AI code editor with agents, cloud agents and code review, offered with a free Hobby tier and paid plans.
Free stops at: Limited Agent requests
Listed Not yet reviewed
Free · paid from $20/mo US · checked Sep 29
Productivity & writing · alternatives
Best Hermes Desktop (Nous Research) alternatives in 2026 (free and paid)
Hermes Desktop is free and open source, but the app is only part of the cost. Model usage may need your own API keys, and cloud agents and bundled credits need a Nous Portal account. Linux installs go through the terminal rather than an installer, and the macOS requirement differs between pages: the desktop docs list Apple Silicon only, while the landing page says macOS 12 or later.
If you would rather pay one subscription than manage keys, Cursor is an AI code editor with agents; Individual (Pro) is $20 per month and a free Hobby tier exists. GitHub Copilot works in editors, the terminal and GitHub, with Copilot Pro at $10 per user per month and a free tier. Claude from Anthropic is a general assistant with Pro at $20 per user per month ($17 on annual billing). ChatGPT Plus is $20 per month. All four list a free tier, though none is open source in our data.
"Better suited" below is based on documented features and pricing from our verified profiles, not on a head-to-head test. Prices are USD as published by each vendor.
Hermes Desktop (Nous Research) and its alternatives, as their sites look today
Our own captures of each vendor's public pages. Click a frame for the full-size image.
Why people look beyond Hermes Desktop (Nous Research)
- Linux install is done through the terminal rather than an installer On Linux the agent installs through the terminal instead of an installer, so Linux users need to be comfortable with the command line.
- Desktop docs list macOS on Apple Silicon only, landing page says macOS 12+ The desktop docs list macOS on Apple Silicon only while the landing page says macOS 12 or later, so check your Mac before installing.
- Cloud agents and bundled credits need a Nous Portal account Cloud agents and bundled credits need a Nous Portal account, so those extras are not part of the account-free base app.
Taken from the documented limitations in our Hermes Desktop (Nous Research) profile.
Hermes Desktop (Nous Research) and its alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Starting price | Free tier | Platforms | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermes Desktop (Nous Research) (this page) | Not published | Yes | Desktop | Model usage may need your own API keys, cloud agents and bundled credits need a Nous Portal account, and the macOS requirement differs between pages. |
| Cursor | From $20/mo (Individual (Pro)) | Yes | Desktop | Hobby has only limited Agent requests, and usage beyond the included amount is billed on demand. |
| GitHub Copilot | $10/mo (Copilot Pro) | Yes | Web, Desktop, Mobile | Chat, agents, code review and CLI all draw from a monthly GitHub AI Credits allowance that varies by model and task, so heavy agent use can exhaust a plan mid-month and require paid extra usage or an upgrade. |
| Claude | $20/mo (Pro) | Yes | Web, Desktop, Mobile, API | All plans have usage limits that reset on a schedule; the paid chat subscription does not include API access, which is billed separately per token. |
| ChatGPT | $20/mo (Plus (consumer)) | Yes | Web, Desktop, Mobile, API | Almost every tool (uploads, images, voice, deep research, Codex) has plan-dependent usage caps that OpenAI states can change over time, and the API is billed separately from every ChatGPT subscription. |
4 alternatives to Hermes Desktop (Nous Research), by need
| Alternative | Pick it when | Starting price | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor |
From $20/mo (Individual (Pro)) | ||
| GitHub Copilot |
$10/mo (Copilot Pro) | ||
| Claude |
$20/mo (Pro) | ||
| ChatGPT |
$20/mo (Plus (consumer)) |
AI coding assistant from GitHub offering code completions, chat and agent features in editors, the terminal and GitHub.
Free stops at: 2,000 completions per month, Limited chat and agent usage (allowance of GitHub AI Credits)
Listed Not yet reviewed
Verified github.com (opens GitHub Copilot website in a new tab)
Free · paid from $10/mo US · checked Sep 30
Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and multi-step work, with free and paid plans.
Free stops at: Usage limits apply, Projects: up to 5
Listed Not yet reviewed
Free · paid from $20/mo US · checked Sep 30
OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for writing, research, analysis, image generation and coding help.
Free stops at: Unlimited everyday text chats subject to abuse-prevention safeguards, Separate usage limits for file uploads,…
Listed Not yet reviewed
Free · paid from $20/mo US · checked Sep 30
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Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Hermes Desktop?
Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Claude and ChatGPT all list free tiers. Hermes Desktop itself is free and open source under MIT.
Why look beyond Hermes Desktop?
Model usage may need your own API keys, cloud agents need a Nous Portal account, and Linux install is terminal-based.
Which alternative is cheapest?
GitHub Copilot Pro at $10 per user per month. Cursor Pro, Claude Pro and ChatGPT Plus are each $20.
Do these alternatives need my own API keys?
Not as described in our data; they are subscription products.