{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "hermes-agent", "name": "Hermes Agent", "vendor": "Nous Research", "vendorUrl": "https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com", "kind": "harness", "category": "personal-assistants", "summary": "Open-source personal agent from Nous Research that the owner runs on a computer or server. It answers on messaging apps, keeps memory between sessions, runs scheduled jobs and connects to accounts, models and MCP servers the owner configures.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/hermes-agent", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/hermes-agent.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/hermes-agent.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/hermes-agent.json", "repo": "https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent", "license": "MIT", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "oci", "name": "nousresearch/hermes-agent" } ], "auth": "none", "authNotes": "No account of its own. Model and channel keys go in `~/.hermes/.env` or come from Bitwarden, 1Password or a command helper at start-up. Google Workspace, MCP servers and Nous Portal sign in by OAuth, with tokens stored under `~/.hermes/`. The optional API server takes a bearer key set in `API_SERVER_KEY`.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free under the MIT licence. The owner pays the model provider chosen, or nothing with a local model. Nous Portal plans ($0, $20, $100 and $200 a month in credits) and Hermes Cloud hosting ($0.51 a day running on the Standard size, plus inference) are optional and sold separately.", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 on Hermes Agent's own interfaces. An optional skill lets the agent pay other services over MPP, which is a client and not a way to pay for Hermes (checked 2026-10-12).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 253000, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-12" }, "docsUrl": "https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/docs/", "llmsTxt": "https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "assistant.proactive", "assistant.messaging", "assistant.accounts", "assistant.memory", "assistant.self-hosted", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "self-hosted", "local", "free", "no-card", "python", "docker", "llms-txt", "pre-1.0" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-11", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 67.9, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 244, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 986, "categoryRank": 3, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 80, "maintenance": 84, "payments": 60, "reliability": 57, "schema": 80, "security": 75, "transparency": 63 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-12" }, "negative": -3, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-10-08. The v0.21.6 release notes list six security fixes, among them a native sign-in flaw that could send login codes to a non-loopback redirect and a quoted display name in the `From` header that affected the email gateway's sender check. SECURITY.md counts unauthorised access to an external surface as in scope, yet the repository shows no published advisory, so owners on older versions have no advisory to act on. Fixed and described in the notes, -3. https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/releases/tag/v0.21.6; https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/security/advisories" ], "verdict": "Card payments always ask first and are refused in unattended sessions, and the messaging gateway denies every sender until an allowlist is set. Shell commands run on the host by default with a model judging risk, and sending mail through the Google Workspace skill is held back only by an instruction to the model.", "bestFor": "A technical owner who wants one always-on agent across chat apps with memory and scheduled jobs, on their own machine or a small server, with any model.", "strengths": [ "Every saved-card fill asks for approval, and cron, webhook and API sessions are refused because nobody can confirm", "The messaging gateway denies all senders until an allowlist or a pairing code approved on the CLI is in place", "The docs say no telemetry, usage data or analytics is collected, and conversations, memory and skills stay in `~/.hermes/`", "SECURITY.md states that in-process checks are not a boundary and names OS-level isolation as the only one", "Ten releases between 19 August and 11 October 2026, the latest v0.21.7 on 11 October" ], "weaknesses": [ "The default terminal backend runs commands on the host, and the default `smart` mode lets an auxiliary model approve commands it rates low-risk", "The Google Workspace skill requests full Gmail, Calendar and Drive scopes, and its confirm-before-sending rule is an instruction in SKILL.md, not enforced in code", "Memory writes are saved without approval by default (`memory.write_approval: false`), including from a background review after each turn", "Release v0.21.6 of 8 October 2026 lists six security fixes and the repository has no published security advisory", "15,102 open issues and more than 5,000 open pull requests on 12 October 2026", "The Nous Portal terms grant Nous a licence to train models on customer data when the Portal is the model provider" ], "agentNotes": [ "Set `approvals.mode: manual` before giving it real accounts. The default `smart` lets an auxiliary model approve commands", "Run the gateway with `terminal.backend: docker` or the project's Docker image when it reads mail, web pages or group chats", "Set `memory.write_approval: true` and `skills.write_approval: true` to review what it saves about the owner", "Leave `approvals.cron_mode` and `approvals.unattended_mode` at `deny` for scheduled and webhook runs", "Set `TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USERS` or the matching allowlist per channel. Never set `GATEWAY_ALLOW_ALL_USERS=true`" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 67.9 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 80, "maintenance": 84, "payments": 60, "reliability": 57, "schema": 80, "security": 75, "transparency": 73 }, "provenanceScore": 53 }, "connect": { "install": "curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash # then: hermes setup", "headless": { "command": "hermes chat -q \"$TASK\" --format stream-json --max-turns 30" } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/assistant.proactive", "tool": "https://letme.dev/hermes-agent" }, "area": "frameworks", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Nous Research, Inc.", "domain": "nousresearch.com", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/releases", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-12", "notes": [ "The site footer reads Nous Research, Inc., and the Nous Portal terms name it as a Delaware corporation.", "No terms or privacy link is given. The Nous Portal terms and privacy policy (both dated 28 September 2026) govern the optional Portal and Hermes Cloud services, not the software the owner runs under the MIT licence, so the licence stands in.", "hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/.well-known/security.txt answered 404. SECURITY.md in the repository gives security@nousresearch.com and GitHub private reporting.", "No status page applies to software the owner runs. None was looked for on the Portal.", "The domain registration date was not looked up." ], "score": 53 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/hermes-agent.json" }, "answer": "Hermes Agent scores 67.9 (B) on agent readiness against Zo Computer's 43.1 (E), and leads in every scored category.", "b": { "slug": "zo-computer", "name": "Zo Computer", "vendor": "Zo Computer Company", "vendorUrl": "https://www.zo.computer", "kind": "http-api", "category": "personal-assistants", "summary": "Hosted personal assistant from Zo Computer Company that runs on a cloud Linux computer assigned to each user. It answers by web chat, SMS, email, Slack, Discord and Telegram, runs scheduled automations, and has an HTTP API and MCP endpoint.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/zo-computer", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/zo-computer.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/zo-computer.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/zo-computer.json", "license": "Proprietary service under Zo Computer Company's terms of service", "transports": [ "http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.zo.computer/mcp", "packages": [], "auth": "api-key", "authNotes": "A bearer access token with the prefix `zo_sk_`, created by the owner under Settings \u003e Advanced and shown once. The same token is used for the HTTP API and the MCP endpoint, and both guides say it grants full access to the workspace. No scoped, read-only or expiring token and no OAuth flow for outside clients were found in the docs. Whether a token can be revoked individually is not stated on the pages read. `GET /models/catalog` needs no authentication. Sign-up is in a browser behind Cloudflare Turnstile.", "pricing": "freemium", "pricingNotes": "Free Trial is $0 for 14 days with no card, then ordinary computer access ends. Basic is $18 a month with $10 of AI credit, Pro $64 with $40 and Ultra $200 with $100. API and MCP access are included on all plans. Chat is billed at per-token rates on the models pages, which we did not read, and media at fixed per-request prices from $0.035. A user's own model API key can replace Zo-billed usage (checked 2026-10-12).", "priceSummary": "$18 / mo", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the API guide, the OpenAPI file, the billing guide or the pricing page, checked 12 October 2026. Billing is a Stripe subscription with prepaid credits.", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-12" }, "docsUrl": "https://www.zo.computer/guide", "llmsTxt": "https://www.zo.computer/llms.txt", "openapi": "https://www.zo.computer/docs-assets/openapi.json", "capabilities": [ "assistant.proactive", "assistant.messaging", "assistant.accounts", "assistant.memory", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "official", "hosted", "closed-source", "assistant", "mcp", "openapi", "llms-txt", "free-trial" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-14", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 43.1, "grade": "E", "agentReady": false, "rank": 911, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 986, "categoryRank": 13, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 34, "maintenance": 68, "payments": 40, "reliability": 15, "schema": 73, "security": 37, "transparency": 60 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-12" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "Zo publishes an OpenAPI file, Markdown docs, plan prices and a named list of the providers that receive user content. One access token grants full access to the workspace, no approval step before sending or buying was found in the reviewed docs, and no status page, rate limit or SLA is published.", "bestFor": "One person who wants a hosted assistant with its own Linux machine, reachable by text message and chat apps, and who accepts that the assistant acts on connected accounts without a documented approval step.", "strengths": [ "OpenAPI 3.1 file, llms.txt and a Markdown copy of every guide and reference page are public", "Persona permissions remove tools from a conversation, with 19 named scopes and a Read only preset", "The security page names each infrastructure, inference and tool provider and states which can see user content", "Plan prices, included AI credit and per-request media prices are public, with a 14-day trial that needs no card", "Dated weekly changelog, with nine weekly entries between 20 July and 14 September 2026" ], "weaknesses": [ "The access token for the API and MCP endpoint grants full access to the workspace, with no scoped or read-only token documented", "No approval step before sending mail, posting or buying was found. The browser guide says Zo can buy and send on signed-in sites", "No status page, incident history, rate limit figures or SLA were found on the pages read", "The privacy policy lists only email address, trackers, usage data and SMS data, and does not describe workspace files, memory or connected accounts", "Memory storage and deletion are not documented beyond a design aim and whole-account deletion or factory reset" ], "agentNotes": [ "Send `POST https://api.zo.computer/zo/ask` with `Authorization: Bearer zo_sk_...` and an `input` string. The owner creates the token under Settings \u003e Advanced", "Pass `persona_id` for a persona with a narrow tool set. The token itself carries every permission the owner has", "Set `memory_mode` to `off` to keep workspace memory out of a request. The field is in the OpenAPI file and absent from the API guide", "Do not retry `/zo/ask` blindly after a timeout. No idempotency key is documented and the request may already have sent a message", "Append `.md` to any guide or reference URL for Markdown" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "E", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 43.1 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 34, "maintenance": 68, "payments": 40, "reliability": 15, "schema": 73, "security": 37, "transparency": 46 }, "provenanceScore": 73 }, "connect": { "http": "curl -X POST https://api.zo.computer/zo/ask \\\n -H \"Authorization: Bearer zo_sk_your_key_here\" \\\n -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" \\\n -d '{\"input\": \"Hello, Zo!\"}'", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http zo https://api.zo.computer/mcp --header \"Authorization: Bearer zo_sk_your_key_here\"", "config": { "mcpServers": { "zo": { "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer zo_sk_your_key_here" }, "type": "http", "url": "https://api.zo.computer/mcp" } } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/assistant.proactive", "tool": "https://letme.dev/zo-computer" }, "area": "frameworks", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Basic plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 18, "note": "Includes $10 of AI credit a month." }, { "item": "Pro plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 64, "note": "Includes $40 of AI credit a month." }, { "item": "Ultra plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 200, "note": "Includes $100 of AI credit a month." } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Zo Computer Company", "domain": "zo.computer", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://www.zo.computer/reference/information/terms", "privacy": "https://www.zo.computer/reference/information/privacy-policy", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://www.zo.computer/updates", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-10-12", "notes": [ "The terms of service name Zo Computer Company at 13 Grattan St Unit 102, Brooklyn, NY 11206, under New York law. They were last updated on 8 August 2025.", "The terms refer to an Acceptable Use Policy that we did not find linked from the pages read.", "security.txt at www.zo.computer/.well-known/security.txt gives a contact, a policy link and an expiry of 8 April 2027.", "No status page is linked from the home page, the docs index, the security page or the help centre home page.", "The API and MCP endpoint are on api.zo.computer. The domain's registration date was not looked up.", "The X handle is the one the home page footer links." ], "score": 73 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/zo-computer.json", "live": { "slug": "zo-computer", "probe": { "target": "https://api.zo.computer/mcp", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-12T19:01:35.563750129Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 405, "lastMs": 472, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 320, "p95ms24h": 1228, "samples24h": 18, "samples30d": 18, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-12", "probes": 18, "ok": 18 } ] }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-12T19:01:35.563750129Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "Agent harness", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Nous Research", "b": "Zo Computer Company", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "https://api.zo.computer/mcp", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "", "b": "HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "None", "b": "API key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Free", "b": "Freemium", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "MIT", "b": "Proprietary service under Zo Computer Company's terms of service", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-10-11", "b": "2026-09-14", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "2025-08-08", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "2026-05-20", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "253k stars", "b": "none", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Hermes Agent scores 67.9 (B) on agent readiness against Zo Computer's 43.1 (E), and leads in every scored category.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Hermes Agent or Zo Computer?" }, { "answer": "No hosted endpoint is listed for Hermes Agent. Zo Computer has a hosted endpoint at https://api.zo.computer/mcp.", "question": "Can an agent call Hermes Agent and Zo Computer without installing anything?" }, { "answer": "Hermes Agent is open source (MIT). No open-source release is listed for Zo Computer.", "question": "Are Hermes Agent and Zo Computer open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 57 against 15", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 80 against 73", "Agent ergonomics, 80 against 34", "Security \u0026 auth, 75 against 37", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 40", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 84 against 68" ], "also": [ "No key needed to call it", "Free to start without a card", "Open source" ], "goodFor": "A technical owner who wants one always-on agent across chat apps with memory and scheduled jobs, on their own machine or a small server, with any model.", "slug": "hermes-agent", "watchFor": "The default terminal backend runs commands on the host, and the default `smart` mode lets an auxiliary model approve commands it rates low-risk" }, { "aheadOn": null, "also": [ "A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install", "No incidents deducted, where Hermes Agent loses 3 points for them" ], "goodFor": "One person who wants a hosted assistant with its own Linux machine, reachable by text message and chat apps, and who accepts that the assistant acts on connected accounts without a documented approval step.", "slug": "zo-computer", "watchFor": "The access token for the API and MCP endpoint grants full access to the workspace, with no scoped or read-only token documented" } ], "job": { "capability": "assistant.proactive", "name": "Assistant proactive" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-hermes-agent.json", "title": "AstrBot vs Hermes Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-hermes-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "AstrBot vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-hermes-agent.json", "title": "CowAgent vs Hermes Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-hermes-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "CowAgent vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-hermes-agent.json", "title": "GAIA vs Hermes Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-hermes-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "GAIA vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-hermes-agent.json", "title": "Gemini Spark vs Hermes Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-hermes-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "Gemini Spark vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-hermes-agent.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs Hermes Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-hermes-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-hermes-agent.json", "title": "Haven vs Hermes Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-hermes-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "Haven vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-instinct.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs Instinct", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-instinct" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-ironclaw.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs IronClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-ironclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-leon.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs Leon", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-leon" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-lindy.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs Lindy", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-lindy" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-nanobot.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs nanobot", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-nanobot" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-openai-dots.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs Dots", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-openai-dots" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-picoclaw.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs PicoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-picoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-poke.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs Poke", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-poke" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-zeroclaw.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs ZeroClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-zeroclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "Instinct vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "IronClaw vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "Leon vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "Lindy vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "nanobot vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "NanoClaw vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "Dots vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "OpenClaw vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/picoclaw-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "PicoClaw vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/picoclaw-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/poke-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "Poke vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/poke-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwenpaw-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "QwenPaw vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwenpaw-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/zeroclaw-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "ZeroClaw vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/zeroclaw-vs-zo-computer" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 42, "edge": "hermes-agent", "hermes-agent": 57, "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "weight": 16, "zo-computer": 15 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 7, "edge": "hermes-agent", "hermes-agent": 80, "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "weight": 13, "zo-computer": 73 }, { "by": 46, "edge": "hermes-agent", "hermes-agent": 80, "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "weight": 13, "zo-computer": 34 }, { "by": 38, "edge": "hermes-agent", "hermes-agent": 75, "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "weight": 14, "zo-computer": 37 }, { "by": 20, "edge": "hermes-agent", "hermes-agent": 60, "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "weight": 10, "zo-computer": 40 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 16, "edge": "hermes-agent", "hermes-agent": 84, "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "weight": 7, "zo-computer": 68 }, { "by": 3, "edge": "hermes-agent", "hermes-agent": 63, "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "weight": 7, "zo-computer": 60 } ], "summary": "Hermes Agent scores 67.9 (B) on agent readiness against Zo Computer's 43.1 (E), and leads in every scored category. Both do assistant proactive.", "verdicts": { "hermes-agent": "Card payments always ask first and are refused in unattended sessions, and the messaging gateway denies every sender until an allowlist is set. Shell commands run on the host by default with a model judging risk, and sending mail through the Google Workspace skill is held back only by an instruction to the model.", "zo-computer": "Zo publishes an OpenAPI file, Markdown docs, plan prices and a named list of the providers that receive user content. One access token grants full access to the workspace, no approval step before sending or buying was found in the reviewed docs, and no status page, rate limit or SLA is published." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-zo-computer", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-zo-computer.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-zo-computer.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-zo-computer.min.md" }, "markdown": "Hermes Agent scores 67.9 (B) on agent readiness against Zo Computer's 43.1 (E), and leads in every scored category. Both do assistant proactive.\n\n- Hermes Agent: grade B, 67.9/100, rank #244 of 986. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/hermes-agent.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/hermes-agent.json\n- Zo Computer: grade E, 43.1/100, rank #911 of 986. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/zo-computer.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/zo-computer.json\n- Best AI personal assistants that act for one person: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/personal-assistants/index.md\n- All 190 assistants comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/personal-assistants/index.md\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Hermes Agent (B)\n\nGood for: A technical owner who wants one always-on agent across chat apps with memory and scheduled jobs, on their own machine or a small server, with any model.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 57 against 15\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 80 against 73\n- Agent ergonomics, 80 against 34\n- Security \u0026 auth, 75 against 37\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 40\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 84 against 68\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No key needed to call it\n- Free to start without a card\n- Open source\n\nWatch for: The default terminal backend runs commands on the host, and the default `smart` mode lets an auxiliary model approve commands it rates low-risk\n\n### Zo Computer (E)\n\nGood for: One person who wants a hosted assistant with its own Linux machine, reachable by text message and chat apps, and who accepts that the assistant acts on connected accounts without a documented approval step.\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install\n- No incidents deducted, where Hermes Agent loses 3 points for them\n\nWatch for: The access token for the API and MCP endpoint grants full access to the workspace, with no scoped or read-only token documented\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Hermes Agent | Zo Computer | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 57 | 15 | Hermes Agent +42 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 80 | 73 | Hermes Agent +7 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 80 | 34 | Hermes Agent +46 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 75 | 37 | Hermes Agent +38 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 40 | Hermes Agent +20 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 84 | 68 | Hermes Agent +16 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 63 | 60 | Hermes Agent +3 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -3 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **67.9 · B** | **43.1 · E** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Hermes Agent | Zo Computer |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Nous Research | Zo Computer Company |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | `https://api.zo.computer/mcp` |\n| Transports | | HTTP |\n| Auth | None | API key |\n| Pricing | Free | Freemium |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT | Proprietary service under Zo Computer Company's terms of service |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-10-11 | 2026-09-14 |\n| Terms last updated | no document linked | 2025-08-08 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | no document linked | 2026-05-20 |\n| Customer content may train models | | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | | not found in the text |\n| Popularity | 253k stars | none |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Hermes Agent.** Card payments always ask first and are refused in unattended sessions, and the messaging gateway denies every sender until an allowlist is set. Shell commands run on the host by default with a model judging risk, and sending mail through the Google Workspace skill is held back only by an instruction to the model.\n\n**Zo Computer.** Zo publishes an OpenAPI file, Markdown docs, plan prices and a named list of the providers that receive user content. One access token grants full access to the workspace, no approval step before sending or buying was found in the reviewed docs, and no status page, rate limit or SLA is published.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Hermes Agent\n\n1. Set `approvals.mode: manual` before giving it real accounts. The default `smart` lets an auxiliary model approve commands\n2. Run the gateway with `terminal.backend: docker` or the project's Docker image when it reads mail, web pages or group chats\n3. Set `memory.write_approval: true` and `skills.write_approval: true` to review what it saves about the owner\n4. Leave `approvals.cron_mode` and `approvals.unattended_mode` at `deny` for scheduled and webhook runs\n5. Set `TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USERS` or the matching allowlist per channel. Never set `GATEWAY_ALLOW_ALL_USERS=true`\n\n### Zo Computer\n\n1. Send `POST https://api.zo.computer/zo/ask` with `Authorization: Bearer zo_sk_...` and an `input` string. The owner creates the token under Settings \u003e Advanced\n2. Pass `persona_id` for a persona with a narrow tool set. The token itself carries every permission the owner has\n3. Set `memory_mode` to `off` to keep workspace memory out of a request. The field is in the OpenAPI file and absent from the API guide\n4. Do not retry `/zo/ask` blindly after a timeout. No idempotency key is documented and the request may already have sent a message\n5. Append `.md` to any guide or reference URL for Markdown\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Hermes Agent or Zo Computer?\n\nHermes Agent scores 67.9 (B) on agent readiness against Zo Computer's 43.1 (E), and leads in every scored category.\n\n### Can an agent call Hermes Agent and Zo Computer without installing anything?\n\nNo hosted endpoint is listed for Hermes Agent. Zo Computer has a hosted endpoint at https://api.zo.computer/mcp.\n\n### Are Hermes Agent and Zo Computer open source?\n\nHermes Agent is open source (MIT). No open-source release is listed for Zo Computer.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-zo-computer.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-zo-computer.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"hermes-agent\", \"b\": \"zo-computer\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare hermes-agent zo-computer`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/hermes-agent.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/zo-computer.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Hermes Agent or Zo Computer\n\n- [AstrBot vs Hermes Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-hermes-agent.md)\n- [AstrBot vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Hermes Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-hermes-agent.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [GAIA vs Hermes Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-hermes-agent.md)\n- [GAIA vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [Gemini Spark vs Hermes Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-hermes-agent.md)\n- [Gemini Spark vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs Hermes Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-hermes-agent.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [Haven vs Hermes Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-hermes-agent.md)\n- [Haven vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-instinct.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs IronClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-ironclaw.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-leon.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs Lindy](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-lindy.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs nanobot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-nanobot.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs PicoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-picoclaw.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs Poke](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-poke.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-zeroclaw.md)\n- [Instinct vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [IronClaw vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [Leon vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [Lindy vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [nanobot vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [NanoClaw vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [Dots vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [OpenClaw vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [PicoClaw vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/picoclaw-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [Poke vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/poke-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [QwenPaw vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwenpaw-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [ZeroClaw vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/zeroclaw-vs-zo-computer.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-12", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Hermes Agent vs Zo Computer", "url": "" } ], "description": "Hermes Agent scores 67.9 (B) to Zo Computer's 43.1 (E) for assistant proactive. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Hermes Agent B 67.9", "Zo Computer E 43.1", "scores" ], "h1": "Hermes Agent vs Zo Computer", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-hermes-agent-vs-zo-computer.png", "path": "/compare/hermes-agent-vs-zo-computer", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Hermes Agent vs Zo Computer for AI agents in 2026: scores and prices", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-12", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-zo-computer" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2750, "slim": 730 }, "version": 1 }