ORB VS HERMES AGENT

An agent that teaches itself, and an assistant that's ready on day one.

Hermes Agent is Nous Research's open-source agent that you host yourself and that writes its own skills as it learns. Orb triages what's already coming in and prepares next actions for your approval before anything goes out.

So, Hermes Agent or Orb?

Choose Hermes Agent if

you're a builder who wants an open-source, self-hosted agent that improves its own skills over time.

Choose Orb if

you want inbound communication across email, Slack and WhatsApp triaged and ranked, with nothing sent without your sign-off.

Side by side.

Hermes AgentOrb

Channels coveredHermes AgentTelegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp and SignalOrbEmail, Slack, WhatsApp, calendar and more

Use caseHermes AgentOpen-source, self-improving agent frameworkOrbCross-channel triage and prioritisation

Setup requiredHermes AgentSelf-host and configure it yourselfOrbConnect your existing tools

How it actsHermes AgentRuns tasks and writes its own skills as it goesOrbPrepares actions for your approval

Best forHermes AgentBuilders who want to run and shape their own agentOrbFounders, operators and teams managing inbound volume

Credit where it's due

Hermes Agent is a genuinely open, capable framework — MIT-licensed and yours to run and extend.
Its self-improving skills mean it gets better at your tasks the more you use it.

Different by design

Orb works from day one — nothing to host, configure or maintain.
Every Orb action is prepared for your approval before it goes out — nothing is sent on your behalf automatically.
Orb ranks what already needs you across your channels, rather than waiting for you to set it tasks.

A couple of questions.

Is Hermes Agent a direct competitor to Orb?

Not directly — Hermes Agent is a framework for builders to run their own agent, while Orb is a finished assistant that triages your communication with your approval on every action.

Can I use both?

Yes — they solve different problems. Hermes Agent for your own agent experiments and automations, Orb for staying on top of day-to-day business communication.