Looking for a Hermes Agent OS free option? The best one right now is Herald OS — a free, open-source, agent-native operating system with Hermes Agent as the interface. I set it up and toured it in the video below. Here’s what’s genuinely free, what you’ll still pay for, and how it compares with the other ways to run Hermes.
Key takeaways
- Herald OS is a free, MIT-licensed operating system built around Hermes Agent.
- Hermes Agent itself is free and open source too.
- The only real cost is the AI model — and there are free models you can use.
- It’s alpha, so expect a few rough edges.
The best Hermes Agent OS free option: Herald OS
Herald OS is an independent project by Luke The Dev. It turns Hermes Agent into the interface for your whole computer: a dashboard for your day, spaces for work and personal life, missions, memory, files, automations and voice. It looks better than anything else I’ve used for Hermes.
| Herald OS at a glance | |
|---|---|
| What it is | An agent-native operating system with Hermes Agent as the interface |
| Made by | Luke The Dev (iamlukethedev) — independent, not affiliated with Nous Research |
| Price | Free — MIT licence; you only pay for the AI model you connect |
| Version | 0.1 alpha — early software |
| Platforms | macOS app (Apple Silicon, macOS 13+), Herald OS Linux (Fedora-based ISO), Arch/Omarchy package, Linux tarball |
| Needs | Hermes Agent, plus a Nous Portal account or an API key for a supported provider |
| Source | github.com/iamlukethedev/Herald-OS |
What’s free and what isn’t
| Piece | Cost |
|---|---|
| Herald OS | Free — MIT licence |
| Hermes Agent | Free — open source from Nous Research |
| The AI model | Varies — free models exist, or use a subscription or API key |
| Your hardware | A Mac with Apple Silicon or a 64-bit PC for Linux |
So the software stack costs nothing. You need either a Nous Portal account or an API key for a supported provider. Nous Portal regularly offers free models — for example, my Solar Mini 4 Hermes guide shows how to run Upstage’s model free in Hermes while its free window lasts.
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How to get Hermes Agent OS free on a Mac
- Install Hermes Agent and run
hermes setupto connect a model. - Download the Herald OS DMG from the official GitHub releases page.
- Drag Herald OS into Applications.
- Open it — Hermes is now the interface.
Full commands for Mac, Linux, Arch and virtual machines are in my Herald OS GitHub guide. Or do what I did: ask Claude to set it up for you — it took about two minutes.
Hermes Agent OS free options compared
| Option | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Herald OS | A full, free agent-native OS UI around Hermes — open source, alpha | People who want the nicest-looking Hermes interface and don’t mind early software |
| Hermes Desktop | Nous Research’s official Hermes app, with a plugin catalogue | Stability and official support |
| My Agent OS (AI Profit Boardroom) | My agentic operating system — manages Hermes and other agents in one place | Running several agents, not just Hermes, with training and support |
| Hermes in the terminal | The original way to run Hermes | Developers who live in the command line |
You can run several of these at once. My automations synced across Herald OS, Hermes Desktop and my Agent OS without any extra work.
What you get in Herald OS for free
- A dashboard that plans your day and suggests where to pick up
- Spaces for ideas, work, personal and each client
- Missions that Hermes plans out step by step
- Memory and file management
- Automations you switch on and off
- Voice with a free engine and “hey Hermes”
- Twelve themes, plugins from GitHub, and usage tracking
Before you install a free Hermes Agent OS
- It’s alpha software — expect rough edges. In my test the top of the window cut off slightly and Connections didn’t sync for me.
- The Mac app isn’t notarised by Apple yet, which is why the setup removes the quarantine flag — only do that for a build you downloaded from the official releases page.
- Check what’s on screen before you share it — the Memory page showed my Telegram details while I was recording.
- Keep approvals on — leave “ask before sending messages” switched on until you trust your setup.
- Review the activity history — Hermes can set things up in the background that you forget about.
Who a free Hermes Agent OS is for
- Hermes users who want a nicer interface than the terminal or Hermes Desktop.
- People juggling several businesses or clients — spaces keep each one separate.
- Linux fans who want a whole system built around an agent.
- Tinkerers happy to fix the odd alpha bug — or ask Claude to fix it.
If you want something rock solid with support behind it, stick with Hermes Desktop or a managed setup for now and come back to Herald OS as it matures. If you want to run several different agents — not just Hermes — from one place, that’s what my Agent OS inside the AI Profit Boardroom is built for.
Free models to pair with it
To keep the whole thing free, connect Hermes to a free model. Nous Portal’s free list changes over time, but when I last checked it included Upstage Solar Mini 4, Ling 3.1 Flash, Step 3.7 Flash and LongCat 2.0. Free models can be rate limited, so set up a second one as a backup — I keep one Hermes profile per model so I can switch in a click.
If you have a capable machine, you can also run a local model through LM Studio or Ollama, which Herald OS lets you manage from Settings.
My verdict: Hermes Agent OS free
For a Hermes Agent OS free setup, Herald OS is the one I’d try first: free, open source, beautiful, and syncing nicely with Hermes Desktop. Pair it with a free model and your total cost can be zero. See my full Herald OS review for the complete tour.
FAQ: hermes agent os free
Is Herald OS free?
Yes — it’s free and open source under the MIT licence. You only pay for the AI model you connect to Hermes.
Is Herald OS made by Nous Research?
No — it’s an independent project by Luke The Dev. It runs on Hermes Agent, which is made by Nous Research.
Is there a free Hermes Agent OS?
Yes — Herald OS is a free, open-source operating system with Hermes Agent as the interface.
Do I need to pay for a model?
Not necessarily — Nous Portal often has free models, or you can use a subscription or API key you already have.
Does the free Hermes Agent OS work on Windows?
Not as a Windows app — Herald OS runs on Apple Silicon Macs and Linux. Windows users could try it in a Linux virtual machine.
What’s the difference between Herald OS and your Agent OS?
Herald OS is a free UI for Hermes. My Agent OS, inside the AI Profit Boardroom, manages Hermes and other agents together, with training and support.
Two ways I can help from here. Join the AI Profit Boardroom — it’s where your agent operating system gets built with 3,400+ members doing the same.
Or grab a free strategy session and bring your questions.
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About Julian Goldie
I’m Julian Goldie — founder of Goldie Agency, best-selling author, and an AI educator with 428K+ YouTube subscribers. I’ve spent 10+ years in SEO and online business and I test every AI agent on my own work before I recommend it. Join the AI Profit Boardroom for the daily builds, or book a free strategy session to talk through yours.
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Last updated October 2026. This page is a living guide to hermes agent os free — the facts here move fast and it is updated as they do.