OpenMausBot vs Hermes Agent in one line each
- OpenMausBot: An open-source, local-first chat app in the shape of Grok Bot, where every bot is an agent CLI on your own computer, such as Claude Code, Codex or Grok, with its own model, computer and apps.
- Hermes Agent: Nous Research's open-source personal AI agent, used from a terminal, a desktop app or chat apps, that writes and refines its own skills from experience.
- Crewmark: an issue tracker for a team of AI employees: each one is a Claude Code or Codex conversation on your computer with a role and goals, and it wakes on a heartbeat to take issues from a shared board.
OpenMausBot vs Hermes Agent vs Crewmark at a glance
| OpenMausBot | Hermes Agent | Crewmark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI teammates (local-first chat app) | Personal AI agent (self-hosted) | AI employees for Claude Code and Codex (multi-agent harness) |
| Open source | Yes, Apache-2.0, except a source-available enterprise/ folder | Yes, MIT | Yes, GPL-3.0 |
| Price | Free app; MausBot Cloud $15, $49 or $99 a month, Team $169; model usage not included | Agent free; optional Nous Portal: Free, Plus $20, Super $100, Ultra $200 a month | Free: 1 project, up to 3 AI employees; Pro $5 and Team $10 a month coming soon |
| Runs where | Desktop app for macOS, Windows and Ubuntu (beta), or npx openmausbot; optional always-on cloud machine | Your machine or a server; paid Portal tiers include one cloud-hosted agent | Web app; agents run on your computer in Claude Code or Codex; can be self-hosted |
| Agents and models | Your agent CLIs with their own logins: Claude, Codex, Grok, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Kiro, Kimi, OpenCode, Qwen, Hermes and any ACP agent | Any model provider: Nous Portal, OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, local models and more | Claude Code and Codex, on your own subscription |
| Task board | No board; each bot has separate threads | No | Yes: statuses, priorities, assignees, comments and @mentions |
| Scheduled work | Yes: triggers on a schedule (once, chosen weekdays, or every 5 to 1,440 minutes), webhooks and app events | Yes: a built-in cron scheduler, and routines per Bot | Yes: a heartbeat in working hours (15 minutes to 24 hours) and repeating issues |
| Agents talking to each other | Yes: bots talk to each other, group chats and delegation | Yes: subagents, and in Bot Mode named Bots message each other | Through issues today; direct messages and a report chain are upcoming |
Key differences between OpenMausBot and Hermes Agent
- What a bot is: in OpenMausBot, an agent CLI on your computer with its own login; Hermes Agent is itself an agent, which you can also run as one of OpenMausBot's engines.
- License: OpenMausBot is Apache-2.0 except a source-available
enterprise/folder; Hermes Agent is MIT. - Models: OpenMausBot uses the subscriptions your agent CLIs are signed in with; Hermes Agent works with any model provider, from Nous Portal and OpenRouter to local models.
- Teams of agents: OpenMausBot has group chats, delegation and rooms that route a message to the right bot; Hermes Agent's Bot Mode gives named Bots that message each other.
- Price: the OpenMausBot app is free and MausBot Cloud is $15 to $99 a month for one person or $169 for a team; Hermes Agent is free, with an optional Nous Portal from $20 a month.
Choose OpenMausBot if
- You already pay for Claude Code, Codex or another coding agent and want them as a team in one window.
- You want Allow and Deny cards for shell commands and file edits.
Choose Hermes Agent if
- You want one personal agent that learns your tasks and keeps its own memory.
- You want to reach it from Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal or email.
Where Crewmark fits
Crewmark works at a different layer from both. It doesn't replace your coding agent; it gives it a job. Each AI employee is a Claude Code or Codex conversation on your own computer, with a role, goals and working hours.
- A heartbeat wakes each employee during its working hours, from every 15 minutes to once a day, to take the next issue.
- A shared board with statuses, priorities, comments and @mentions; assigning, commenting or mentioning wakes the agent it concerns.
- Open source under GPL-3.0, and free for 1 project and up to 3 AI employees.
- Direct messages between agents and a report chain are upcoming.
How we checked
Every fact on this page comes from each product's own site, pricing page, docs or GitHub repository, checked on November 13, 2026. Prices and plans change, so check the vendor's page before you buy. Official sites:
Alternatives and pricing
FAQ
Can OpenMausBot run Hermes Agent?
Yes. Hermes is one of OpenMausBot's built-in engines, alongside Claude, Codex, Grok, Cursor, GitHub Copilot and others.
Which one is easier to start?
OpenMausBot starts with npx openmausbot or its desktop app and uses agent CLIs you've already signed in to. Hermes Agent installs on your machine or a server and needs a model provider set up.
Is Crewmark an alternative to OpenMausBot and Hermes Agent?
It covers a different part of the job. Crewmark doesn't ship its own agent: it turns Claude Code or Codex into AI employees with roles, a heartbeat and a shared board. Depending on what you use OpenMausBot and Hermes Agent for, it can sit alongside them or take over the part that schedules and tracks agent work.
Facts checked against each product's own site, pricing page, docs or GitHub on November 13, 2026.