Hermes vs OpenClaw: which one to run
Hermes and OpenClaw are both open-source agents, and both run on Sokko the same way, so this is not a pitch for one over the other. It is a guide to picking the one that fits what you are trying to do.
The short version: Hermes is a self-improving agent from Nous Research built around lasting memory and a skills library it sharpens over time; OpenClaw is a gateway assistant you talk to across chat channels, backed by more than 1,000 community skills. If you want an agent that gets sharper at your work over weeks, lean Hermes. If you want one you message from Telegram or Slack like a contact, lean OpenClaw. Either way, you deploy it on its own private machine in about a minute.
Choose Hermes if you want an agent that sharpens at your work over weeks through lasting memory. Choose OpenClaw if you want an assistant you message across Telegram, Slack and Discord like a contact.
Hermes vs OpenClaw at a glance
The ✓ marks the stronger option per line; ○ means it is a wash or a matter of taste.
Who each one is for
- You want memory and skills that carry forward between sessions.
- Your work is deep and ongoing, not quick chat replies.
- You are happy working from a dashboard and terminal.
- You want to message your agent from Telegram, Slack or Discord.
- Reach across chat channels matters more than self-improvement.
- You want a big library of community skills to draw on.
How they differ
Hermes: memory that compounds
Hermes keeps long-lived memory and revises its own skills after each task, so the tenth brief is sharper than the first. Pick it when you want an agent that improves by working.
OpenClaw: lives in your chat apps
OpenClaw answers across WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord and more, with over 1,000 community skills to install. Pick it when reach and channels matter more than self-improvement.
Model choice
Hermes works with 200+ models through the provider you pick and needs a model key set before it starts. OpenClaw is also model-flexible; both let you bring your own key or use Sokko credits.
What you talk to
OpenClaw is one assistant you message like a person. Hermes is more of a working agent with a dashboard and terminal, aimed at longer, deeper tasks.
Deploy either one on Sokko
Pick a plan
Both runtimes start at Cookie, $12 a month, for the always-on machine. Model usage is separate: your own API key or Sokko credits, with $100 in trial credits to start.
Choose the runtime
In the dashboard, pick Hermes or OpenClaw and name it. About a minute later it is live at your-name.sokko.ai, private to your team, in a US or EU region.
Point it at what it needs
For Hermes, add a model provider and key so it can wake up. For OpenClaw, open the Channels tab and connect Telegram with one scan, or paste a bot token. Not sure which to run? Deploy one, and add the other later.
Pick by what you are building
A research analyst that compounds
Weeks of briefs that build on each other suit Hermes, because its memory and skills carry forward instead of resetting each session.
An assistant in your chat apps
A helper you message from Telegram or Slack all day suits OpenClaw, which is built to be reachable across channels like a contact.
A personal assistant with real memory
Either works, but if remembering you across months is the point, Hermes leans into persistent memory; OpenClaw leans into being everywhere you already chat.
Questions people ask
Hermes or OpenClaw, which should I pick?
Pick Hermes for an agent that improves at your work over time through lasting memory and self-editing skills. Pick OpenClaw for an assistant you message across chat channels. Both run on Sokko, so you can also try one and switch.
Can I run both at once?
Yes. They deploy as separate agents. Many people run OpenClaw as the chat-facing assistant and Hermes as the deeper working agent, each on its own machine.
Do both keep memory between restarts?
Both keep their files and memory across restarts on Sokko. Hermes is built around memory as a core feature; OpenClaw keeps a working memory and its workspace files. Company-wide shared memory is a paid add-on for either.
Does either need a model key up front?
Hermes needs a model provider configured before it stays up, so setup asks for one. For both, you bring your own key or use Sokko credits; new accounts get $100 in trial credits.