
- Optional: managed infrastructure
- Optional: premium tool APIs

**Cost optimization:**

- Use local LLMs (Ollama, LM Studio) → $0 LLM costs
- Self-host gateway on existing hardware → $0 infrastructure
- Use free tool alternatives (DuckDuckGo vs Brave Search)

**Minimum viable cost:** $0/year (fully local setup)

### Hermes Total Cost of Ownership (1 year)

| Component                            | Cost           |
| ------------------------------------ | -------------- |
| Nous Portal subscription (estimated) | $10-50/month\* |
| Infrastructure (if self-hosted)      | $60-120/year   |
| LLM API (if not included)            | $50-500/month  |
| **Total Year 1**                     | **$780-6,600** |

\*Nous Portal pricing not publicly available; estimate based on similar services

**Hermes cost drivers:**

- Subscription fees for tool access
- LLM API usage (if not bundled)
- Infrastructure (if self-hosted)

**Cost optimization:**

- Use self-hosted tools instead of subscriptions (requires API key management)
- Hermes free tier for basic usage

### Cost Winner

**OpenClaw** has lower total cost of ownership if you:

- Self-host infrastructure
- Use local LLMs or optimize API usage
- Don't need Hermes's managed tool gateway

**Hermes** may be competitive if:

- Nous Portal subscription is cheaper than managing separate tool APIs
- You value convenience over cost

## Migration Paths

### Moving from Hermes to OpenClaw

1. **Export conversation history** — Download Hermes database/logs
2. **Deploy OpenClaw gateway** — Follow Docker Compose quickstart
3. **Configure channels** — Add Telegram, Discord, Slack bots
4. **Import identity mappings** — Map Hermes users to OpenClaw identities
5. **Set up tool APIs** — Configure Brave Search, ElevenLabs, etc.

**Time estimate:** 2-4 hours for basic migration

### Moving from OpenClaw to Hermes

1. **Export OpenClaw database** — Backup Turso/SQLite data
2. **Set up Hermes instance** — Follow Hermes installation guide
3. **Subscribe to Nous Portal** — Enable tool gateway (if needed)
4. **Configure Telegram bot** — Primary channel setup
5. **Manually recreate extensions** — Hermes doesn't support OpenClaw's extension API

**Time estimate:** 1-2 hours (fewer channels to configure)

## Real-World Use Cases

### OpenClaw Excels At

**Enterprise Multi-Team Coordination**

- 20-person engineering team using Slack, Discord, and Telegram
- Paperclip coordinates agent workflows across teams
- Private deployment meets compliance requirements
- Total cost: $200/month (VPS + LLM API)

**Developer Productivity Assistant**

- Individual developer with GitHub, Jira, Grafana integrations
- Custom extensions for project-specific tools
- Local LLM (Ollama) for free inference
- Total cost: $0/month (self-hosted + local LLM)

**Multi-Channel Customer Support**

- Support team using WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord
- Unified identity graph prevents duplicate conversations
- Agent memory retains customer context across channels
- Total cost: $150/month (VPS + Claude Haiku for fast responses)

### Hermes Excels At

**Personal Telegram Assistant**

- Individual user wants simple Telegram bot
- Prefers managed tool infrastructure over API key management
- Willing to pay subscription for convenience
- Total cost: $20/month (Nous Portal subscription)

**Rapid Prototyping**

- Developer testing AI assistant concepts
- Needs quick setup without infrastructure decisions
- Plans to migrate to custom solution later
- Total cost: $10/month (Nous Portal free tier)

## Security & Privacy

### OpenClaw Security Model

- **Zero telemetry** — No analytics, crash reports, or phone-home behavior
- **Self-hosted gateway** — TLS termination on your infrastructure
- **Encrypted storage** — SQLCipher support for database encryption
- **API key isolation** — Keys stored in environment variables, never in code
- **Audit trail** — Paperclip tracks all agent actions with run history
- **OWASP compliance** — Regular security audits (see MIN-1011)

### Hermes Security Model

- **Subscription authentication** — Nous Portal manages tool access
- **Self-hosted option** — Run tools on your infrastructure with your keys
- **Standard Python security** — Depends on Python package ecosystem
- **API key management** — Store keys in config or environment

### Privacy Comparison

**OpenClaw:**

- Data never leaves your infrastructure (if fully self-hosted)
- No third-party dependencies for core functionality
- Optional: use Nous Portal or other managed services if desired

**Hermes:**

- Tool Gateway routes through Nous Portal (if using subscription)
- Self-hosted mode available for full privacy
- Conversation data stays local

**Winner:** OpenClaw for default privacy; Hermes requires self-hosted mode for equivalence

## Community & Support

### OpenClaw Community

- **GitHub**: github.com/NikolasP98/minion-ai
- **Docs**: docs.minion.ai (Mintlify)
- **License**: MIT-adjacent (open-source)
- **Development**: Active (daily commits)
- **Extensions**: Community-contributed plugins
- **Support**: Community Discord, GitHub issues

### Hermes Community

- **GitHub**: github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent
- **Docs**: Comprehensive tool gateway documentation
- **License**: Open-source with subscription features
- **Development**: Very active (v0.10.0 recent major release)
- **Support**: Nous Portal support (for subscribers), GitHub issues

### Community Winner

**Tie** — Both have active development and community support. OpenClaw has broader channel support community; Hermes has subscription support option.

## Roadmap & Future Direction

### OpenClaw 2026 Roadmap

**Q2 2026:**

- MCP auto-discovery (zero-config tool provisioning)
- Memory system architecture (Letta-inspired)
- Voice v2 technical spike

**Q3 2026:**

- Advanced memory system (retain/recall/reflect)
- Real-time voice (<100ms latency)
- Mobile web notifications

**Q4 2026:**

- Multi-agent supervisor pattern
- Native iOS app (beta)
- MCP plugin marketplace

**Focus:** Memory, voice, mobile, multi-agent orchestration

### Hermes 2026 Direction

Based on recent releases:

- Subscription monetization expansion
- Tool gateway improvements
- Documentation enhancements
- Community integrations

**Focus:** Managed services, tool ecosystem, Telegram optimization

## Decision Framework

### Choose OpenClaw if you prioritize:

1. **Multi-channel reach** (>3 messaging platforms)
2. **Privacy and data sovereignty** (no external dependencies)
3. **Cost predictability** (no subscriptions)
4. **Multi-agent workflows** (Paperclip orchestration)
5. **Custom extensions** (TypeScript plugin API)
6. **Voice capabilities** (native integration)

### Choose Hermes if you prioritize:

1. **Managed tool infrastructure** (outsource tool API management)
2. **Telegram-first simplicity** (single primary channel)
3. **Vendor support** (Nous Portal subscription support)
4. **Quick setup** (guided onboarding)
5. **Python ecosystem** (familiar stack)

## Conclusion

Both OpenClaw and Hermes are capable self-hosted AI assistant platforms, but they serve different needs:

**OpenClaw** is the right choice for organizations and power users who need comprehensive multi-channel support, privacy guarantees, and advanced orchestration capabilities. The upfront setup investment pays off with lower total cost of ownership and complete control.

**Hermes** works well for individual users who prefer managed tool infrastructure and are willing to pay subscription fees for convenience. The Telegram-first design and guided onboarding reduce time-to-value.

For most teams building serious AI agent workflows, **OpenClaw's combination of multi-channel support, zero subscription costs, and Paperclip orchestration** provides the best foundation for long-term growth.

## Try OpenClaw

Ready to get started with OpenClaw?

```bash
npm install -g @nikolasp98/minion-ai
minion onboard
```

Full documentation: [docs.minion.ai](https://docs.minion.ai)

---

**Questions?** Join our Discord or open a GitHub issue. We're here to help you choose the right platform for your needs — even if that's not OpenClaw.
